Estates Code § 256.156

Sec. 256.156. PROOF OF WILL NOT PRODUCED IN COURT. (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. (b) In addition to the proof required by Subsection (a): (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 (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. (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. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2014. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1136 (H.B. 2912), Sec. 30, eff. January 1, 2014. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 438 (H.B. 3421), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 831 (S.B. 1448), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.