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English to Spanish: Hague Adoption Process General field: Law/Patents Detailed field: Government / Politics
Source text - English Hague Adoption Process
The process for adopting a child from a Convention country differs in some key ways from adopting from a non-Convention country. To date, about 75 countries have joined the Hague Adoption Convention. If you are adopting a child from one of these 75 countries, the following process applies to you.
• Hague Adoption Convention Country List
• Chart Comparing Hague and Non-Hague Adoption Process
Overview
The Convention adoption process generally involves six primary steps. You must complete these steps in the following order in order to meet all legal requirements for Convention adoptions.
1. Choose an Accredited Adoption Service Provider
2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
3. Be Referred for a Child
4. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States
5. Adopt the Child
6. Obtain an Immigrant Visa for the Child
Keys to the Hague Process
• The Hague Adoption Convention process provides additional protections to prospective adoptive parents, children, and birth parents. The primary principles of the Hague Adoption Convention include: (1) ensuring that each adoption is in the best interests of the child, and (2) preventing the abduction, the sale of, or traffic of children related to intercountry adoption. The United States strongly supports these principles. Our process for adoptions from Convention countries is aimed at meeting these principles and is governed by the the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 and its implementing regulations.
• Adoption service providers must be accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved on a national level in order to provide adoption services in Convention countries. When adopting from a Convention country, prospective adoptive parents will know that their agency or attorney has been evaluated based on comprehensive standards contained in federal regulations. These standards are designed to ensure that adoption agencies and persons operate using sound professional and ethical adoption practices.
• Convention procedures “front-load” the immigrant visa petition and visa application processes. The goal of this is to protect children and families by identifying potential problems that could pose a legal bar to the child from entering the United States before the child is adopted by his or her American prospective adoptive parents. This helps ensure that every child who is adopted overseas (or brought to the United States for the purpose of adoption) by U.S. citizen adoptive parents will be able to enter and reside permanently in the United States.
Convention Process Steps
1.) Choose an Accredited Adoption Service Provider:
The first step in adopting a child from Convention countries is to select an adoption service provider in the United States that has been accredited. Only accredited agencies (or temporarily accredited agencies, or approved persons) can provide adoption services between the United States and other Convention countries.
In order to be accredited or approved, ASPs must be in substantial compliance with the standards established by the federal accreditation regulations (22 CFR Part 96). The Department of State has designated two accrediting entities to perform accrediting functions – the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the Colorado Department of Human Services. The Office of Children’s Issues monitors the accrediting entities to ensure that each performs its functions in compliance with the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) and the accreditation regulations.
As outlined in the IAA, accredited adoption service providers are responsible for providing prospective adoptive parents with six adoption services:
• Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
• Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights to adoption;
• Performing a home study and reporting on prospective adoptive parents or a background study and report on a child;
• Making a non-judicial determination of a child’s best interests and of the appropriateness of an adoptive placement;
• Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parents until final adoption; and
• Assuming custody of a child and providing childcare or any other social service, when necessary, because of a disruption pending alternate placement.
The accredited agency responsible for ensuring that all six adoption services are provided is called the primary provider. Primary providers can be organizations (an agency) that are accredited or individuals who are approved (an attorney). They may use other agencies or individuals to provide one of the adoption services, but that adoption service provider must generally operate under the supervision of the primary provider. These adoption service providers are called supervised providers. Supervised providers may be agents, facilitators, attorneys, or other organizations working in the United States or in a Convention country.
Your primary provider will develop and implement a service plan for providing you with all six adoption services. Learn more about Hague accreditation in the Hague Convention section of this website.
2.) Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt:
After you choose an accredited or approved adoption service provider, it will help you apply to be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. government. In order to adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States, you must be found eligible to adopt under U.S. law by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You will not be allowed to bring an adopted child (or a child for which you have gained legal custody) into the United States until USCIS determines that you are able to provide a suitable and stable home for that child.
To apply, the proper form (called I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country) needs to be filed with USCICS. Along with this form, you will submit a home study to USCIS that includes in depth information about your health, finances, home, background, and more. Learn more under in the Eligibility to Adopt and Home Study sections of this website.
3.) Be Referred to a Child:
If USCIS finds you eligible to adopt, your ASP will send your I-800A approval notice form, along with your home study, to the foreign country’s central adoption authority. This notifies the other Convention country that you have been found eligible to adopt by the U.S. government, and that you would like to be matched with a child. The central adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also eligible to adopt under that country’s law.
