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County Court at Law No. 2 — Rules of Court — Fort Bend County. The operative requirements are quoted verbatim from the governing document (registered/posted 06/10/2025); the document in custody is the controlling text.
Texas > Fort Bend County > County Court at Law No. 2
[Seal: The State of Texas, Fort Bend County] COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 281-341-4446 COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 2 / FORT BEND COUNTY [link] Presiding Judge: Tyra Jones McCollum Court Coordinator: Mandy Richards, Amarantha.RichardsCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov Probate Auditor: Norma Limon, Norma.LimonCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov Court Reporter: Sherri Johnson, Sherri.JohnsonCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov Sr. Office Assistant: Candice Smith, Candice.SmithCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov Court Bailiff: Johnny Martinez, 281-341-4448 RULES OF COURT I. GENERAL A. COURT DECORUM 1. All attorneys are expected to dress professionally and appropriately. No attorneys will be permitted to conduct business with the Court wearing jeans. 2. All litigants and participants are expected to dress appropriately. Persons wearing hats, shorts, or clothing that demonstrates inappropriate exposure will be asked to remain outside of the courtroom. 3. No food or beverages are permitted in the courtroom. Attorneys are permitted to bring water or coffee into the courtroom in a closed container with a secured lid. 4. No cursing or otherwise inappropriate language is permitted in the courtroom. 5. Cell phones are permissible; however, they must be silenced. 6. No photographs or recordings (audio and/or video) may be taken inside the Courtroom, under penalty of law. B. WEATHER CLOSURES 1. The Court will make court closure announcements on the Court’s official website and/or Judge McCollum’s social media outlets. 2. If the County Judge of Fort Bend County announces that County buildings will be closed, the Court will remain closed until the County Judge announces the reopening of county buildings and facilities. 3. If Fort Bend Independent School District and/or Lamar Consolidated Independent School District cancels classes due to inclement weather, then all hearings and trials in the County Court No. 2 will be canceled on the days classes are canceled. 4. If the parties are not impacted by school closure, the Court MAY proceed with a scheduled hearing if ALL PARTIES AGREE. C. CONTACTING THE COURT 1. All communication with the Court should be via email. The Court will not set hearings or provide hearing dates by telephone. 2. If represented by an attorney, all communication with the Court must be made through the attorney of record. Attorneys should not direct clients to contact the court if unable to appear for court. It is the responsibility of the attorney to contact the Court on behalf of their client. 3. All copy requests and inquiries regarding the status of an order should be addressed to the County Clerk’s Office. 4. The Court must be notified by email if the attorney wishes to pass a hearing. A hearing is not passed unless confirmation has been sent from the Court. 5. Any document that a party wishes to file should be sent to the County Clerk’s Office. Documents intended for filing should not be sent to the Court unless otherwise instructed by the Court. II. INTERPRETERS It is the Attorney or Pro Se Individual’s responsibility to submit an Interpreting Services Request Form (ISR Form). Completed forms must be submitted to the Court Coordinator, Mandy Richards and the Language Access Director, languageaccess@fbctx.gov by email at least 72 hours before any court appearance or hearing. Trial cases require a fourteen (14) day notice period for language interpretation. This applies for interpretation in one of the following nine languages: [Table: Spanish | Urdu | Hindi; Vietnamese | Gujarati | Tagalog; Chinese | Malayalam | Arabic] The Attorney or Pro Se Individual should also give a fourteen (14) day notice period for Language Interpretation Services in any other language not listed above for any reasonably anticipated need. All interpreters serving in trial proceedings must be a Master Licensed Certified Court Interpreter unless otherwise specified. For additional information regarding interpretation services, click here [link]. III. CRIMINAL DOCKETS A. APPEARANCES / RESETS 1. Docket Call is at 9:00 am on Tuesdays and 9:00 am on Fridays unless otherwise indicated by the Court. Defendants must appear in-person for all criminal docket settings unless otherwise notified by the Court. 2. To prevent forfeiture cases must be reset or otherwise resolved prior to the end of the docket setting. 