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On the creation of Probate Court No. 3, the three statutory probate judges agree under Government Code § 74.093 and § 25.173 that all probate cases other than mental health matters filed on or after September 1, 2023 are assigned equally among Probate Courts 1, 2 and 3 (cause numbers showing year, court and number); the County Clerk reassigns cases filed January 1, 1983 – January 1, 2020 evenly among the three courts within 90 days (with a status report if not), then the pre-1983 cases; Judges Kazen and Vasquez attach lists of cases to remain in Courts 1 and 2; future agreed orders may direct further transfers.
Applies to the assignment and reassignment of cases among Bexar County Probate Courts Nos. 1, 2 and 3 (mental health matters stay docketed in Court No. 1 under Government Code § 25.173). Three signers (all current); no single judge join. Not registered on TOPICs. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NUMBER 2024-02. IN RE: ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2024-02 — IN THE PROBATE COURT, BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS. AGREED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON DISTRIBUTION OF PROBATE COURT CASES COME NOW Judge Oscar J. Kazen, Bexar County Probate Court 1 Judge Presiding, Judge Veronica Vasquez, Bexar County Probate Court 2 Judge Presiding and Judge Barbie Scharf-Zeldes, Bexar County Probate Court 3 Judge Presiding, and hereby join in this agreed administrative order. WHEREAS section 25.0171 of the Texas Government Code has authorized the creation of Bexar County Probate Court No. 3; and, WHEREAS the Bexar County Commissioners Court, by and through its authority, have created Bexar County Probate Court No. 3; and, WHEREAS section 74.093(b)(4) of the Texas Government Code grants authority to the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court Judges, by majority vote, to adopt rules of administration for fair and equitable division of caseloads; and, WHEREAS section 74.093(b)(1) of the Texas Government Code grants authority to the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court Judges, by majority vote, to adopt rules of administration for the assignment, docketing, transfer, and hearings of all cases subject to the Courts' jurisdictional limitations; and, WHEREAS notwithstanding section 74.093 of the Texas Government Code, section 25.173 of said code states that the County Clerk shall docket all mental health matters in Probate Court No. 1 and shall assign equally among the Statutory Probate Courts in Bexar County and docket at random all other matters and proceedings filed in the Statutory Probate Courts of Bexar County; and, WHEREAS the Honorable Bexar County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark has requested the issuance of this order. BE IT SO ORDERED that all cases of Probate Court jurisdiction, with the exception of mental health matters, filed on or after September 1, 2023, shall be assigned equally as between Bexar County Probate Court 1, Bexar County Probate Court 2 and Bexar County Probate Court 3 in such a manner that the case numeration shall note the year of filing, the court assigned and the individual number of said cases. BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall, in a manner the Clerk deems expedient and appropriate, apportion and reassign, with the exception of mental health matters, all cases of Probate Court jurisdiction filed on or after January 1, 1983, and on or before January 1, 2020, evenly, among Bexar County Probate Court 1, Bexar County Probate Court 2 and Bexar County Probate Court 3, and shall do so in a manner wherein the case may be readily identified as reassigned, and shall complete such reassignment no later than 90 days from the issuance of this order; and, BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that, in the event the County Clerk cannot complete the above ordered transfers within the 90 days of this order, the County Clerk shall provide a status report to the Judges therein noting a future time estimate. BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that, after the apportionment and reassignment of the aforementioned cases of Probate Court jurisdiction filed on or after January 1, 1983, and on or before January 1, 2020, all remaining cases of Probate Court jurisdiction filed before January 1, 1983, with the exception of mental health matters, shall be apportioned and reassigned evenly, among Bexar County Probate Court 1, Bexar County Probate Court 2 and Bexar County Probate Court 3, and in a manner wherein the case may be readily identified as reassigned. BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that Judge Oscar J. Kazen, Bexar County Probate Court 1 Judge Presiding and Judge Veronica Vasquez, Bexar County Probate Court 2 Judge Presiding, hereby further individually attach to this order a list of such cases filed before January 1, 2020, as they deem appropriate which, subject to the terms of said attachments, are noted to either remain in Bexar County Probate Court 1 or Bexar County Probate Court 2, or otherwise transferred to Bexar County Probate Court 3. BE IT FURTHER ORDERED that subject to future mutually agreed orders, as between Bexar County Probate Court 1, Bexar County Probate Court 2 and Bexar County Probate Court 3, the clerk of the court shall accept for transfer those cases as set forth in such future orders. BE IT SO ORDERED AS AGREED on this the 28th day of February 2024. Judge Oscar J. Kazen, Presiding Judge, Bexar County Probate Court No. 1; Judge Veronica Vasquez, Presiding Judge, Bexar County Probate Court No. 2; Judge Barbie Scharf-Zeldes, Presiding Judge, Bexar County Probate Court No. 3. [Pages 3–6 list the cause numbers "to be kept in PC 1" (approximately 65 cases) and "to be kept in PC 2" (23 cases); the lists are not transcribed. The County Clerk's filing stamp on the signature page is partly illegible.]
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NUMBER 2024-02. IN RE: ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2024-02 — IN THE PROBATE COURT, BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS. AGREED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ON DISTRIBUTION OF PROBATE COURT CASES COME NOW Judge Oscar J. Kazen, Bexar County Probate Court 1 Judge Presiding, Judge Veronica Vasquez, Bexar County Probate Court 2 Judge Presiding and Judge Barbie Scharf-Zeldes, Bexar County Probate Court 3 Judg
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 from BenchPath's own-site custody copy (six pages; OCR text layer read in full and the signature page read through the vision lane, which supplied the February 28, 2024 date; the attached cause-number lists are described, not transcribed; the clerk's filing stamp is partly illegible).
2 verbatim requirements from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1986-33A.
1 verbatim requirement from 4th Circuit Administrative Order 1987-09.