If the country determines that you are eligible to adopt under its law and a child is eligible for intercountry adoption, the adoption authority will send you or your agency an official report on a child (called an Article 16 Report). This Article 16 report will include information about the child’s psychological, social, and medical history. The report, which is required under Article 16 of the Convention, specifies the child's name and date of birth, the reasons for making the adoption placement. You will have at least two weeks to review report and consider the medical and social needs of the child, as well as your ability to meet those needs.
The Article 16 report also establishes that the competent authority has, as required under Article 4 of the Convention:
• Established that the child is eligible for adoption;
• Determined, after having given due consideration to the possibility of placing the child for adoption within the Convention country, that intercountry adoption is in the child's best interests;
• Ensured that the legal custodian, after having been counseled as required concerning the effect of the child's adoption on the legal custodian's relationship to the child and on the child's legal relationship to his or her family of origin, has freely consented in writing to the child's adoption, in the required legal form;
• Ensured that if any individual or entity other than the legal custodian must consent to the child's adoption, this individual or entity, after having been counseled as required concerning the effect of the child's adoption, has freely consented in writing, in the required legal form, to the child's adoption;
• Ensured that the child, after having been counseled as appropriate concerning the effects of the adoption, has freely consented in writing, in the required legal form, to the adoption, if the child is of an age that, under the law of the country of the child's habitual residence, makes the child's consent necessary, and that consideration was given to the child's wishes and opinions; and
• Ensured that no payment or inducement of any kind has been given to obtain the consents necessary for the adoption to be completed.
Formats of this report will vary, however your adoption service provider will provide you with an English-language translation of the report. Additionally, it will be accompanied by:
• A copy of the child's birth certificate, or secondary evidence of the child's age;
• A copy of the irrevocable consent(s) signed by the legal custodian(s) and any other individual or entity who must consent to the child's adoption unless, as permitted under Article 16 of the Hague Adoption Convention, the law of the country of the child's habitual residence provides that their identities may not be disclosed, so long as the Central Authority of the country of the child's habitual residence certifies in its report that the required documents exist and that they establish the child's age and availability for adoption;
• A statement, signed under penalty of perjury by the primary provider (or an authorized representative if the primary provider is an agency or other juridical person), certifying that the report is a true, correct, and complete copy of the report obtained from the Central Authority of the Convention country; and
• A summary of the information concerning the child's medical and social history. This summary, or a separate document, must include:
o A statement concerning whether there is reason to believe that the child has any medical condition that makes the child ineligible to immigrate to the United States;
o If both of the child's birth parents were the child's legal custodians and signed the irrevocable consent, the factual basis for determining that they are incapable of providing proper care for the child;
o Information about the circumstances of the other birth parent's death, if applicable, supported by a copy of the death certificate;
o If a sole birth parent was the legal custodian, the circumstances leading to the determination that the other parent abandoned or deserted the child, or disappeared from the child's life; and
• If the legal custodian was the child's prior adoptive parent(s) or any individual or entity other than the child's birth parent(s), the circumstances leading to the custodian's acquisition of custody of the child and the legal basis of that custody.
4.) Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States:
After you accept a proposed referral, you will apply to the U.S Government (the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)) for provisional approval to adopt that particular child (form I-800). USCIS will make a provisional determination, based on the information available to them, about whether the child is eligible under U.S. law to be adopted and enter the United States.
A child being adopted by a U.S. citizen from a Convention country must qualify as a Convention adoptee in order to immigrate to the United States. USCIS determines whether a particular child meets the definition of a Convention adoptee. To apply to USCIS for this determination, use the following form:
• I-800 – Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative
• I-800 application instructions
If the child appears to meet all the requirements for a Convention adoptee, USCIS will provisionally approve your application. They will notify you, your adoption service provider, and the U.S. embassy or consulate in the Convention country of this provisional approval.
After this, your adoption service provider or you will submit a visa application to a Consular Officer at the U.S. embassy or consulate. The Consular Officer will review the child’s information, along with the Form I-800 that USCIS had provisionally approved, and evaluate the child for possible visa ineligibilities. If practicable to complete the medical examination of the child, then the required medical exam would be completed for consideration as part of this provisional approval stage. If the Consular Office determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States, he/she will notify the Convention country’s central adoption authority by issuing an Article 5 letter.
For Convention country adoptions, prospective adoptive parent(s) may not/not proceed with the adoption or obtain custody for the purpose of adoption until the Department issues the Hague Adoption Convention Article 5 letter.
REMEMBER: Most of the analysis of the child’s eligibility for the Convention adoptee classification will take place at the provisional adjudication stage. However, the Consular Officer will make a final decision about the immigrant visa later in the adoption process.
Learn more about filing a Form I-800 in the Who Can be Adopted section of our website.