3. All resets MUST include the defendant’s signature. The exception is for defendants who are quarantined for health reasons. Otherwise, the Court will not accept “signed with permission”. 4. A blank reset form for criminal cases may be downloaded from the Court’s website under the Documents and Forms tab. 5. Unless otherwise indicated by the Court, Attorneys must always appear in-person to represent their client or send a stand an Attorney on their behalf. B. PLEAS 1. The defendant must appear in person for all pleas. 2. Defendants who are in jail will plea at the jail docket. **Please contact the Magistrate Court to schedule: Magistrate Court / Fort Bend County [link] 3. Plea/disposition paperwork must be signed and submitted to the Court Coordinator before 11:30am on docket dates. Failure to timely submit the paperwork may result in the plea being rescheduled. C. COURT SETTINGS 1. For all retained attorneys, a written letter of representation must be on file. 2. Five announcement settings (including arraignment) are allowed before a case will be permitted with reset notification via the Court Coordinator. 3. On and each occasion after the sixth setting, the attorney of record must appear before the Court to request additional non-issue settings. 4. After the sixth setting, the case shall be considered for placement on the trial docket. 5. Jail cases will be placed on an expedited track and will be given priority on the Jury Trial Calendar. 6. The defendant must appear in person for bond modification requests/hearings. 7. Bond forfeitures are called at the end of the morning docket and are set aside at the discretion of the Court. 8. Bench Trials and Motions to Revoke or Adjudicate are set at the earliest availability or the parties’ agreement on any day during a nonjury week. D. JAIL DOCKET 1. The Jail Docket is heard by Magistrate Judge Tony Duckett at the Fort Bend County Jail courtroom on Wednesdays at 1:00 P.M. 2. The deadline for attorneys to schedule an inmate on the docket is, without exception, at 4:00 PM on the Monday preceding Wednesday's docket. 3. To schedule a hearing, please contact the Magistrate Court Coordinator. E. COURT APPOINTMENTS 1. The Court uses the rotating wheel and the Public Defender’s Office for court appointments. Attorneys will be notified by email by the Indigent Defense Office. 2. Attorney Expense Claim Forms: If the defendant has multiple open cases which are disposed of at the same time, ALL CASES shall be reported on a single Attorney Expense Claim Form, (i.e. you may not bill twice for the same Court setting, jail visit, etc. even if the defendant has multiple cases). 3. All attorneys shall electronically submit their fee vouchers utilizing this Attorney Fee/Expense Claim Form. IV. CRIMINAL TRIALS A. GENERAL 1. Pre-trial matters are to be scheduled and heard before the trial date. Every Jury Trial will receive a Pre-Trial Conference setting at least ten (10) days preceding the designated Jury Trial date. 2. At the Pre-Trial Conference, both sides will announce whether they are ready for trial and the defendant will accept or reject the proffer of resolution at that time. 3. The Pre-Trial Conference is the last formal opportunity for all parties to dispose of the case. The Court will not accept plea agreements on the morning of a Jury Trial. 4. On Jury Trial settings, the Defendant and Attorney must appear and announce ready for trial by 11:00am on the day of the trial setting. 5. Case order is set in advance by the Court after consultation with the parties with priority given to jail cases. 6. Motions for continuance must be in writing and be presented in advance of the trial setting. Oral motions for continuance are not acceptable. B. JURY TRIALS 1. Jury trials are scheduled on designated days. 2. Voir dire begins as soon as the jury arrives. Opening Statements and Testimony will begin the following day. 3. Once trial begins, the Court will begin daily at 9:00 am and end at 5:00 pm with an hour break for lunch. Exceptions will be made with approval by the Court. 4. The Court typically allows 30 - 45 minutes per side for voir dire. After the general voir dire, individual jurors may be questioned at the bench, only if necessary, to assist the Court in deciding a for-cause challenge. 5. All persons in the Courtroom shall stand each time the jury enters or exits the Courtroom. 6. Please stand when addressing the Court. Please sit when questioning a witness. Please ask to approach the witness, bench, or Court Reporter as needed. 7. Schedule witnesses to avoid delays. Advise the Court as soon as you are aware of witness timing issues so that witnesses may be taken out of order, if necessary, or allowed to be on call so they don’t have to wait a lengthy period to testify. Parties should be prepared to allow witnesses to testify out of order and be generous toward each other in this regard. 