Probate, guardianship, executor, administrator, appeal, supersedeas, injunction, and replevin bonds for Harris County and every Texas court. Fast turnaround, collateralized programs, and attorneys on the other end of the phone who know Texas procedure.
A court bond is a surety bond required by a Texas court — or a federal court sitting in Texas — as a condition of appointment or as security during litigation. Every court bond has the same three parties as any other surety bond: the principal (the person posting the bond), the obligee (typically the court, but legally the beneficiaries or opposing party the bond protects), and the surety (the A-rated, T-listed company issuing the bond).
Texas court bonds fall into two distinct classes, and the underwriting differs completely between them:
Texas has its own distinct rules for nearly every one of these bonds. Probate and guardianship bonds are governed by the Texas Estates Code (which replaced the old Probate Code in 2014). Appeal and supersedeas bonds are governed by the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure (TRAP 24) and Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §52.006 — which includes a supersedeas cap found in few other states. Injunction and replevin bonds follow the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
If your court order or attorney's instruction says you need a bond, you probably have a narrow window to post it. Call us — we work with Texas attorneys every week and can usually issue fiduciary bonds same-day and collateralized judicial bonds within 24 to 48 hours.
Fiduciary bonds are required any time a Texas court appoints someone to manage money or property for another — an estate, a minor, an incapacitated adult, or a bankruptcy. Most are governed by the Texas Estates Code, which replaced the Probate Code on January 1, 2014.
Blanket term used in Texas Estates Code proceedings — executor, administrator, and similar personal-representative bonds.
Required of executors in Texas dependent administrations and where the will does not waive bond.
Required when someone dies intestate (no will) and a court appoints an administrator under Texas Estates Code §§303–305.
Required of every guardian in Texas under Estates Code §1105. Covers guardians of the person, estate, or both.
Required when a trust instrument or court order directs the trustee to be bonded.
Required of a conservator appointed to manage the property of a person unable to do so themselves.
Required of Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustees appointed by the Southern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court.
Required of court-appointed receivers under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 64 to manage property during litigation.
Judicial bonds are posted as part of active litigation — before a judgment, after a judgment, during appeal, or to secure a pre-trial writ. Almost every judicial bond in Texas is either fully collateralized or requires substantial financials.
Posted to appeal a money judgment without having it executed during the appeal. Governed by TRAP 24.
Texas caps supersedeas at the lesser of 50% of net worth or $25M under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §52.006.
Required of a plaintiff obtaining a temporary restraining order or temporary injunction under Tex. R. Civ. P. 684.
Posted to recover personal property pending resolution of ownership. Related to Texas sequestration proceedings.
Posted by a plaintiff to seize defendant's property pre-judgment under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 61.
Posted to take possession of property pending suit — most commonly in vehicle and consumer-goods disputes.
Required before a writ of garnishment issues to seize funds held by a third party under Texas Rule 658.
Sometimes required of non-resident plaintiffs to guarantee payment of court costs.
Fiduciary bonds are priced on a traditional credit-and-estate-size basis. Judicial bonds — particularly appeal and supersedeas — are usually collateralized, and the premium is charged on top of the collateral.
| Bond type | Premium rate | Collateral | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executor / Administrator (strong credit) | 0.5 – 1% | None | $500K bond → $2,500–$5,000/yr |
| Guardianship (strong credit) | 0.5 – 1% | None | $250K bond → $1,250–$2,500/yr |
| Fiduciary (weaker credit) | 1 – 3% | May be required | $100K bond → $1,000–$3,000/yr |
| Appeal / Supersedeas | ~1% | 100% (cash or LOC) | $500K appeal → $5K premium + $500K collateral |
| Injunction / Replevin | 1 – 3% | Often required | $50K injunction → $500–$1,500 + collateral |
These are indicative ranges based on typical Texas sureties. Exact pricing depends on credit, estate or case value, collateral posted, and the specific court. For appeal bonds under a statutory deadline, call us — we will issue whatever we can issue in the time available.
For fiduciary bonds we need the court's order setting bond and, ideally, a copy of the will or application. For judicial bonds we need the underlying pleading, the order setting bond, and the applicable rule or statute. Email works, fax works, or just call us with it in hand.
Fiduciary bonds require a one-page application, a credit check, and a personal financial statement if the bond exceeds $250,000. Appeal and supersedeas bonds require collateral arrangements and a review of the underlying judgment.