5.) Adopt the Child:
Before you adopt (or gain legal custody of the child for the purpose of emigration and adoption) a child in a Convention country, you must have completed the above four steps. Only after completing these steps, can you proceed to finalize the adoption or grant of custody for the purposes of adoption.
The process for adopting or gaining legal custody of a child varies from country to country. To learn about the specific requirements of the Convention country from which you are adopting, refer to the Country Informationsection of our website.
6.) Obtain an Immigrant Visa for the Child:
After your Convention adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child for the purpose of emigration and adoption), there are a few more steps to take before you can head home with your child. Specifically, you need to apply for several documents for your child before he or she can travel to the United States:
1) Birth Certificate (if applicable)
You will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child, so that you can later apply for a passport from the country of your child’s citizenship. Your name may be added to the new birth certificate. Refer to our Country Information section to learn how to obtain a new birth certificate for a child in his/her birth country of birth.
2) The Child’s Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a Passport from the country of citizenship. Refer to our Country Information section to learn how to obtain a Passport for a child in his/her country of citizenship.
3) U.S. Immigrant Visa
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you also need to apply for a U.S. visa from the United States Embassy for your child. By this time you should have been in contact with the U.S. embassy or consulate where the visa will be issued and you should have an appointment to apply for the visa. After the adoption (or custody for purpose of adoption) is granted, visit the U.S embassy or consulate for final review and approval of the child’s I-800 petition and the visa application submitted earlier, and to obtain an immigrant visa for the child. The immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, the Consular Officer must have the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child if it was not provided during the provisional approval stage.
Please see the Visa section of our website for more information about the U.S. immigrant visa process.
Transition Cases:
Under U.S. law, an adoption case involving a Convention country already in process on April 1, 2008, did not change into a Convention case on that date. For the United States, these transition cases will continue to be processed in accordance with the U.S. immigration regulations for orphan adoptions which were in effect at the time the case was filed. However, each country determines what is considered a Convention case under its law. In some cases this will not coincide with U.S. law.
If the Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition (I-600A) or Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative (I-600) was filed before April 1, 2008, then the Convention and the IAA will not apply to that case. USCIS considers a case properly filed when USCIS receives an application or petition along with any required filing fee. The filing date is stamped on the application or petition to show the time and date of actual receipt. For further information on transition cases, please see:
• USCIS FAQ: Grandfathered Form I-600A Processing for Prospective Adoptive Parents
• FAQ: Transition Cases
Translation - Spanish Procedimiento del Convenio de La Haya relativo a la Adopción
El procedimiento de adopción de un niño residente en un Estado parte difiere en grandes rasgos del de la adopción de un niño residente en un estado que no es parte del Convenio. A la fecha, alrededor de 75 estados han adherido al Convenio. A continuación se detalla el procedimiento de adopción relativo a un niño residente en uno de esos 75 estados.
Listado de Estados parte del Convenio.
Cuadro comparativo entre la adopción en Estados parte y en aquellos que no lo son.
Información general
Las adopciones consideradas por el Convenio conllevan básicamente seis pasos esenciales que todo solicitante debe cumplimentar de forma ordenada para lograr reunir los requisitos legales necesarios para adoptar un niño en un Estado parte. Estos pasos son los siguientes:
1. La elección de un proveedor de servicios de adopción acreditado;
2. La presentación de una solicitud de aptitud para la adopción;
3. La obtención de la asignación del niño;
4. La presentación de una solicitud de aptitud para la inmigración del niño en Estados Unidos;
5. La adopción del niño; y
6. La obtención de la Visa de inmigrante para el niño.
3. La obtención de la asignación del niño
En caso de que el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos, “USCIS”, halle al solicitante apto para adoptar, dicho servicio debe remitir el formulario de notificación de aprobación I-800A junto con el estudio social del hogar a la Autoridad Central de Adopción del Estado de origen. De este modo, el gobierno de Estados Unidos notifica al Estado de origen sobre la aptitud para adoptar del solicitante, y sobre el interés del solicitante en que le asignen un niño. La Autoridad Central de Adopción luego revisa la solicitud de adopción para determinar si el solicitante es también apto para adoptar conforme a las leyes del Estado de origen.
En caso de que así lo sea, y si existe un niño que reúna los requisitos necesarios para la adopción internacional, la Autoridad Central remite al solicitante, o agencia empleada, un informe oficial del niño, el Informe Artículo 16. Éste contiene información sobre la situación psicológica, social, y médica del niño. El informe, que constituye un requisito del artículo 16 del Convenio, debe especificar el nombre y la fecha de nacimiento del niño, así como las razones que subyacen a su colocación. El solicitante cuenta con al menos dos semanas para revisar el informe y reflexionar sobre las necesidades sociales y de salud del niño, y sobre la aptitud del aquél para satisfacerlas.