8. Identify yourself to the Judge and the Court Reporter before any hearing begins. Provide a business card with your name, correct address, phone number, and e-mail address. Also, include party representation. Please provide the Court Reporter with a phone number that can be used to reach you with immediacy. 9. Accurate exhibit lists should be furnished to the Court and to the Court Reporter prior to the start of trial. Exhibits are to be marked with exhibit stickers, using a number system (i.e., The first exhibit should be #1). Parties may provide their own exhibit stickers. Exhibits with multiple pages should be stapled, bound and/or assembled in advance so that they may be accurately preserved. 10. Redactions should be made and reviewed by all parties prior to the exhibit being offered. Exhibits redacted after the exhibit is admitted (subject to redaction or without initial objection) are to be marked as an “A” exhibit and the original, unredacted exhibit is kept by the Court Reporter for the record. Once an exhibit is offered (even if not admitted), it must be tendered to the Court Reporter. 11. Once an exhibit number (or letter) has been assigned, the same exhibit number may not be used for another exhibit, even if the original exhibit is withdrawn or not used in the hearing or trial. 12. Arrangements for acquiring a transcript of testimony after a hearing or during a trial may be made directly with the Court Reporter. V. CIVIL DOCKETS A. SCHEDULING ORDER In accordance with Rules 166, 190 and 192 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court will enter a Uniform Scheduling Order in contested cases filed in the Court, setting out mediation requirements, discovery deadlines and a trial date. If the parties wish to enter an agreed scheduling order, please contact the Court Coordinator, Mandy Richards, to schedule a hearing on your Motion to Enter a Scheduling Order. B. AGREED AND UNOPPOSED MOTIONS 1. Agreed or unopposed motions do not have to be placed on the Court’s oral hearing docket. All unopposed or agreed motions should be titled as such. These motions are expeditiously presented to the Court without the necessity of a hearing (this includes unopposed motions for continuance). 2. ALL continuance or reset motions (whether agreed, unopposed or opposed) MUST state what number continuance motion is being filed (i.e. “Plaintiff’s First” or “Defendant’s Second” or “Third Agreed Motion,” etc.). 3. Agreed motions and orders should contain signature blocks for all parties who are agreed to the relief requested and should state “AGREED AS TO SUBSTANCE AND FORM AND ENTRY REQUESTED” above the signature block. C. COURT REQUESTS In certain situations, the Court will ask you to supplement your unopposed motion, request for default judgment, or expedited foreclosure with additional evidence. Please feel free to contact the Court to confirm whether the additional evidence has been brought to the Court’s attention. D. CERTIFICATES OF CONFERENCE 1. The Court requires complete compliance with Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 191.2 and our local rules. 2. Motions must have certificates of conference. All certificates of conference must be explicit as to the party’s efforts to resolve the motion with all other parties/counsel prior to filing. If a party was unable to reach the other side prior to filing the motion, the certificate should state the efforts to communicate with that party and should always be supplemented as soon as possible after the parties have conferred. If the Court does not see a supplemented certificate in such circumstances, please expect a call asking for one. Please note the following: a. Sending a copy of a motion, without more, is not a conference. b. Sending an e-mail or leaving a telephone message, without more, is not a conference. c. If opposing counsel refuses to return numerous phone calls or other messages, outline your efforts to confer in your certificate of conference. E. DISCOVERY MOTIONS 1. Always consult opposing counsel (preferably the lead attorney) before filing any motion related to discovery. Include an explicit certificate of conference as described above in the section of these procedures titled “Certificates of Conference.” Be sure to submit the discovery response(s) at issue as sub-documents when e-filing, or state verbatim the request and answer in the body of your motion. 2. Proposed orders should list each discovery issue separately so that the Court may sign a specific order granting or denying the requested relief. F. ORAL HEARINGS 1. All Civil hearings are in person. Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the Court. Generally, hearing dates are on Tuesdays at 1:30pm and Wednesdays at 1:30pm on non-jury weeks. 2. It is the responsibility of the Movant party to request in writing an oral hearing date from the Court Coordinator. 