Hays County, Texas (County Courts at Law, probate and guardianship proceedings): Administ…
Judges Jimmy Alan Hall (County Court at Law No. 1), Chris Johnson (County Court at Law No. 2) and Elaine S. Brown (County Court at Law No. 3) · County Courts at Law Nos. 1, 2 and 3 of Hays County, Texas
Verified October 1, 2026
- Citation
- Administrative Order Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Court Filings, No. O-12-005 (County Courts at Law of Hays County, Texas)
- Order date
- August 25, 2026
Summary
The order applies to 'all attorneys, personal representatives, guardians, applicants, and pro se litigants appearing before the Hays County Courts at Law in probate and guardianship proceedings.'
What does the order require?
- The order applies to 'all attorneys, personal representatives, guardians, applicants, and pro se litigants appearing before the Hays County Courts at Law in probate and guardianship proceedings.'
- 'Any motion, brief, response, objection, inventory, account, proposed order, or other legal instrument submitted to the Court that was drafted, composed, or generated in whole or in part using generative artificial intelligence or automated natural language drafting tools must include a prominent AI Disclosure Statement.'
- The statement, placed immediately before the signature block, certifies 'that generative artificial intelligence was utilized in the preparation of this document' and 'that every citation, factual representation, quotation, and statutory reference generated with AI assistance has been independently verified for accuracy, authenticity, and applicability by human review.'
- Every attorney or self-represented litigant submitting an AI-assisted filing 'remains personally responsible' for verifying citations, confirming statutory and rule citations, and protecting confidential information.
- Sanctions for fictitious law, fabricated references, or failure to disclose may include striking the filing, disallowance or reduction of attorney's fees, monetary sanctions under TRCP 13 or Chapter 10 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and contempt or referral to the State Bar of Texas Chief Disciplinary Counsel.
Practice areas: state probate
What the order requires
The three County Court at Law judges of Hays County signed Administrative Order O-12-005, Administrative Order Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Court Filings (Hays Cnty. Cts. at Law Aug. 25, 2026). Citing the courts’ “affirmative obligation to safeguard the integrity of proceedings involving decedents’ estates” and guardianships, it applies to “all attorneys, personal representatives, guardians, applicants, and pro se litigants appearing before the Hays County Courts at Law in probate and guardianship proceedings.”
Any “motion, brief, response, objection, inventory, account, proposed order, or other legal instrument” drafted, composed, or generated in whole or in part with generative AI or automated drafting tools “must include a prominent AI Disclosure Statement,” placed immediately before the signature block. The statement certifies that generative AI was used and “that every citation, factual representation, quotation, and statutory reference generated with AI assistance has been independently verified for accuracy, authenticity, and applicability by human review.”
The order describes a “non-delegable duty of human verification”: the filer remains personally responsible for verifying that case citations exist and reflect current, unreversed precedent, confirming statute and rule citations, and protecting confidential information. Filing fictitious case law, fabricated references, or failing to disclose generative AI use may result in striking the filing, disallowance or reduction of attorney’s fees, monetary sanctions under TRCP 13 or Chapter 10 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, or contempt or referral to the State Bar of Texas Chief Disciplinary Counsel.
Posting
The order states, in capital letters, that it becomes effective immediately upon publication on the Office of Court Administration’s website, consistent with Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 3a(c). The OCA local-rules portal lists it as posted August 25, 2026.
Related orders
Local Rule 1.07 of the same courts requires a written verification certification in all cases.
Primary source
Administrative Order O-12-005 (scanned PDF), OCA local-rules portal