About Probate Court No. 2
Probate Court No. 2 is one of Tarrant County's two statutory probate courts, presided over by Judge Brook Bell. It sits in Room 150 of the Tarrant County Courthouse at 100 West Weatherford Street in downtown Fort Worth. Like Court No. 1, it hears the full range of probate matters: will probates, heirship determinations, independent and dependent administrations, guardianships of adults and minors, management and other trust matters, and civil mental health commitments.
Court No. 2 publishes several plain-language guides for the people who serve an estate, including an Independent Executor Guide, a Dependent Administrator's Guide, and a Muniment of Title guide, along with ad litem checklists for heirship cases.
Remote Hearings
Publishes a formal Zoom process for uncontested muniment of title, administrations, and some heirships: request through the court coordinator, a notary must be present to administer the oath and proofs, and a standing Zoom link is provided. Contested and evidentiary matters remain in person. An associate judge may hear any matter before the court except a jury trial, so a routine uncontested prove-up is often heard by the associate judge rather than the elected judge.
What to Expect
If you need to appear in person, plan to arrive at the Tarrant County Courthouse at 100 West Weatherford Street about 15 to 20 minutes before your hearing. You will pass through security at the entrance, so bring a valid photo ID and leave prohibited items at home or in your vehicle.
Most uncontested probate hearings are brief. Dressing neatly shows respect for the court. Your attorney will guide you through the testimony, which usually involves answering a short series of straightforward questions about the person who died, the will, or the estate. For a Zoom hearing in Court No. 2, a notary must be present to notarize the oath and proofs, so your attorney arranges that in advance and provides the link and instructions.
Court-Specific Notes
- Location: 100 West Weatherford Street, Room 150, Fort Worth, TX 76196
- Phone: 817-884-1415
- Office hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday
- Remote hearings: Published Zoom process for uncontested matters
- What sets it apart: Court No. 2 has the county's most developed remote-hearing process, with published coordinator contacts, a required notary, and a standing Zoom link for uncontested matters.
How Kyle Handles Court No. 2
Kyle Robbins handles Tarrant County probate in both statutory courts. He prepares your application and proofs, files them, coordinates the notary and Zoom setting where the court allows it, and handles the appearance, so you can focus on your family rather than the docket.
Request a Free Consultation← Back to the Tarrant County Probate Process Guide
Who You Will Actually Deal With
The elected judge is not the only person who matters to your case. Court No. 2 uses an associate judge, and routine uncontested prove-ups are frequently heard by the associate judge rather than by the elected judge. The court also assigns a coordinator for Zoom settings, and filing questions run through the County Clerk's Probate Division.
Court No. 2 contacts
- Court: 817-884-1415
- Scheduling: Elva Castilleja, Court Coordinator
- County Clerk probate help line: 817-884-1770
- Office hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday
Court and Clerk staff can tell you when a hearing is set. They cannot give you legal advice or tell you which proceeding to file.
Before you file
Can I file in Court No. 2 without a lawyer?
For most probate matters, no. The Tarrant County Probate Courts publish a Pro Se Policy, and under Texas law the rule is direct:
A person applying for letters testamentary, letters of administration, a determination of heirship, or a guardianship of the person or estate must be represented by a licensed attorney.
Texas law, as applied in the Tarrant County Probate Courts
Those proceedings cover the large majority of probate cases. The reason is not red tape. An executor or administrator does not act only for themselves, they act for the estate's beneficiaries and creditors. Representing someone else's interests in court is the practice of law, so a non-lawyer who prepares and files those pleadings is engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. The point cuts the other way in your favor too: you do not need to be a lawyer to serve as executor, but the executor must be represented by counsel.
The two narrow exceptions
The policy allows a pro se applicant to proceed only when they truly represent nobody but themselves. In practice that means two routes:
- Muniment of title, but only where you are the sole beneficiary under the will and the estate has no debts other than those secured by liens against real estate. Being eligible for a muniment is not the same thing as being eligible to file one yourself. Most muniments have more than one beneficiary, and those still require counsel.
- Small estate affidavit, where there is no will and the estate's assets, excluding the homestead and exempt property, fall under the statutory limit set by Texas Estates Code chapter 205.
Two warnings are worth repeating. First, whether a muniment of title is even the right procedure is a legal decision best made by a lawyer. Second, swearing that an estate has no creditors when it does is a perjury exposure, not a paperwork error.
If you are headed to Court No. 2 and you are not certain which of these applies to you, that is exactly the question worth a free call.
Talk to a probate attorney →Probate Court No. 2 FAQs
Attorney Advertising. The information on this page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique, contact us for guidance specific to your situation. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.