Bell County District Courts Document Filing Requirements

Applies to

Orders and decrees

Within ninety days of rendition, announcement of a ruling, or announcement of settlement, counsel must reduce all judgments, decrees, and orders to writing, send them to opposing counsel for form approval, and deliver them to the court for signature.

Within ninety ('O) days after rendition, announcement of the Court's ruling, or announcement of settlement by counsel, counsel shall cause all judgments, decrees or orders of any kind lo be reduced to writing, forwarded to opposing counsel for approval as to form, and delivered lo the Court for signing.

Applies to

Proposed order

Must include

proposed order

As an alternative entry-of-order procedure, the submitting party must present the proposed disposition with a letter requesting signature, subject to a 10-day objection period.

Present the Court with the proposed judgment, decree or order, together with a letter requesting the Court to sign the same if the Court has not received a written objection from opposing counsel within ten ( I 0) days from the date of the letter.

Applies to

Application for ex parte order

Must include

certificate of conference

Counsel must include a certificate of conference in the pleading accompanying an ex parte order application.

c. Counsel shall include a certificate of conference in the respective pleading.

Applies to

Statement of monthly income and expenses

Each party must furnish a statement of monthly income and expenses in the specified or court-approved form at a temporary support hearing.

13.1 A statement of monthly income and expenses in a form substantially similar to the form found in the current Texas Family Law Practice Manual published by the State Bar of Texas or in a form approved by this Court.

Applies to

Federal income tax returns

Each party must furnish copies of their federal income tax returns for the two calendar years preceding the temporary hearing.

13.2 Copies of that party's federal income tax returns for the two calendar years prior to the temporary hearing.

Applies to

Payroll and earnings records

Each party must furnish all payroll statements, pay stubs, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms evidencing specified earnings through the temporary hearing date.

13.3 All payroll statements, pay stubs, W2 forms, and 1099 forrns which evidence that party's earnings for the calendar year prior to the temporary hearing and from January 1 of the current year through the date of the temporary hearing.

Applies to

Proposed property division form

When the character, value, or division of property or debts is at issue, each party must file a proposed property division form containing all relevant property, debts, and liabilities.

14.1 In all cases in which the character, value or division of property or debts is in issue, each party shall file, not less than ten (10) days prior to trial, a proposed property division form including all the separate and community property owned or claimed by the parties and all debts and liabilities owed by the parties.

Applies to

Supporting affidavit

The supporting affidavit must be sworn by a person with personal knowledge and state the circumstances necessitating removal and why placement in the home was no longer in the children's best interest.

The affidavit shall be sworn to by a person with personal knowledge stating the facts and circumstances known to the TDFPS which necessitated the removal and the reasons why continued placement in the home was no longer in the best interest of the child(ren).

Applies to

Proposed order

Must include

proposed order

The attorney ad litem must submit a proposed order at each hearing in compliance with Section 107.004(d) and (e) of the Texas Family Code.

Notwithstanding the orders for the required disclosures by the guardian ad litem, the attorney ad litem shall comply with Section 107.004 T.F.C. and shall submit a proposed order at each hearing in compliance with Section 107.004(d) &(e) T.F.C.

Applies to

Proposed order

Must include

proposed order

When a client wants to pursue post-trial relief and trial counsel is not on the approved appellate appointment list, appointed trial counsel must immediately notify the District Court and submit a proposed order substituting counsel.

Appointed trial counsel shall, upon desire of the client to pursue post trial relief, immediately notify 7 ===== PAGE 8 ===== the District Court and submit a proposed order to substitute counsel if trial counsel is not currently on the approved appellate appointment list.

Applies to

Initial pleading

For a TDFPS initial pleading, the standing order must be attached for service with the Original Petition, or the pleading must include notice of its incorporation and County Website retrieval instructions.

11.2 ORDERS ATTACHED TO INITIAL PLEADINGS. This order shall be attached to the initial pleading filed by the TDFPS to be served to each party with the Original Petition or shall include a notice in the pleading that the Standing Order is incorporated with instructions for its electronic retrieval from the County Website.

Applies to

Proof of annual cle requirements

Attorneys on the court-appointed list must provide annual proof of CLE requirements to the Court Coordinator by January 31 each year.

Attorneys placed on the court appointed list shall provide proof of annual CLE requirements to the Court Coordinator each year not later than January 31%.

Applies to

Application for court appointed attorney and affidavit of indigence

An opposing unrepresented indigent parent may request appointed counsel by submitting the court-provided application and affidavit of indigence at the first available hearing after the effective date.

An unrepresented indigent parent who responds in opposition to the suit filed by TDFPS may request the appointment of an attorney ad litem due to the inability to afford an attorney or otherwise obtain legal representation by timely completing and submitting an application for court appointment attorney and affidavit of indigence in the form as provided by the Court at the first available hearing after the effective date.