Most Texas fiduciary bonds are approved and priced within hours. Collateralized appeal bonds typically issue within 24–48 hours once the collateral is in place. Non-collateralized appeal bonds take longer and may require corporate financials.
We send the fully-executed bond and power of attorney to you or directly to your attorney. You file it with the clerk — Harris County, federal Southern District of Texas, or whichever court ordered the bond — and the court recognizes the bond on the record.
We know the Estates Code, TRAP 24, the supersedeas cap, and how Harris County Probate Courts 1–4 prefer bond paperwork submitted. That's the difference between a bond that files on the first pass and one that gets returned for correction.
Every court bond we issue is written by a carrier on the U.S. Treasury Department's Listing of Approved Sureties (Circular 570) — required for federal bonds and accepted by every Texas state court.
We regularly issue fiduciary bonds same-day and collateralized appeal bonds within 24 to 48 hours. If you are on a statutory deadline, tell us and we will tell you honestly what we can get done in the time available.
Fiduciary bonds (probate, guardianship, executor, administrator, trustee, bankruptcy trustee) guarantee that a person appointed by a court to manage money or property on behalf of someone else will do so honestly and according to law. Judicial bonds (appeal, supersedeas, injunction, replevin, attachment) are posted as part of active litigation to protect the opposing party from harm if the posting party loses. Fiduciary bonds are underwritten on the fiduciary's credit and the size of the estate. Judicial bonds are often underwritten on collateral — especially appeal and supersedeas bonds.
Fiduciary bonds — executor, administrator, guardianship, trustee — typically run 0.5% to 1% of the bond amount per year for applicants with good credit and a clean estate. A $500,000 executor bond commonly costs $2,500–$5,000 per year. Appeal and supersedeas bonds are different: Texas sureties generally require 100% collateral (cash or letter of credit) plus a premium of roughly 1% of the bond amount. Collateralized court bonds are often approvable in 24 to 48 hours. Non-collateral appeal bonds are rare and require strong corporate financials.
The executor or administrator signs the bond personally, but the premium is an administrative expense of the estate. That means the estate reimburses the fiduciary for the bond premium from estate assets. This is routinely approved by Texas probate courts, including Harris County Probate Courts 1, 2, 3, and 4. If the estate lacks liquidity at the outset, the fiduciary may need to advance the premium and reimburse later.
Yes — and most well-drafted Texas wills do. If the will includes language waiving bond and the court admits the will to probate as an independent administration, no bond is typically required. If the will is silent, if the executor is a non-resident, if the court orders a dependent administration, or if any interested party requests one, the court will require a bond. Guardianship bonds cannot be waived — they are required by statute under Estates Code §1105 on every guardianship.
With full collateral posted (cash or irrevocable letter of credit equal to 100% of the bond amount), we routinely issue Texas appeal and supersedeas bonds within 24 to 48 hours. Without collateral, sureties require full corporate and personal financials and an analysis of the underlying judgment. Those bonds can take 5 to 10 business days and are frequently declined on smaller or weaker applicants. If you're facing a 30-day deadline to perfect an appeal under TRAP, call us immediately — we'll tell you on the first call whether a non-collateral bond is a realistic option for your case.
For fiduciary bonds (probate, guardianship, executor) — yes, though the premium rises and some sureties may require a co-principal. For appeal and supersedeas bonds, credit matters less because those bonds are usually fully collateralized anyway. For injunction, replevin, attachment, and sequestration bonds, credit and the underlying case merits matter; we may need collateral on weaker-credit applicants.
Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §52.006, the amount of security required to supersede a money judgment during appeal is capped at the lesser of (a) 50% of the judgment debtor's net worth or (b) $25 million. Texas has one of the strongest supersedeas caps in the country — by comparison, many states require 100% of the judgment plus interest and costs. Supplying an affidavit of net worth to the trial court is how you unlock the cap. We can help structure the bond once the court sets the final amount.
If an interested party — a beneficiary, heir, creditor, or the court itself — believes the fiduciary has breached their duty (misappropriating funds, failing to account, self-dealing), they can file a claim against the bond. The surety investigates through the Texas probate court record. If the claim is valid, the surety pays up to the bond amount and then seeks full reimbursement from the fiduciary personally. A paid claim can lead to court removal of the fiduciary and potential criminal exposure.
Free quote, no obligation. Fiduciary bonds same-day. Collateralized appeals in 24–48 hours. We work with Texas attorneys every week.