3. It is the movant’s responsibility to provide proper written notice of the hearing to the Court and to all parties after requesting a hearing date in writing via email and providing notice to the opposing party. It is also the movant’s responsibility to timely advise opposing counsel if they are passing the hearing. The Court Coordinator will remove from the docket motions that do not timely comply with this policy and will notify the requesting party of the same. 4. PLEASE NOTE: The Court will NOT consider substantial and potentially dispositive (or outcome determinative) motions on the eve of trial or the morning of trial. Late filing of motions will rarely be a sufficient basis for a continuance. 5. The Court encourages you to file responses, replies and objections at the earliest possible moment so that the Court can review them and promptly rule. Objections to summary judgment evidence filed on the morning of the hearing will not be considered. 6. Responses that are filed after the response deadline provided for in the rules MUST be accompanied by a separate motion for leave to late file the response with a proposed order. 7. Default judgment motions set for oral hearing require evidence of proper notice on the record. All default judgment hearings will be recorded by the Court reporter. Cases which have not been determined by the Clerk’s file to have proper notice will be removed from the oral hearing docket. Default judgment motions must be accompanied by the proper non-military affidavit and a Certificate of Last Known Address. G. EMERGENCY HEARINGS 1. If the need for an emergency hearing arises, parties must first consult with each other about the matter and if both sides agree to an emergency hearing, contact the Court Coordinator to set up a video conference or in person hearing with The Court. 2. If, after conferring, only one party thinks it is an emergency, the party requesting the hearing must file a motion for emergency hearing. 3. If an emergency hearing is granted, the movant is responsible for providing proper notice of the hearing to all parties. H. SANCTIONS 1. Sanctions will infrequently be awarded unless the opponent has violated a previous order, or the conduct is egregious, or as permitted by law. 2. All requests for attorney's fees as sanctions MUST be established by affidavit or live testimony as to reasonableness and necessity as well as meet other legal requirements, unless the parties agree on the record, in a filed Rule 11 Agreement, or an agreed order as to the amount. I. SEVERANCES 1. All motions and orders for severance must contain the following: a. New case number, Court number, case type and new style name. b. Reference the parties in the new suit; c. List of original pleadings to be severed out and transferred to the new case; d. List of pleadings to be transferred to the new case (together with a listing of the document type, activity date for the document, number of pages and image number); e. Indicate attorney name, address and bar number to whom costs for the severance are to be assessed; and f. Indicate the severance case's status, and whether the new case file is interlocutory (not a final appealable matter) or whether severance will cause the newly severed matter to be final and appealable upon severance. As an example, if a plaintiff obtains a summary judgment as to one of multiple defendants, and severs the disposed claims against that defendant into a new cause, that severance order will start the appellate timelines because all claims in the new cause will be resolved as to all claims and all parties. This should be expressly stated in the motion for severance. 2. Parties may consider, in the proper case, a request for abatement of a cause of action, or separate trials within one lawsuit, as this may be a more appropriate, and less expensive and cumbersome alternative. J. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS 1. Please explicitly identify by page and paragraph the pleading or portion thereof to which you are specially excepting (unless the special exception is only to the maximum amount of damages sought pursuant to Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 47). 2. Parties are encouraged to restate verbatim the paragraph(s) to which your special exceptions apply in the proposed order and provide blanks in which the Court may check "sustained" or "overruled" as to each separate matter to which the movant is specially excepting. K. SUBSTITUTE SERVICE (RULE 106) 1. All motions for substituted service under Rule 106 must be accompanied by an affidavit that includes the following information: a. Efforts taken to verify that defendant lives or works at the subject address. b. Each attempt at service, with date(s) and time(s). Evidence must indicate attempted service within 3 months of filing the motion. c. Identity of persons who were present at the subject address and what was said; and d. A printout of a public record or Public Data.com or similar online database confirming that the person to be served actually resides at the address at which service is being attempted. This can also include a statement identifying license plates of cars in the driveway and attaching a printout of license plates registered to the person to be served. Statements by neighbors or by people residing in the abode must include the full name of the person and a description. The Court requires some assurance that the person resides at that address. L. VOLUNTARY NON-SUITS/DISMISSALS 1. All non-suits and voluntary dismissals should be titled as interlocutory or final. Interlocutory orders should expressly list which parties and claims are being dismissed and which remain (if any). 