What Probate Covers in Galveston County
Probate is the court process for settling what a person leaves behind and for protecting people who cannot care for themselves. In Galveston County, that includes wills, estate administration, small estate affidavits, guardianships of adults and minors, and related filings such as inventories, accountings, claims, and letters. The Texas Estates Code governs these matters, and the county's fee schedule puts many of those filings into local practice.
Galveston County has a dedicated Probate Court, presided over by Judge Kimberly Sullivan, housed in the Justice Center. The County Clerk keeps probate records, since the County Clerk handles County Court at Law and Probate Court records along with marriage and real property. So a probate search often touches both the Probate Court and the County Clerk.
Having a dedicated court matters for how cases are handled. Many smaller Texas counties send probate to the regular county court, but Galveston County's standalone Probate Court has its own coordinator, investigator, auditor, recorder, and administrator. That structure means estate and guardianship cases move through staff who handle probate full time, and it gives the public clear contacts for hearing settings and case questions.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate filings use words that rarely come up elsewhere. A short glossary makes the file easier to read before you search.
- Testator
- The person who made the will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out the estate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so state law decides who inherits.
- Guardianship
- A court arrangement where a guardian cares for a person or their estate.
- Letters
- Court papers that prove an executor's, administrator's, or guardian's authority.
- Inventory
- A filed list of the estate's assets and their value.
How to Search Galveston County Probate Court Records
Probate cases are searched through the county court systems and the County Clerk. The Odyssey court portal and the County Clerk's records search can surface probate case information, while the Probate Court and County Clerk pages handle filings and copies. Not every document is online, so some records must be requested from the clerk that holds the file.
- Decide whether the matter is estate probate, guardianship, or another probate filing.
- Search the county court portal or the County Clerk records search for the case.
- Use the case number when you have it; pay the $5 search fee if you do not.
- Request letters or certified copies from the County Clerk under the probate fee schedule.
Probate has public access, but guardianship medical evidence and minor information can be restricted, so the full file is not always open. If you do not have the case number, the County Clerk can run a search for the $5 fee, which is often faster than guessing at the online index. For an active estate, the Probate Court coordinator can confirm hearing settings, while the County Clerk handles copies and letters once the case is on file.
Probate Courts in Galveston County
Galveston County's Probate Court sits in the Justice Center, and the County Clerk records its filings. The Probate Court page carries an ex parte communication warning, a reminder that court staff cannot give legal advice to one side outside proper procedure. Use the cards below to reach the right office.
Galveston County Probate Court
600 59th Street, Suite 2305
Galveston, TX 77551-4180
(409) 766-2251
Fax: (409) 765-3221
Galveston County Clerk
722 Moody Avenue
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 762-8621
Probate inquiries: (409) 766-2251
Probate inquiries and hearing settings go to the Probate Court coordinator, Christine Welsh, by phone or email.
Galveston County Probate Filing Fees
The County Clerk's probate fee schedule took effect January 1, 2026. New cases carry a consolidated fee that splits between local and state amounts, and copies and letters have their own set rates. The table lists the main charges.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| New probate case (total) | $360.00 |
| Subsequent action (total) | $120.00 |
| Letters (each) | $2.00 |
| Certified copies | $5.00 + $1.00 per page |
| Paper copies per page | $1.00 |
| Search fee | $5.00 |
| Wills held for safekeeping | $5.00 |
| Application to sell property | $110.00 |
Note: "wills held for safekeeping" is a pre-death filing and is not the same as probating a will after a death.
What Galveston County Probate Records Show
A probate file grows as a case moves. An application to probate a will may include the will, the application, citation or notice, the hearing setting, the order admitting the will, an oath, a bond if required, and letters testamentary. An estate administration adds inventories, claims, accountings, and reports. A guardianship can include the application, a physician's certificate, an investigator's report, bonds, and annual reports.
Texas estates can run as independent or dependent administration. Independent administration is common and needs less court supervision, while dependent administration is court-supervised, so its file may include applications to sell property, claims, and approvals. A small estate affidavit is used when an estate qualifies under the Estates Code, and its file may include heirship facts and asset information.
Guardianship Records in Galveston County
Guardianship is a major part of the Probate Court's work. A guardianship can protect an adult who can no longer manage their affairs or a minor who needs a guardian of the person or estate. The court takes these cases seriously because they limit a person's rights, so the file often runs deep.
A guardianship file may include the application, a physician's certificate or medical evidence, a guardianship investigator's report, bonds, an inventory, and annual reports. The Probate Court has a dedicated guardianship investigator on staff, along with a court coordinator, auditor, and recorder. Because guardianship files carry medical and personal details, those parts are often restricted even when the case itself is on the public docket.
Wills Held for Safekeeping
One local detail sets Galveston County apart from generic probate guidance. The County Clerk's fee schedule lists a "wills held for safekeeping" filing at $5. This lets a person deposit a will with the clerk before death, so the original is safe and easy to locate later.
Safekeeping is not the same as probating a will. A safekeeping deposit simply stores the document. Probate begins after a death, when someone applies to admit the will and open an estate. So a will on file for safekeeping still has to go through the probate process when the time comes. Families often overlook this option, yet a deposited original can spare an estate a costly search for a lost will later on.
Step-by-Step Probate Process
The path through probate follows a predictable order, though the details vary by estate. The steps below show the usual flow for a Galveston County matter.
- Decide whether the filing is estate probate, guardianship, or another probate matter.
- Review the Probate Court rules and the County Clerk probate fee schedule.
- File through the clerk; represented parties use eFileTexas where required.
- Obtain citation or service where needed and pay the issuance and service fees.
- Attend the hearing if one is set, and avoid ex parte contact with the judge.
- After appointment, file inventory, accounting, and report items by their deadlines.
- Request letters or certified copies through the County Clerk fee schedule.
Restricted Probate Records
Probate records are often public, but parts of a file can be closed. Guardianship medical evidence, a physician's certificate, minor information, and financial account numbers should not be treated as freely public. Sealed filings stay closed as well. The Probate Court's disclaimer and ex parte warning underline that court staff cannot give private case guidance or legal advice to one side.
When a record is restricted, a person usually needs a legal right to it or a court order to view it. The clerk can explain how to request a copy and which fee applies, but cannot interpret the file or advise on strategy.
The line between public and protected is easy to misjudge. A guardianship docket can confirm that a case exists, name the parties, and show the court orders, while the medical evidence and the ward's personal details stay sealed. Estate files are usually more open, since wills, inventories, and orders are public once filed. When you are not sure whether a probate document is releasable, ask the County Clerk before assuming it is open.