§ 677A. Written Declarations by Certain Parents to Appoint Guardians for Their Children
677A. Written Declarations by Certain Parents to Appoint Guardians for Their Children
(a) A written declaration appointing an eligible person to be guardian of the person of the parent's child under Section 676(d) or 677(b) of this code must be signed by the declarant and be:
(1) written wholly in the handwriting of the declarant; or
(2) attested to in the presence of the declarant by at least two credible witnesses 14 years of age or older who are not named as guardian or alternate guardian in the declaration.
(b) A declaration that is not written wholly in the handwriting of the declarant may be signed by another person for the declarant under the direction of and in the presence of the declarant.
(c) A declaration described by Subsection (a)(2) of this section may have attached a self-proving affidavit signed by the declarant and the witnesses attesting to the competence of the declarant and the execution of the declaration.
(d) The declaration and any self-proving affidavit may be filed with the court at any time after the application for appointment of a guardian is filed and before a guardian is appointed.
(e) If the designated guardian does not qualify, is dead, refuses to serve, resigns, or dies after being appointed guardian, or is otherwise unavailable to serve as guardian, the court shall appoint the next eligible designated alternate guardian named in the declaration. If the guardian and all alternate guardians do not qualify, are dead, refuse to serve, or later die or resign, the court shall appoint another person to serve as otherwise provided by this code.
(f) The declarant may revoke a declaration in any manner provided for the revocation of a will under Section 63 of this code, including the subsequent reexecution of the declaration in the manner required for the original declaration.
(g) A declaration and affidavit may be in any form adequate to clearly indicate the declarant's intention to designate a guardian for the declarant's child. The following form may, but need not, be used:
DECLARATION OF APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR MY CHILDREN IN THE EVENT OF MY DEATH OR INCAPACITY
I, __________, make this Declaration to appoint as guardian for my child or children, listed as follows, in the event of my death or incapacity:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
(add blanks as appropriate)
I designate __________ to serve as guardian of the person of my (child or children), __________ as first alternate guardian of the person of my (child or children), __________ as second alternate guardian of the person of my (child or children), and __________ as third alternate guardian of the person of my (child or children).
I direct that the guardian of the person of my (child or children) serve (with or without) bond.
(If applicable) I designate __________ to serve as guardian of the estate of my (child or children), __________ as first alternate guardian of the estate of my (child or children), __________ as second alternate guardian of the estate of my (child or children), and __________ as third alternate guardian of the estate of my (child or children).
If any guardian or alternate guardian dies, does not qualify, or resigns, the next named alternate guardian becomes guardian of my (child or children).
Signed this __________ day of __________, 20__.
______________________________________
Declarant
______________________________________
______________________________________
Witness
Witness
SELF-PROVING AFFIDAVIT
Before me, the undersigned authority, on this date personally appeared __________, the declarant, and __________ and __________ as witnesses, and all being duly sworn, the declarant said that the above instrument was his or her Declaration of Appointment of Guardian for the Declarant's Children in the Event of Declarant's Death or Incapacity and that the declarant had made and executed it for the purposes expressed in the declaration. The witnesses declared to me that they are each 14 years of age or older, that they saw the declarant sign the declaration, that they signed the declaration as witnesses, and that the declarant appeared to them to be of sound mind.
______________________________________
Declarant
______________________________________
______________________________________
Affiant
Affiant
Subscribed and sworn to before me by __________, the above named declarant, and ____________________ (names of affiants) affiants, on this ___ day of __________, 20__.
______________________________________
Notary Public in and for the State of Texas
My Commission expires:
______________________________________
(h) In this section, “self-proving affidavit” means an affidavit the form and content of which substantially complies with the requirements of Subsection (g) of this section.
(i) As an alternative to the self-proving affidavit authorized by Subsection (g) of this section, a declaration of appointment of a guardian for the declarant's children in the event of the declarant's death or incapacity may be simultaneously executed, attested, and made self-proved by including the following in substantially the same form and with substantially the same contents:
I, _______________________________, as declarant, after being duly sworn, declare to the undersigned witnesses and to the undersigned authority that this instrument is my Declaration of Appointment of Guardian for My Children in the Event of My Death or Incapacity, and that I have made and executed it for the purposes expressed in the declaration. I now sign this declaration in the presence of the attesting witnesses and the undersigned authority on this ____ day of ________, 20__.
________________________________________
Declarant
The undersigned, _______________________________ and _______________________________, each being 14 years of age or older, after being duly sworn, declare to the declarant and to the undersigned authority that the declarant declared to us that this instrument is the declarant's Declaration of Appointment of Guardian for the Declarant's Children in the Event of Declarant's Death or Incapacity and that the declarant executed it for the purposes expressed in the declaration. The declarant then signed this declaration and we believe the declarant to be of sound mind. We now sign our names as attesting witnesses on this _____ day of ___________, 20___.
________________________________________
Witness
________________________________________
Witness
Subscribed and sworn to before me by the above named declarant, and affiants, this ____ day of _______________________________, 20__.
_____________________________________________
Notary Public in and for the State of Texas
My Commission Expires:____________________
(j) A declaration that is executed as provided by Subsection (i) of this section is considered self-proved to the same extent a declaration executed with a self-proving affidavit under Subsection (g) of this section is considered self-proved.