The strategic goals of the Travis County Probate Court are (1) to thoughtfully and expeditiously handle our incoming caseload of whatever type (probate, guardianship, mental health, civil litigation, or condemnation) and (2) to carefully monitor our ongoing guardianships and dependent administrations. We also want to help those who interact with the Court understand the processes of the Court so that hearings and other interchanges with the Court can be as efficient and pleasant as possible for everyone involved.
See below for Court contacts, or download our list of Court contacts. Please contact the Court Coordinator when you’re not sure about the right person to call.
Note that Court staff can tell you about the services of the Court and can answer questions about how the Court works. But Court staff cannot give legal advice or answer legal questions. If you need someone to research the law and give you legal advice, you should hire an attorney.
When to call the Travis County Clerk instead of the Court?
Call the County Clerk at (512) 854-9188 with questions about fees or filing (including questions about e-filing or the status of filings) or to order new letters of guardianship or letters testamentary. Inventories, attorneys’ fees, and routine applications are held at least 10 days before review, so wait at least 11 days before calling the Clerk’s Office to ask if an order has been signed. For a small estate affidavit, please wait at least 3 weeks.
Court Coordinator:
Jennifer McGaffeny
[email protected]
[email protected]
(512) 854-9258
Contact the Court Coordinator:
- when you’re not sure about the right person to contact
- when you have a question about . . .
- - Judge Herman’s or Judge Prashner’s calendar
- to contact Judge Herman (when allowed by the rules)
Email [email protected] to schedule or change a hearing or jury-trial setting.
Attorney Law Clerk to Judge Herman:
Nolan Bedward, [email protected], (512) 854-4355.
- the Uncontested Probate Docket
- hearings/applications for topics not on someone else’s list (but don’t ask substantive or strategy questions – or procedural questions if contested)
- applications for successor trustees (except for court-created trusts)
- For all heirship-related emails, use [email protected]
Senior Probate Staff Attorney:
Alexandra Jones-Lafont
[email protected]
(512) 854-9283
Contact with questions about probate hearings set on the regular docket.
Court Investigator (Attorney):
Ophelia Enamorado
[email protected]
(512) 854-4978
Contact the Court Investigator with questions about:
- the Uncontested Guardianship Docket
- anything involving potential guardianships / current investigations
- before you file for a temporary guardianship
- applications for management trusts & payment of claims without guardianship (formerly Probate Code sections 867 & 887)
- applications for successor trustees of court-created trusts
- show cause for guardians of the person
- any other issues in ongoing guardianships of the person except annual reports
Guardianship Legal Assistant (Paralegal):
Monica Limon
[email protected]
(512) 854-9359
Contact the Guardianship Legal Assistant with all questions about annual reports, such as:
- due dates
- needed forms
- how to answer a question on the form
- bond issues
- the compliance docket for annual reports
- or any other question about a Guardians’ annual “report on the condition and well-being of a ward”
Guardianship Coordinator:
Al Benedict, BSW
[email protected]
(512) 854-4359
Contact the Guardianship Coordinator with questions about:
- any issues in ongoing guardianships of the person except annual reports
- the volunteer Court Visitor program
- Probate Court visits in ongoing guardianships
Social Worker:
Marsha Karrass, LCSW
[email protected]
(512) 854-4359
Court Auditors:
Alesia Henderson, Senior Probate Auditor
[email protected]
(512) 854-4358
Justin Schaumburg
[email protected]
(512) 854-9755
Note: The [email protected] email address is the email to use when submitting back-up or when contacting either of the Probate Auditors unless you're replying to an email from one of their individual email addresses.
Attorneys (and their staff) may contact the Probate Auditors with questions about:
- accountings, including management-trust accountings
- bonds
- safekeeping agreements
- commissions
- reimbursements
- applications and orders to close and discharge
Business Analyst/Planner, Sr.:
Kirby Hernandez, Business Analyst
[email protected]
(512) 854-9579
Contact Kirby for condemnation proceedings.
Emma Caballero, Planner, Sr.
[email protected]
(512) 854-4354
Associate Judge/Court Administrator:
Tom Ruffner
[email protected]
(512) 854-9559
Contact the Associate Judge/Court Administrator:
- before you set a hearing for a temporary administration
- with questions about . . .
- general Court policy
- a County-paid service, including questions about vendor numbers
- the Court’s website
- ad litem appointments
- small estate affidavits
Court Reporter:
Kim Showers
[email protected]
(512) 854-9086
Contact the Court Reporter when you need a hearing transcript.
Associate Judge:
Dan Prashner
(512) 854-9258
Attorneys only may email Judge Prashner with:
- in contested cases: only uncontested procedural questions (but not strategy questions) about the matters listed below
- in non-contested cases: procedural or substantive questions about the listed matters
- inventories
- attorneys’ fees
- monthly allowances
- the Sales Docket
- emergency funeral and burial expenses
- access to safety deposit boxes
- settlement agreements
- applications to partition
- applications for partial distribution
- miscellaneous motions sent to the Court on submission including motions to substitute or withdraw
Mental Health Public Defenders for Civil Commitment Proceedings:
Jamie MacLean
(512) 419-2720
Daniel Garza
(512) 854-9257
Mental Health Public Defender for Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program:
Emily Rickers
(512) 265-6242
