PROBATE COURT No. 1 - Judge Patricia B. Chew

The El Paso County Probate Courts are a statutorily created probate court system headed by elected judges. In general, a probate court probates the wills of deceased persons, declares the heirs of deceased persons who die without a will, establishes guardianships for incapacitated persons and minors, and supervises court-ordered involuntary mental health commitments in El Paso County.

A probate court also has jurisdiction to hear lawsuits appertaining to or incident to an estate of a decedent or ward as well as actions by or against a personal representative of a decedent’s or ward’s estate. These ancillary cases cover a wide range of topics, from product liability to fiduciary litigation to medical malpractice to family law.

Goal and Objectives

Goal
To serve the State of Texas, the County of El Paso and the general public more efficiently in all judicial matters in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

Objectives
To reduce the court docket through the use of mediation and pre-trial intervention programs when possible and to increase the efficiency of this court through automation used for preparing and tracking cases on the docket.