Legal documents are documents that create, limit, transfer, waive, release, authenticate, or provide evidence to support legal rights, obligations, claims, defenses, and property interests.
In Texas, legal documents encompass a wide range of materials such as contracts, wills, deeds, powers of attorney, court filings, and other official records that establish or affect legal rights and obligations. These documents are often required to be in writing, signed, and sometimes notarized or witnessed to be legally enforceable. Texas law, like the statute of frauds, mandates that certain agreements, such as those related to real estate transactions, must be in writing to be valid. Additionally, Texas follows the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) for commercial transactions, which also dictates the form and enforceability of various commercial agreements. The state has specific statutes and regulations that govern the creation, execution, and authentication of legal documents to ensure they are valid and enforceable in a court of law. For instance, the Texas Estates Code outlines the requirements for wills and estate planning documents, while the Texas Property Code governs documents related to property interests.