{"data":{"id":"us-tx/tex.-estates-code-256.156","jurisdiction":"us-tx","citation":"Tex. Estates Code § 256.156","heading":"PROOF OF WILL NOT PRODUCED IN COURT.","body":"(a) A will that cannot be produced in court must be proved in the same manner as provided in Section 256.153 for an attested will or Section 256.154 for a holographic will, as applicable. The same amount and character of testimony is required to prove the will not produced in court as is required to prove a will produced in court.\n(b) In addition to the proof required by Subsection (a):\n(1) the cause of the nonproduction of a will not produced in court must be proved, which must be sufficient to satisfy the court that the will cannot by any reasonable diligence be produced; and\n(2) the contents of the will must be substantially proved by the testimony of a credible witness who has read either the original or a copy of the will, has heard the will read, or can identify a copy of the will.\n(c) A copy of a will that cannot be produced in court that includes a copy of a self-proving affidavit is sufficient to make the will self-proved if the self-proving affidavit meets the form and content requirements under Subchapter C, Chapter 251.\nAdded by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2014.\nAmended by:\nActs 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1136 (H.B. 2912), Sec. 30, eff. January 1, 2014.\nActs 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 438 (H.B. 3421), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.\nActs 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 831 (S.B. 1448), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.","path":["ESTATES CODE","TITLE 2. ESTATES OF DECEDENTS; DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY","SUBTITLE F. WILLS","CHAPTER 256. PROBATE OF WILLS GENERALLY","SUBCHAPTER D. REQUIRED PROOF FOR PROBATE OF WILL"],"source_url":"https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ES/htm/ES.256.htm#256.156","current_through":"89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T01:47:08Z","sha256":"03b8d3b21cc6f07f42b03c382c87d20cae1f7109de639a79fc9d30445a21452f","source_id":"us-tx","stale":false,"prev":"us-tx/tex.-estates-code-256.155","next":"us-tx/tex.-estates-code-256.157"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}