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The Denton County Probate Courts' court-ordered instructions that every dependent administrator reads, initials in eight places and signs before the judge or a notary before leaving the courtroom (filed with the clerk; the attorney certifies having discussed the duties): the oath and the bond within 20 days of the order; letters must be requested from the clerk; published notice to unsecured creditors within one month, certified-mail notice to secured creditors within two months and notice to the Comptroller within five days where applicable, each with proof filed; a sworn inventory, appraisement and list of claims signed by the attorney within 90 days of qualification (failure risks show cause, revocation and a fine up to $1,000); an annual account within 60 days of each anniversary with reconciliation, bond-premium and tax affirmations, receipts to the court auditors and bank verifications under §§ 359.003–.004; estate funds in separately titled, FDIC-insured accounts, never commingled; no expenditure or reimbursement without a written court order except the few statutory exceptions, allowances spent only for approved purposes, cash withdrawals prohibited, receipts kept; no sale, transfer, long lease or abandonment of any asset without prior written order and personal property kept in Texas; a final account, delivery receipts and application for discharge close the administration; failure to comply may lead to removal and personal liability.
Texas > Denton County > Probate Courts Nos. 1 and 2 — dependent administrators of decedents' estates and their counsel.
"1. Before you leave the Court after the hearing: • You must read these Court-Ordered Instructions and initial each of the 8 boxes in the margins … • You must sign these Court Instructions before the Judge or a Notary. The original will be filed with the Clerk's Office and put in the file. … • You must fill out the Personal Representative Information form for the Court's internal files. 2. … You must file your Oath - your signed and sworn (or affirmed) commitment to 'discharge faithfully the duties of Dependent Administrator.' Texas Estates Code 'TEC' §305.052 3. You must file your bond within 20 days after the Court signs the order granting Letters of Dependent Administrator. TEC § 305.101 … Letters of Administration are not automatically sent when you have qualified; you need to request them from the Clerk's office … Before any expenditure of estate funds is made you must seek court approval and you must obtain a written order of this Court authorizing ANY expenditure. … Time-sensitive Deadlines. … 1. Issue Notice to Creditors as follows (these are mandatory requirements): a. Notice to general unsecured creditors is required within 1 month after receiving Letters of Dependent Administration. Notice is given by publishing the notice one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the letters are issued. Publisher's affidavit showing the date of publication shall be filed with the clerk. TEC §308.051 b. Notice to secured creditors is required within 2 months after receiving Letters of Dependent Administration. Notice is given by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, at the creditors' last known address. The Administrator's Affidavit of Notice to Secured Creditors, along with copies of each notice mailed with certified mail return receipt, shall be filed with the clerk. TEC §308.053 c. Notice to Comptroller of public accounts by certified mail within 5 days of order appointing administrator if decedent paid or owed taxes administered by the Comptroller. … 2. File an Inventory, Appraisement and List of Claims of the Estate within 90 days of qualification. a. An Inventory, Appraisement & List of Claims ('Inventory') must be filed by your attorney on your behalf. Texas law requires your attorney to review and sign this inventory. … b. Failure to file an inventory, appraisement and list of claims within 90 days of qualification or any extension granted by the court may result in an order to show cause and/or revocation of letters and a fine not to exceed $1,000.00. TEC §309.057 3. Annual Accounting due within 60 days of the anniversary of the date you qualified as Dependent Administrator and annually thereafter. Your attorney, on your behalf, must file a detailed Annual Account, attaching an affidavit in which you swear or affirm that the Annual Account is true and correct. … a. Your Annual Account must include a reconciliation of all assets. … b. As part of your Annual Account, you must swear or affirm that you have paid your bond premium for the next accounting period. c. As part of your Annual Account, you must swear or affirm that you have filed all tax returns and paid all taxes due … d. If you handle cash assets, the Annual Account must show all receipts and disbursements … You must submit to the Probate Court Auditors the actual receipts or other sufficient proof … e. Any cash or securities in your possession or held by any bank or depository must be verified by an appropriate sworn verification signed by a duly authorized representative of the financial institution as required by TEC §359.003 & §359.004. … 3. Accounts for Estate funds. Place all Estate funds in one or more separate accounts in the name of the estate … Do not commingle the funds of the Estate with your personal funds. … 4. Spending Estate funds. a. … You can not spend Estate funds without a formal written order from the Court authorizing the expenditure. … b. Spending Estate funds under a Court-ordered allowance. … Funds that are part of a Court-approved allowance may be spent only for the purposes approved in the Court order setting up the allowance. … c. … You may be subject to removal and held personally liable for any unapproved expenditures … 5. Non-cash assets (real or personal property). Preserve, protect, and insure (if insurable) all non-cash assets of this Estate. • Your attorney, on your behalf, must obtain a written order of this Court authorizing the sale or transfer of any asset before you attempt to sell, transfer, lease for more than one year, abandon, or otherwise dispose of any non-cash asset of this Estate. • All personal property of the Estate in the State of Texas should remain in Texas unless prior Court approval is obtained. 6. Recordkeeping. … • Cash withdrawals of Estate funds are prohibited, except in the rare cases when a court ordered allowance specifically allows for the Estate to have a cash allowance. • Keep and maintain receipts for every purchase. • Estate expenses should be paid for with Estate funds. • To be reimbursed for paying an Estate expense, you must get the Court's permission - but reimbursements are discouraged. Reimbursements will not be approved without receipts. … File your Final Accounting. When all debts are paid in full, or to the extent that assets of the estate will permit their payment, and when no further necessity for the administration exists you need to file a Final Accounting. See TEC §362. … You must file an Application for Discharge with the receipts proving delivery of Estate assets attached."
"1. Before you leave the Court after the hearing: • You must read these Court-Ordered Instructions and initial each of the 8 boxes in the margins … • You must sign these Court Instructions before the Judge or a Notary. The original will be filed with the Clerk's Office and put in the file. … • You must fill out the Personal Representative Information form for the Court's internal files. 2. … You m
Reviewer note: Own-site document (text layer, 7 pp, 14,796 chars) read in full 2026-09-06; the court-ordered instructions quoted verbatim in order with explanatory passages abridged; undated (version 102); the instructions are issued by 'the Probate Court' for both statutory probate courts and carry a judge's signature line → one county-level probate rule (court-less). Composed benchpath-ajr8-denton (own-site lane).
G-2026-045-SC required anyone using generative AI to disclose it on the face of the filing and add a scripted certification, on pain of striking, denial of relief or monetary penalties. Rule 2.515(d)(2) and AOSC26-12 preempted it on June 15, 2026, so it could not be enforced — and by August 16, 2026 the Seventh Circuit had removed the order from its published register (no rescission instrument appears there). BenchPath holds the hashed capture as the historical record.
3 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in ANDREW L. SIEGEL's division.