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In the Karnes County Court a self-represented person may act only for himself or herself: applicants for letters testamentary, letters of administration, determinations of heirship and guardianships of the person or estate must be represented by a licensed attorney because a fiduciary acts for beneficiaries, creditors or wards (Steele v. McDonald); the only pro se probate proceeding is a muniment of title where the applicant is the sole beneficiary and the estate has no debts other than real-estate liens, with all beneficiaries as applicants and testifying, the signed original will, and a perjury warning on no-creditor affidavits; court staff cannot advise.
Applies to probate and guardianship applications in the Karnes County Court (constitutional county court). Undated local order issued under the County Judge's letterhead and signature. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
[Letterhead: Judge Wade J. Hedtke, 101 North Panna Maria Avenue, Suite 101, Karnes City, Texas 78118, Phone: (830) 780-3732, Email: wade.hedtke@co.karnes.tx.us] Local Order Court Policy Regarding "Pro Se" Applicants (Applicants without an Attorney) People who represent themselves in court are called "pro se or "self-represented" litigants. You are not required to have a lawyer to file papers or to
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 by vision-lane transcription of the two-page image-only posting (custody sha a65d5822…; renders re-read against the text 2026-09-08; the print's "McDonald. 202 S. W. 3d 926" kept as printed). Issued and signed in the judge's name — court- and judge-joined (Judge Wade J. Hedtke); undated, so no effective date. The text mirrors the Bexar County probate courts' pro se policy, adapted for Karnes County.
In justice-court eviction cases: the citation sets a personal-appearance trial day not less than 10 nor more than 21 days after the petition is filed; a written answer is permitted but NOT required (appearing on the trial day is what matters); no trial may be held until 4 days after service; and an appeal must be perfected within 5 days after the judgment is signed.
Policy Regarding Pro Se Applicants — Harris County Probate Courts (Probate Court No. 1 posting) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
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