2. Final orders MUST state that the order disposes of all claims and all parties and is intended to be a final, appealable order. 3. Motions and notices of non-suit as well as orders of non-suit should expressly state that they are being filed pursuant to Rule 162 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. These motions are immediately presented to the Court without the necessity of oral hearing. M. NONSUITS INVOLVING MINORS For non-suits and dismissals in cases involving minors, parties must disclose to the Court whether the minor is receiving a settlement so the Court can determine whether a Guardian Ad Litem should be appointed. The Court will not appoint a Guardian Ad Litem where it is not warranted by Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 173; however, it is important that this information is furnished to the Court for proper consideration. Nonsuits and dismissals filed without providing this information will not be granted. N. WITHDRAWAL AS ATTORNEY OF RECORD 1. All motions and proposed orders to withdraw as attorney of record must contain the following: a. An indication that the motion to withdraw and notice of the hearing or notice of submission was provided to the client, including evidence of mailing the motion to the client; b. An indication of whether the client consents to the motion; c. The last known mailing address, phone and fax number of client; and d. Notice to the client that the client has the right to appear at the hearing to object to the motion or file a response prior to the submission of the motion. 2. Please make reasonable efforts to find substitute counsel in the appropriate case so that the client’s interests are protected. 3. These motions DO require a certificate of conference, as opposing counsel has a right to be heard on these motions. 4. The Court may set this matter for oral hearing on the motion. O. JP EVICTION APPEALS and FORCIBLE DETAINERS 1. JP Eviction Appeals and forcible detainer hearings are not automatically scheduled. To schedule a hearing, please contact the Court Coordinator, Mandy Richards. 2. All notices of hearing MUST be filed with the County Clerk’s office prior to the hearing date, and in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. 3. It is the requesting party’s responsibility to provide proper written notice of the hearing to all parties. It is also the requesting party’s responsibility to timely advise all parties if they are passing the hearing. P. OCCUPATIONAL (or RESTRICTED) LICENSES Applications for Occupational or Restricted Licenses are handled by Associate Judge Lewis White by submission. For questions, please contact his Court Coordinator, Eralyn Fisher. Q. PRO SE LITIGANTS The Court is prohibited from providing legal advice or assisting in the preparation of lawsuits. The Court will only offer general information. There is a pro se self-help manual located in the Fort Bend County (Willie Melton) Law Library that offers information to litigants that choose to represent themselves. The Law Library is located in the Fort Bend County Justice Center, 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle Richmond, Texas, on the 2nd floor. For more information, please contact Mr. Andrew Bennett, Law Librarian, at (281) 341-3718. Additional help may be found at www.Texaslawhelp.org or at https://selfhelp.efiletexas.gov/srl VI. CIVIL TRIALS A. GENERAL 1. Throughout the pendency of a case, the parties, all counsel, and their agents or representatives shall obey and comply with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, and the Texas Lawyers’ Creed – A Mandate for Professionalism (as applicable). 2. The Court expects counsel to always act professionally. Violations of these procedures (or of other orders and/or instructions of the Court) are punishable by contempt. This punishment can include up to a $500.00 fine and/or six (6) months in jail. Violations may also be subject to sanctions pursuant to Rule 215, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as other applicable authority and the inherent power of the Court. B. TRIAL SETTINGS 1. All cases are set for trial by the Court Coordinator with input from all parties. 