Asimismo, y conforme lo requiere el artículo 4 del Convenio, en el Informe Artículo 16 se debe establecer que la Autoridad Competente:
• Ha establecido que el niño es adoptable;
• Ha constatado, después de haber examinado adecuadamente las posibilidades de colocación del niño en su Estado de origen, que una adopción internacional responde al interés superior del niño;
• Se ha asegurado de que el representante legal del niño ha sido convenientemente asesorado y debidamente informado de las consecuencias de su consentimiento, en particular en relación al mantenimiento o ruptura, en virtud de la adopción, de los vínculos jurídicos entre el solicitante y el niño, y entre el niño y su familia de origen, y de que dicho consentimiento ha sido dado libremente, por escrito, y en la forma legalmente prevista;
• Se ha asegurado de que, en caso de que se requiera el consentimiento de una persona física o jurídica distinta de la del representante legal, aquella persona ha sido convenientemente asesorada y debidamente informada de las consecuencias de la adopción, y de que ha dado su consentimiento libremente, por escrito, y en la forma legalmente prevista;
• Se ha asegurado de que, teniendo en miras los deseos y opiniones del niño, éste ha sido convenientemente asesorado y debidamente informado de las consecuencias de la adopción, y de que el niño ha dado su libre consentimiento, por escrito, y en la forma legalmente prevista, si dicho consentimiento es requerido de acuerdo con la edad y la legislación del Estado de origen del niño;
• Se ha asegurado de que todo consentimiento requerido para completar el proceso de adopción no ha sido obtenido mediante pago o compensación de clase alguna.
Si bien existen distintos formatos del Informe Artículo 16, el proveedor de servicios de adopción debe enviar al solicitante una traducción al inglés del informe, junto con:
• Una copia del certificado de nacimiento u otro documento en donde se acredite la edad del niño;
• Una copia de todo documento en donde conste el consentimiento irrevocable de todo representante legal del niño, así como el de toda otra persona física o jurídica requerido para la adopción, salvo que, de conformidad con el artículo 16 de la Convención, las leyes del Estado de origen dispongan que dichas identidades no pueden ser reveladas, y siempre y cuando la Autoridad Central del Estado de origen certifique en su informe la existencia de los documentos requeridos y que éstos establezcan la edad del niño y su adoptabilidad.
• Una declaración suscripta bajo delito de falso testimonio emitida por el proveedor principal de servicios de adopción (o representante autorizado, en caso de que el principal fuera una agencia u otra persona jurídica), en donde se certifique que el informe es copia íntegra del informe obtenido de la Autoridad Central del Estado parte; y
• Un documento en donde se sintetice la información relativa a las condiciones sociales y médicas del niño. Este documento, u otro, debe incluir lo siguiente:
• Una declaración que indique si existe razón alguna para creer que el niño presenta una condición médica que le impida inmigrar en Estados Unidos;
• En caso de que ambos padres biológicos sean los representantes legales del niño y hayan, de forma irrevocable, dado su consentimiento, las cuestiones de hecho determinantes que evidencien la inaptitud de aquellos para proveer el cuidado adecuado al niño;
• La información relativa a las circunstancias de la muerte del otro padre biológico, según corresponda, junto con una copia del respectivo certificado de defunción;
• En caso de que sólo uno de los padres biológicos sea el representante legal del niño, las circunstancias que dieron lugar a la determinación de que el otro padre al niño o se ausentó de su vida; y
• En caso de que la representación legal del niño recaiga sobre el padre o madre adoptivo/a anterior del niño, o sobre cualquier otra persona física o jurídica distinta de la de los padres biológicos del niño, las circunstancias que llevaron a esa persona a la adquisición de la custodia del niño, y las respectivas cuestiones de derecho subyacentes.
English to Spanish: Probate Code (Texas) General field: Law/Patents Detailed field: Law (general)
Source text - English
PROBATE CODE
CHAPTER III. DETERMINATION OF HEIRSHIP
§ 48. PROCEEDINGS TO DECLARE HEIRSHIP. WHEN AND WHERE
INSTITUTED. (a) When a person dies intestate owning or entitled to
real or personal property in Texas, and there shall have been no
administration in this State upon his estate; or when there has
been a will probated in this State or elsewhere, or an
administration in this State upon the estate of such decedent, and
any real or personal property in this State has been omitted from
such will or from such administration, or no final disposition
thereof has been made in such administration, the court of the
county in which such proceedings were last pending, or in the event
no will of such decedent has been admitted to probate in this State,
and no administration has been granted in this State upon the estate
of such decedent, then the court of the county in which any of the
real property belonging to such estate is situated, or if there is
no such real estate, then of the county in which any personal
property belonging to such estate is found, may determine and
declare in the manner hereinafter provided who are the heirs and
only heirs of such decedent, and their respective shares and
interests, under the laws of this State, in the estate of such
decedent, and proceedings therefor shall be known as proceedings to
declare heirship.
