The bill would reclassify the existing court as Probate Court No. 1; a probate court has jurisdiction over all estates, wills and guardianship matters, according to the release.
“As our community has faced an explosion of growth in the last couple of decades, our local courts have wisely organized themselves to stay in step with that growth and move cases as quickly and expeditiously as possible,” Metcalf said in a statement. “The growth in our county has led to the need for a fully dedicated probate court to manage the increased caseload.”
In March, Montgomery County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution supporting legislative action to change one of the county’s courts at law to a probate court.
Community Impact previously reported the number of probate cases filed annually with County Court at Law No. 2 increased from just over 1,000 in 2014 to approximately 1,700 in 2021.
Montgomery County previously added County Court at Law No. 6 to address its growing caseload.