2. If you anticipate a challenge to an expert’s qualifications, please schedule the hearing well in advance of trial (see discussion of Daubert Motions below). Please discuss scheduling of any anticipated Daubert motion with the Court at an earlier status conference. Parties must call the Court coordinator to get docket positions. C. MEDIATION 1. The Court REQUIRES the parties to complete alternative dispute resolution prior to setting a case for trial. 2. If you believe that your case is not appropriate for mediation, file an objection to mediation as soon as practicable and set it for oral hearing. D. JURY PANELS If you need a panel of more than 40 jurors, please let the Court Coordinator know at least 4 weeks in advance of the trial date. E. CONTINUANCES 1. Continuance motions should be filed early. 2. Motions for trial or pretrial deadline continuances MUST to be accompanied by an appropriate affidavit, unless they are agreed. 3. ALL continuance or reset motions (whether agreed, unopposed or opposed) MUST state what number continuance motion is being filed (i.e. “Plaintiff’s First” or “Defendant’s Second” or “Third Agreed Motion,” etc.). F. VOIR DIRE The Court typically allows 30 - 45 minutes per side for voir dire. After the general voir dire, individual jurors may be questioned at the bench, only if necessary, to assist the Court in deciding a for-cause challenge. G. PRELIMINARY MATTERS 1. The Court requires the parties to exchange proposed jury charges, motions in limine, exhibit lists, actual exhibits, party/attorney lists, witness lists, and deposition excerpts BEFORE the Pre-Trial Conference, which is dated on the Docket Control Order. a. Eliminate duplicate exhibits, if possible, by agreement. b. Mark an 8 x 11 size exhibit for any blowup used. c. Be prepared to advise the Court of exhibit numbers for which you have no objection. d. Please work diligently to tailor your motion in limine to the issues in the case rather than a boilerplate motion. Then work with opposing counsel or pro se parties to narrow those issues by agreement. Exercise courtesy in positioning the Court and jury panel to wait unnecessarily on the resolution of matters which could have been readily addressed and agreed upon. e. When preparing video deposition excerpts to play at trial, remember that some portions may be excluded under the Texas Rules of Evidence, and be prepared to present only the admitted portions without having to stop and start the presentation repeatedly in front of the jury. This may mean being prepared to edit the video deposition quickly during the trial. H. DAUBERT MOTIONS All Daubert Motions (motions to exclude expert witness testimony) should be filed AND set for hearing WELL IN ADVANCE OF TRIAL (i.e. not on the eve of trial). The Court will NOT consider such motions filed after the deadline in the docket control order without a motion for leave demonstrating good cause. I. DEPOSITIONS 1. Provide page/line for any witness anticipated to testify by deposition PRIOR to the docket call. 2. Opposing counsel must promptly advise of any objections. 3. If objections remain, then the party seeking to exclude the testimony should file a motion to rule on the objections as soon as possible so that the Court can promptly rule on the objections prior to voir dire. Separately, if there are “form” objections in the deposition transcript that cannot be agreed upon, the party seeking to overrule the objection should file a motion for a ruling on these. J. COURT’S CHARGE 1. Drafts of proposed jury charges should be exchanged PRIOR to the Pre-Trial Conference date. 2. Once assigned to trial, the parties should make arrangements with the Court coordinator to e-mail their proposed charge to the Court in Microsoft Word format so that the Court may compile the Court’s charge as the trial proceeds. K. JURY TRIALS: GENERAL INFORMATION See above IV. Criminal Trials, B. Jury Trials VII. JUVENILE DOCKETS County Courts at Law of Fort Bend County sit as a designated Juvenile Court. Juvenile courts decide matters involving adolescents who are a minimum age of ten (10) years and have not attained the age of majority. Matters handled by the juvenile courts include juvenile delinquency and issues involving children in need of supervision. Juvenile court hearings in County Court at Law No. 2 are, with few exceptions, formal in-person proceedings. A. DOCKET TIMES 1. Juvenile adjudication, disposition and status hearings are heard in person on Mondays at 9:30 A.M. Trials to the Court and contested matters are heard on any day of the week designated by the Court. Jury Trials are heard on designated jury calendar dates. 2. A juvenile’s non-appearance at Court must be approved by the Court in advance. 