(b) If an application for determination of heirship is filed
within four (4) years from the date of the death of the decedent,
the applicant may request that the court determine whether a
necessity for administration exists. The court shall hear evidence
upon the issue and make a determination thereof in its judgment.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
probate court in which the proceedings for the guardianship of the
estate of a ward who dies intestate were pending at the time of the
death of the ward may, if there is no administration pending in the
estate, determine and declare who are the heirs and only heirs of
the ward, and their respective shares and interests, under the laws
of this State, in the estate of the ward.
Acts 1955, 54th Leg., p. 88, ch. 55, eff. Jan. 1, 1956. Amended by
Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 971, ch. 173, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1972;
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 1521, ch. 616, § 1, eff. Aug. 29, 1977.
§ 49. WHO MAY INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS TO DECLARE
HEIRSHIP. (a) Such proceedings may be instituted and maintained in
any of the instances enumerated above by the qualified personal
representative of the estate of such decedent, by any person or
persons claiming to be a secured creditor or the owner of the whole
or a part of the estate of such decedent, or by the guardian of the
estate of a ward, if the proceedings are instituted and maintained
in the probate court in which the proceedings for the guardianship
of the estate were pending at the time of the death of the ward. In
such a case an application shall be filed in a proper court stating
the following information:
(1) the name of the decedent and the time and place of death;
(2) the names and residences of the decedent's heirs, the
relationship of each heir to the decedent, and the true interest of
the applicant and each of the heirs in the estate of the decedent;
(3) all the material facts and circumstances within the
knowledge and information of the applicant that might reasonably
tend to show the time or place of death or the names or residences of
all heirs, if the time or place of death or the names or residences
of all the heirs are not definitely known to the applicant;
(4) a statement that all children born to or adopted by the
decedent have been listed;
(5) a statement that each marriage of the decedent has been
listed with the date of the marriage, the name of the spouse, and if
the marriage was terminated, the date and place of termination, and
other facts to show whether a spouse has had an interest in the
property of the decedent;
(6) whether the decedent died testate and if so, what
disposition has been made of the will;
(7) a general description of all the real and personal
property belonging to the estate of the decedent; and
(8) an explanation for the omission of any of the foregoing
information that is omitted from the application.
(b) Such application shall be supported by the affidavit of
each applicant to the effect that, insofar as is known to such
applicant, all the allegations of such application are true in
substance and in fact and that no such material fact or circumstance
has, within the affiant's knowledge, been omitted from such
application. The unknown heirs of such decedent, all persons who
are named in the application as heirs of such decedent, and all
persons who are, at the date of the filing of the application, shown
by the deed records of the county in which any of the real property
described in such application is situated to own any share or
interest in any such real property, shall be made parties in such
proceeding.
§ 50. NOTICE. (a) Citation shall be served by registered
or certified mail upon all distributees 12 years of age or older
whose names and addresses are known, or whose names and addresses
can be learned through the exercise of reasonable diligence,
provided that the court may in its discretion require that service
of citation shall be made by personal service upon some or all of
those named as distributees in the application. Citation shall be
served as provided by this subsection on the parent, managing
conservator, or guardian of a distributee who is younger than 12
years of age, if the name and address of the parent, managing
conservator, or guardian is known or can be reasonably ascertained.
(b) If the address of a person or entity on whom citation is
required to be served cannot be ascertained, citation shall be
served on the person or entity by publication in the county in which
the proceedings are commenced, and if the decedent resided in
another county, then a citation shall also be published in the
county of the decedent's last residence. To determine whether
there are any other heirs, citation shall also be served on unknown
heirs by publication in the manner provided by this subsection.
(c) Except in proceedings in which there is service of
citation by publication as provided by Subsection (b) of this
section, citation shall also be posted in the county in which the
proceedings are commenced and in the county of the decedent's last
residence.
(d) A party to the proceedings who has executed the
application need not be served by any method.
(e) A parent, managing conservator, guardian, attorney ad
litem, or guardian ad litem of a distributee who is at least 12
years of age but younger than 19 years of age may not waive citation
required to be served on the distributee under this section.
