Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1 — Court Policies (hearings… — TX · BenchPath

Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1 — Court Policies (hearings, notice, hearing documents five days ahead, court reporter notice, Zoom by exception, certificate of conference, decorum, ad litem lists, fee applications, contested-docket management, trial guidelines)

High confidence· verified September 6, 2026Judge PreferencesCourt Policies, Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1 (courtpoliciesfinal.pdf, posted on the court's Court Policies page)

Summary

Probate Court No. 1's posted Court Policies: uncontested dockets mainly Mondays and Thursdays, contested matters Tuesdays and Wednesdays with time estimates; hearings requested by e-mail (first come, first served) with a minimum of 3 days' notice and an e-filed confirmation letter; proposed proofs, oath and order e-filed at least 5 days before the hearing or it may be cancelled; court reporter requests at scheduling and never less than 5 business days out; a genuine attempt to resolve discovery disputes before any hearing; hearings in person with Zoom only when absolutely necessary; submissions by agreement; the certificate-of-conference rule strictly enforced; in camera materials retained no more than 10 days; ex parte relief (other than with original petitions) requires proof of notice to appearing parties; business attire and phones off; ad litem lists kept by the court administrator (decedents' estates) and court investigator (guardianships) with résumé, certification and a conference with the judge; attorney-fee applications judged under Rule 1.04 and Rohrmoos; scheduling orders in all contested cases with the court unlikely to move agreed trial dates; mediation required before final trial absent good cause; the associate judge hears anything but jury trials; pre-trial conference about 10 days before trial; juror questionnaires 30 days before trial; voir dire with individual questioning at the bench and cause challenges outside the panel's presence; voir dire and arguments unrecorded unless requested; counsel stand to object and ask permission to approach; no gratuities.

Applies to

Texas > Tarrant County > Probate Court No. 1 — attorneys, ad litems, parties and staff in every probate, guardianship and contested matter.

Source of truth

"1. Hearings — a. Schedule: The majority of the Court's hearing docket is dedicated to uncontested will prove-ups and intestate administrations and heirships. These dockets are held, primarily, on Mondays and Thursdays. Contested hearings, and other matters, may be set on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. For contested matters it is imperative that the Court be informed of the length of time necessary for t

Official source: Tarrant County Probate Courts — tarrantcountytx.gov (county site tree)
Source health: Healthy · checked October 6, 2026
Effective date: —
Last verified: September 6, 2026benchpath-tx-ajr8-tarrant-ownsite-2026-09-06

Reviewer note: Own-site document (text layer, 3 pp, 9,805 chars) read in full 2026-09-06; quoted verbatim; undated posting under the court's current policies page (last modified Nov. 7, 2025); joined to Judge Patricia Burns as the court's current posting (the policies reference the presiding and associate judges). Composed benchpath-ajr8-tarrant (own-site lane).