3. Scheduling for the Court’s Juvenile Dockets in County Court at Law No. 2 is managed by Juvenile Probation Officer Cynthia Reprogle who can be reached at Cynthia.Reprogle@fortbendcountytx.gov. B. DETENTION HEARINGS 1. Presiding Judge Tyra McCollum hears initial juvenile detention hearings alleging the commission of aggravated felony conduct, or conduct involving a firearm. These hearings are held in her Courtroom (2B) at 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas, on Mondays at 9:30 A.M. Judge McCollum may also hear initial or subsequent detention hearings on Wednesdays or Thursdays as needed. 2. Associate Judge Lewis White hears initial juvenile detention hearings alleging the commission of non-violent felony and misdemeanor conduct on behalf of County Court at Law No. 2, as well as subsequent detention hearings as are necessary. These juvenile detention hearings are heard at the Legion Drive Annex on Mondays at 1:00 P.M., Wednesdays at 9:00 A.M. and Thursdays at 9:00 A.M. If a detention hearing date occurs on a holiday, contact Associate Judge Court Coordinator, Eralyn Fisher. C. COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS In accordance with the County Courts at Law’s recent policy changes regarding attorney fee vouchers, all attorneys will continue to utilize paper fee vouchers in juvenile matters. The fee voucher is to be sworn and filed with the Fort Bend County Clerk’s Office. VII. PROBATE DOCKETS The following information is general information for practicing Probate and Guardianships in Fort Bend County Court at Law No. 2. This information is in no way intended as legal advice specific to any individual, but is merely for informational purposes only. • Please note that Court staff can inform you about the services of the Court and answer questions about Court policy; however, Court staff cannot provide legal advice or answer legal questions. If you need legal research or legal advice, you should consult an attorney. • Texas Estates Code [link] • To check the status of filings online, go to the County Records Research [link]. Questions regarding filings, fees and status of filings can be directed to the Fort Bend County Clerk's Office at 281-341-8665 or emailed to cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov. • Court’s policy regarding Pro Se Applicants [link] Personal Representative General Information Sheet needs to be completed for all persons that are appointed in a fiduciary role (Executor, Administrator, Guardian). If multiple persons are appointed in a case, a form needs to be completed for each individual. Please return all completed Personal Representative Sheet directly to the Court, by emailing the Probate Auditor at Norma.LimonCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov • It is the Attorney or Pro Se Individual’s responsibility to submit an Interpreting Services Request Form (ISR Form). Completed forms must be submitted to the Probate Auditor, Norma Limon and the Language Access Director, languageaccess@fbctx.gov by email at least 72 hours before any court appearance or hearing. Trial cases require a fourteen (14) day notice period for language interpretation. This applies for interpretation in one of the following nine languages: [Table: Spanish | Urdu | Hindi; Vietnamese | Gujarati | Tagalog; Chinese | Malayalam | Arabic] The Attorney or Pro Se Individual should also give a fourteen (14) day notice period for Language Interpretation Services in any other language not listed above for any reasonably anticipated need. All interpreters serving in trial proceedings must be a Master Licensed Certified Court Interpreter unless otherwise specified. For additional information regarding interpretation services, click here [link]. A. PROBATE/GUARDIANSHIP SCHEDULE 1. Uncontested Matters are typically heard on Mondays at 1:30 P.M. 2. Contested Matters can be set by emailing the Probate Auditor. 3. Jury Trials are heard on designated Tuesdays at 11:00 A.M. All cases set for trial will have a Pre-Trial Conference at least ten (10) days preceding the designated Jury Trial date. 4. Please contact the Probate Auditor for available dates. 5. If the attorney of record will NOT be appearing on the day of the scheduled hearing, contact the Probate Auditor to inform the Court who will be appearing on their behalf. 6. To set a hearing, hearing, please contact our Probate Auditor, Norma Limon, Norma.LimonCCL2@fortbendcountytx.gov. 7. The Court does not accept testimony via deposition on written questions; however, should the Court make an exception, applicant/witness testimony on the uncontested docket MUST file the deposition response(s) at least one week prior to the docket. All applicants are required to appear. Please contact Norma Limon for Court approval regarding any special circumstances preventing the applicant from attending. B. GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS 1. Under TEC 1054.201, all attorneys wishing to serve as an attorney ad litem and all attorneys filing a guardianship application must (1) complete the four hour certification course, or (2) complete the on-hour addendum course to supplement the previously required three hour certification course. 