§ 51. TRANSFER OF PROCEEDING WHEN WILL PROBATED OR
ADMINISTRATION GRANTED. If an administration upon the estate of
any such decedent shall be granted in the State, or if the will of
such decedent shall be admitted to probate in this State, after the
institution of a proceeding to declare heirship, the court in which
such proceeding is pending shall, by an order entered of record
therein, transfer the cause to the court of the county in which such
administration shall have been granted, or such will shall have
been probated, and thereupon the clerk of the court in which such
proceeding was originally filed shall send to the clerk of the court
named in such order, a certified transcript of all pleadings,
docket entries, and orders of the court in such cause. The clerk of
the court to which such cause shall be transferred shall file the
transcript and record the same in the minutes of the court and shall
docket such cause, and the same shall thereafter proceed as though
originally filed in that court. The court, in its discretion, may
consolidate the cause so transferred with the pending proceeding.
Acts 1955, 54th Leg., p. 88, ch. 55, eff. Jan. 1, 1956. Amended by
Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 971, ch. 173, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1972.
§ 52. RECORDED INSTRUMENTS AS PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE. (a)
A statement of facts concerning the family history, genealogy,
marital status, or the identity of the heirs of a decedent shall be
received in a proceeding to declare heirship, or in a suit involving
title to real or personal property, as prima facie evidence of the
facts therein stated, if the statement is contained in either an
affidavit or any other instrument legally executed and acknowledged
or sworn to before, and certified by, an officer authorized to take
acknowledgments or oaths as applicable, or any judgment of a court
of record, and if the affidavit or instrument has been of record for
five years or more in the deed records of any county in this state in
which such real or personal property is located at the time the suit
is instituted, or in the deed records of any county of this state in
which the decedent had his domicile or fixed place of residence at
the time of his death. If there is any error in the statement of
facts in such recorded affidavit or instrument, the true facts may
be proved by anyone interested in the proceeding in which said
affidavit or instrument is offered in evidence.
(b) An affidavit of facts concerning the identity of heirs
of a decedent as to an interest in real property that is filed in a
proceeding or suit described by Subsection (a) of this section may
be in the form described by Section 52A of this code.
(c) An affidavit of facts concerning the identity of heirs
of a decedent does not affect the rights of an omitted heir or a
creditor of the decedent as otherwise provided by law. This statute
shall be cumulative of all other statutes on the same subject, and
shall not be construed as abrogating any right to present evidence
or to rely on an affidavit of facts conferred by any other statute
or rule of law.
§ 52A. FORM OF AFFIDAVIT OF FACTS CONCERNING IDENTITY OF
HEIRS. An affidavit of facts concerning the identity of heirs of a
decedent may be in substantially the following form:
AFFIDAVIT OF FACTS CONCERNING THE IDENTITY OF HEIRS
Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day personally
appeared __________ ("Affiant") (insert name of affiant) who, being
first duly sworn, upon his/her oath states:
1. My name is __________ (insert name of affiant), and I live
at __________ (insert address of affiant's residence). I am
personally familiar with the family and marital history of
__________ ("Decedent") (insert name of decedent), and I have
personal knowledge of the facts stated in this affidavit.
2. I knew decedent from __________ (insert date) until
__________ (insert date). Decedent died on __________ (insert date
of death). Decedent's place of death was __________ (insert place
of death). At the time of decedent's death, decedent's residence was
__________ (insert address of decedent's residence).
3. Decedent's marital history was as follows: __________
(insert marital history and, if decedent's spouse is deceased,
insert date and place of spouse's death).
4. Decedent had the following children: __________ (insert
name, birth date, name of other parent, and current address of child
or date of death of child and descendants of deceased child, as
applicable, for each child).
5. Decedent did not have or adopt any other children and did
not take any other children into decedent's home or raise any other
children, except: __________ (insert name of child or names of
children, or state "none").
6. (Include if decedent was not survived by descendants.)
Decedent's mother was: __________ (insert name, birth date, and
current address or date of death of mother, as applicable).
7. (Include if decedent was not survived by descendants.)
Decedent's father was: __________ (insert name, birth date, and
current address or date of death of father, as applicable).
8. (Include if decedent was not survived by descendants or by
both mother and father.) Decedent had the following siblings:
__________ (insert name, birth date, and current address or date of
death of each sibling and parents of each sibling and descendants of
each deceased sibling, as applicable, or state "none").
9. (Optional.) The following persons have knowledge
regarding the decedent, the identity of decedent's children, if
any, parents, or siblings, if any: __________ (insert names of
persons with knowledge, or state "none").
