Texas Estates Code 1253.151 – Determination of Acquisition of Jurisdiction in This State Due to Unjustifiable Conduct
Terms Used In Texas Estates Code 1253.151
- Court: means and includes:
(1) a county court in the exercise of its probate jurisdiction;
(2) a court created by statute and authorized to exercise original probate jurisdiction; and
(3) a district court exercising original probate jurisdiction in a contested matter. See Texas Estates Code 22.007 - Estate: means a decedent's property, as that property:
(1) exists originally and as the property changes in form by sale, reinvestment, or otherwise;
(2) is augmented by any accretions and other additions to the property, including any property to be distributed to the decedent's representative by the trustee of a trust that terminates on the decedent's death, and substitutions for the property; and
(3) is diminished by any decreases in or distributions from the property. See Texas Estates Code 22.012 - Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes a natural person and a corporation. See Texas Estates Code 22.027
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Ward: means a person for whom a guardian has been appointed. See Texas Estates Code 22.033
If at any time a court of this state determines that it acquired jurisdiction of a proceeding for the appointment of a guardian of the person or estate, or both, of a ward or proposed ward because of unjustifiable conduct, the court may:
(1) decline to exercise jurisdiction;
(2) exercise jurisdiction for the limited purpose of fashioning an appropriate remedy to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the ward or proposed ward or the protection of the ward’s or proposed ward’s property or prevent a repetition of the unjustifiable conduct, including staying the proceeding until a petition for the appointment of a guardian or issuance of a protective order is filed in a court of another state having jurisdiction; or
(3) continue to exercise jurisdiction after considering:
(A) the extent to which the ward or proposed ward and all persons required to be notified of the proceedings have acquiesced in the exercise of the court’s jurisdiction;
(B) whether the court of this state is a more appropriate forum than the court of any other state after considering the factors described by Section 1253.102(b); and
(C) whether the court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the factual circumstances of the matter.