2. All individuals applying to serve as a guardian are required to undergo a criminal background check with the Judicial Branch Certification Commission (JBCC) before a hearing will be scheduled. 3. Registration and training with the JBCC must be completed prior to the scheduled hearing. 4. All guardians appointed MUST file an Annual Guardian's Report [link]. Failure to timely file the Annual Report may result in a Show Cause hearing or the removal of the guardian. For additional information on how and when to file the Annual Report, please contact the Probate Auditor. C. HEIRSHIP PROCEEDINGS 1. Proposed Applications for Determination of Heirship and Letters of Administration MUST be filed separately. 2. Proposed Judgments for heirship proceedings must comply with the intestate distribution laws. Even if the Applicant indicates the estate consists of only community property, the Judgment must address distribution of separate property. 3. The Court will not make a finding as to the character of property. 4. Two disinterested witnesses are required to prove up heirship. 5. An Affidavit of Service of Citation pursuant to TEC 202.057 must be e-filed at least one week prior to the scheduled hearing date. See Texas Descent and Distribution Chart. D. INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATIONS-WILLS 1. Exact names and aliases: The Court requires all pleadings to reference the names of all persons including the Decedent and the Executor(s), as they appear in the Will, even if the person is now known by another name. The referenced name can be followed by the “now known as” name – or any other a/d/a or f/k/a name. 2. Alternate Executor: If anyone other than the first-named Executor in the Will is being appointed, include the name of the first-named Executor and the reason why he or she cannot serve. This information needs to be included in the Application and in the proposed Order. 3. Probating Codicils: Reference “Codicil” in the title of all document(s) as well as throughout the document(s) 4. Probating a Will that is not Self-Proved and/or Holographic Will: All necessary witnesses are required to be present in Court to provide testimony. All witnesses testimony shall be reduced to writing, and may be provided via affidavit prior to or post-hearing. 5. Probating a Copy of a Will or Codicil, or a Lost Will or Codicil: Reference “copy” in the title and throughout the Application and Order. Also, reference “copy” in the “Proof of Death and Other Facts” and “Oath”. File in person, the copy of the Will or Codicil that is being offered for probate with the County Clerk as if it were an original document. This allows the Court to properly evaluate the copy of the Will or Codicil that is being offered for probate. E. DEPENDENT ADMINISTRATIONS 1. The Court will require a Dependent Administration if a Decedent dies intestate and any heirs are minors, unless extraordinary circumstances are brought to the Court’s attention. F. AD LITEM INFORMATION 1. All appointed Attorney Ad Litems and Guardian Ad Litems must e-file their report at least one week prior to the scheduled hearing. 2. Ad Litem Fees must be agreed upon prior to the scheduled hearing. A separate order for the Ad Litem fees (including an itemized invoice) must be filed by NOON on the day of the scheduled hearing. G. SMALL ESTATE AFFIDAVITS 1. Download the Small Estate Affidavit. 2. The Court REQUIRES a Death Certificate to be filed with a Small Estate Affidavit. 3. The Probate Auditor CANNOT help you fill out a Small Estate Affidavit. 4. Small Estate Affidavit Checklist/Instructions for SEA Form is provided for your assistance.
Reviewer note: Operative mandatory-language provisions quoted verbatim from the registered document; the full document (sha256 9a351d3facfc…) is the controlling text. [RECOMPOSED 2026-09-21 (corpus-0920 P7, digital-layer lane): the full text of the registered file (sha256 9a351d3facfc..., 13 pages) replaces the earlier 3,775-character abstract. Method: pypdfium2 text layer reflowed page-aware, cross-checked word-by-word against PyMuPDF (1 substantive difference(s), 16 page-furniture), owner-corpus candidate sentences 97% (60/62) matched, 0 running header/footer line(s) removed, no U+FFFD/U+FFFE/form-feed debris. NOT yet checked page by page against the render, so confidence is medium with an open re-verification task; flip to high when a reviewer has read every page against the PDF. benchpath-tx-corpus0920-p7-2026-09-21] [BY-EYE CHECK 2026-09-21 (corpus-0920 P11): every page of the registered file (sha256 9a351d3facfc..., 13 page(s)) read against the rendered PDF; file-stamp, caption and signature-block defects of the text layer corrected from the render; confidence lifted to high. benchpath-tx-corpus0920-p11-2026-09-21]