10. Decedent died without leaving a written will. (Modify
statement if decedent left a written will.)
11. There has been no administration of decedent's estate.
(Modify statement if there has been administration of decedent's
estate.)
12. Decedent left no debts that are unpaid, except:
__________ (insert list of debts, or state "none").
13. There are no unpaid estate or inheritance taxes, except:
__________ (insert list of unpaid taxes, or state "none").
14. To the best of my knowledge, decedent owned an interest in
the following real property: __________ (insert list of real
property in which decedent owned an interest, or state "none").
15. (Optional.) The following were the heirs of decedent:
__________ (insert names of heirs).
16. (Insert additional information as appropriate, such as
size of the decedent's estate.)
Signed this ___ day of __________, ___.
_________________________________
(signature of affiant)
State of __________
County of __________
Sworn to and subscribed to before me on __________ (date) by
__________ (insert name of affiant).
_________________________________
(signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any, of notary) __________
(printed name)
My commission expires: __________
§ 53. EVIDENCE; UNKNOWN PARTIES AND INCAPACITATED
PERSONS. (a) The court in its discretion may require all or any
part of the evidence admitted in a proceeding to declare heirship to
be reduced to writing, and subscribed and sworn to by the witnesses,
respectively, and filed in the cause, and recorded in the minutes of
the court.
(b) If it appears to the court that there are or may be
living heirs whose names or whereabouts are unknown, or that any
defendant is an incapacitated person, the court may, in its
discretion, appoint an attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem to
represent the interests of any such persons. The court may not
appoint an attorney ad litem or guardian ad litem unless the court
finds that the appointment is necessary to protect the interests of
the living heir or incapacitated person.
(c) The court shall appoint an attorney ad litem to
represent the interests of unknown heirs.
§ 54. JUDGMENT. The judgment of the court in a proceeding
to declare heirship shall declare the names and places of residence
of the heirs of the decedent, and their respective shares and
interests in the real and personal property of such decedent. If
the proof is in any respect deficient, the judgment shall so state.
Acts 1955, 54th Leg., p. 88, ch. 55, eff. Jan. 1, 1956. Amended by
Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 971, ch. 173, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1972.
§ 55. EFFECT OF JUDGMENT. (a) Such judgment shall be a
final judgment, and may be appealed or reviewed within the same time
limits and in the same manner as may other judgments in probate
matters at the instance of any interested person. If any person who
is an heir of the decedent is not served with citation by registered
or certified mail, or by personal service, he may at any time within
four years from the date of such judgment have the same corrected by
bill of review, or upon proof of actual fraud, after the passage of
any length of time, and may recover from the heirs named in the
judgment, and those claiming under them who are not bona fide
purchasers for value, his just share of the property or its value.
(b) Although such judgment may later be modified, set aside,
or nullified, it shall nevertheless be conclusive in any suit
between any heir omitted from the judgment and a bona fide purchaser
for value who has purchased real or personal property after entry of
the judgment without actual notice of the claim of the omitted heir.
Similarly, any person who has delivered funds or property of the
decedent to the persons declared to be heirs in the judgment, or has
engaged in any other transaction with them, in good faith, after
entry of such judgment, shall not be liable therefor to any person.
(c) If the court states in its judgment that there is no
necessity for administration on the estate, such recital shall
constitute authorization to all persons owing any money to the
estate of the decedent, or having custody of any property of such
estate, or acting as registrar or transfer agent of any evidence of
interest, indebtedness, property, or right belonging to the estate,
and to persons purchasing from or otherwise dealing with the heirs
as determined in the judgment, to pay, deliver, or transfer such
property or evidence of property rights to such heirs, or to
purchase property from such heirs, without liability to any
creditor of the estate or other person. Such heirs shall be
entitled to enforce their right to payment, delivery, or transfer
by suit. Nothing in this chapter shall affect the rights or
remedies of the creditors of the decedent except as provided in this
subsection.
Acts 1955, 54th Leg., p. 88, ch. 55, eff. Jan. 1, 1956. Amended by
Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 971, ch. 173, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1972;
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 1746, ch. 713, § 9, eff. Aug. 29, 1979.
§ 56. FILING OF CERTIFIED COPY OF JUDGMENT. A certified
copy of such judgment may be filed for record in the office of the
county clerk of the county in which any of the real property
described in such judgment is situated, and recorded in the deed
records of such county, and indexed in the name of such decedent as
grantor and of the heirs named in such judgment as grantees; and,
from and after such filing, such judgment shall constitute
constructive notice of the facts set forth therein.
Translation - Spanish TRADUCCIÓN PÚBLICA
CÓDIGO SUCESORIO DEL ESTADO DE TEXAS
CAPÍTULO III. DECLARATORIA DE HEREDEROS.
Artículo 48. PROCESO PARA LA DECLARATORIA DE HEREDEROS. OPORTUNIDAD Y TRIBUNAL DE SU INSTITUCIÓN.
a) En caso de que una persona titular de bien mueble o inmueble en el estado de Texas, o con algún otro derecho sobre aquellos, falleciere sin haber otorgado testamento válido, y no se hubiere designado administrador del acervo hereditario en dicho estado; o en caso de que se declarare la validez de un testamento, sea dentro o fuera de este estado, o se designare administrador del acervo hereditario en dicho estado, pero se hubiere omitido efectuar la disposición de un bien mueble o inmueble en el testamento o en la administración de dicho acervo, o no se hubiere efectuado la administración definitiva de dicho bien en la administración, será competente el tribunal del condado en donde dicho proceso se encontrare pendiente. El tribunal determinará y declarará, con arreglo a las siguientes disposiciones y a la legislación del estado de Texas, los únicos herederos de dicho acervo así como sus respectivas hijuelas y derechos. Sin perjuicio de lo antedicho, cuando no se instituyere proceso alguno para la declaración de la validez de un testamento, y no se hubiere designado en dicho estado administrador para el acervo hereditario, será competente el tribunal del condado en donde se encontrare situado alguno de los bienes inmuebles de dicho acervo; a menos que no existiere bien inmueble alguno, en cuyo caso entenderá la cuestión el tribunal del condado en donde se hallare alguno de los bienes muebles del acervo hereditario. A este proceso se lo conocerá como proceso para la declaratoria de herederos.
b) La solicitud de institución de la declaratoria de herederos presentada dentro de los cuatro (4) años posteriores al fallecimiento del causante conferirá al solicitante el derecho de peticionar al tribunal competente que se pronuncie sobre la necesidad de la designación de un administrador para el acervo hereditario. El tribunal abrirá el juicio a prueba y resolverá la cuestión por pronunciamiento.
c) Sin perjuicio de las demás disposiciones del presente artículo, en caso de tutela o curatela del patrimonio de un menor o incapaz respectivamente, será competente el tribunal con competencia en materia sucesoria donde se hallare pendiente dicho proceso de tutela o curatela cuando el menor o incapaz falleciere sin haber otorgado testamento válido y no se hubiere designado administrador para el acervo hereditario. El tribunal determinará y declarará, con arreglo a la legislación del estado de Texas, los únicos herederos del acervo hereditario así como sus respectivas hijuelas y derechos.
Ley del año 1955, asamblea legislativa 54, página 88, capítulo 55, en vigencia a partir del 1 de enero de 1956 reformada por la ley de 1971, asamblea legislativa 62, página 971, capítulo 173, artículo 4, en vigencia a partir del 1 de enero de 1972 y la ley del año 1977, asamblea legislativa 65, página 1521, capítulo 616, artículo 1, en vigencia a partir del 29 de agosto de 1977.
Artículo 49. LEGITIMADOS PARA LA INSTITUCIÓN DEL PROCESO PARA LA DECLARATORIA DE HEREDEROS.
a) En los casos previamente enunciados, el proceso para la declaratoria de herederos podrá iniciarse e impulsarse a instancia: del representante legal del acervo hereditario; de toda persona que alegue calidad de acreedor con garantía real o de destinatario total o parcial del acervo hereditario; o del tutor o curador responsable del patrimonio de un menor o incapaz respectivamente siempre que el proceso se hubiere iniciado e impulsado en el tribunal con competencia en materia sucesoria donde, al momento del fallecimiento de dicho menor o incapaz, se hallare pendiente la designación del tutor o curador de su patrimonio. Para el caso mencionado respecto de tutela y curatela, deberá formularse ante el tribunal competente una solicitud en donde se consigne:
Es TRADUCCIÓN al idioma español de las partes pertinentes del documento adjunto redactado en idioma inglés. Firmo y sello en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, al 11 de enero de 2011.
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Keywords: LEGAL DOCUMENTS, REAL ESTATE, CONTRACT LAW, CONTRACTS, TAX, ACCOUNTING, TRANSLATIONS, TRADUCCIONES, FALLOS, ARBITRAJE. See more.LEGAL DOCUMENTS, REAL ESTATE, CONTRACT LAW, CONTRACTS, TAX, ACCOUNTING, TRANSLATIONS, TRADUCCIONES, FALLOS, ARBITRAJE, . See less.
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