Caldwell County District Court Document Filing Requirements

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Petition

The Petitioner must attach a copy of this order to the original petition and every copy of the petition.

The Petitioner shall attach a copy of this order to the original petition and to each copy of the petition.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Petition

If the Petitioner omits the order when filing the petition, the Clerk must attach it to the petition and every copy presented.

At the time the petition is filed, if the Petitioner has failed to attach a copy of this order to the petition and any copy of the petition, the Clerk shall ensure that a copy of this order is attached to the petition and every copy of the petition presented.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Family stabilization program completion proof

Proof of completion of the family stabilization program must be filed with the Clerk.

Proof of completion of the program must be filed with the Clerk.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Proposed docket control order

The parties must submit a proposed docket control order to the Court before the first hearing or within 30 days after the last answer is filed, whichever occurs first.

For all civil matters, including family law matters, prior to the first hearing or within thirty (30) days after the last answer is filed, whichever is first, the parties shall submit to the Court a proposed docket control order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion or request for relief

Must include

certificate of conference

Motions and requests for relief set for hearing must include a Certificate of Conference confirming reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute, using language substantially like one of the stated alternatives.

All motions or requests for relief set for hearing must contain a Certificate of Conference by the filing party that a reasonable effort has been made to resolve the dispute without the necessity of court intervention and the effort failed. The Certificate of Conference should be in substantial compliance with the following language: "The undersigned has conferred with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion in a good faith effort to resolve or narrow the issues raised herein and agreements could not be reached" or "The undersigned has made reasonable efforts to confer with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion but has been unable to do so."

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to set

Unless the Court orders otherwise, the requesting party must file a written Motion to Set that estimates the full hearing or trial length, and Rule 1(a) must be followed before setting it.

All hearings and final trials must be set by way of a written Motion to Set by the requesting party unless otherwise ordered by the Court. The Motion to Set must include an estimated length of the entire hearing or trial. The hearing or final trial shall not be set unless Rule 1(a) has been complied with.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to set or notice of setting

A Motion to Set or Notice of Setting must be signed by the Court Administrator/Coordinator, or as directed by the specific court, before a matter will be set.

j. No matter will be set unless the Motion to Set or Notice of Setting has been signed by the Court Administrator/Coordinator or as directed by the specific court.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Co parenting seminar completion certificate

Unless good cause is shown otherwise, each parent must have a Co-Parenting Seminar completion certificate on file before the specified final decree or order is obtained.

Unless good cause is shown otherwise, a certificate of completion of a Co-Parenting Seminar must be on file for each parent prior to the parties obtaining a Final Decree of Divorce or Final SAPCR Order or Modification Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Financial forms

Copies of the financial forms must be available for the Court at any contested hearing involving child support or spousal support.

c. Copies of these financial forms shall be available for the Court for any contested hearing involving child support or spousal support.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Petition

Original Divorce and Suits Affecting Parent-Child Relationship petitions must include a copy of the Standing Order as an attachment.

All Original Divorce or Suits Affecting Parent-Child Relationship Petitions shall have attached a copy of the “Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of Parties” (“Standing Order”).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Objection

An objection to a proposed judgment must state the reasons and proposed new language and be provided to all parties; failure to provide written objections and alternative language may be deemed a waiver.

Any party objecting to a proposed judgment shall do so within five (5) business days of the filing of the proposed judgment and shall provide to all parties the reasons for the objection and any proposed new language. Failure to provide written objections and proposed alternative language may be deemed a waiver of objection to the proposed judgment or order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Judgment or order

All attorneys must approve a judgment or order as to form before it is presented to the Judge for signature.

Every judgment or order to be signed by a Judge shall be approved as to form by all attorneys before it is presented to the Judge.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial motion

Must include

caption, case number, proposed order

Each pretrial motion must have a separate-page order bearing the proper cause number and case style.

On pretrial motions, attach by separate page on all motions, an Order with the proper cause number and style of case.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Jury waiver

A defendant requesting a court trial must file a jury waiver signed and sworn to by the defendant and approved by defense counsel and the District Attorney.

If the defense attorney or Self-Represented Litigant defendant requests a trial before the Court, a jury waiver must be filed with the Court. The waiver is to be signed and sworn to by defendant and approved by defense counsel and District Attorney.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Final judgment

The prosecutor must prepare criminal judgments, and final judgments must be presented at sentencing unless the presiding judge authorizes a brief delay for good cause.

The Prosecutor shall prepare all judgments in criminal cases. Final judgments shall be presented to the Court at time of sentencing in all cases involving criminal sentencing, unless the Judge Presiding authorizes a brief delay for good cause shown.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Notice of deposition

Must include

certificate of conference

A written deposition notice must contain a certificate of conference.

Any written notice of deposition shall contain a certificate of conference as described in Rule 1a, above.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to withdraw or substitute attorney

Except under Rules 8 and 10, a motion to withdraw or substitute may be granted without a hearing only if the motion complies with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and includes the specified signed written consents.

Except as provided in Rules 8 and 10 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, a motion to withdraw or substitute will be granted without a hearing only if the moving attorney: Files written consents to the withdrawal/substitution signed by the client on a motion to withdraw or by withdrawing counsel and new counsel on motion to substitute, in a motion that complies with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pleading

Must include

ai disclosure

Attorneys and self-represented litigants filing pleadings must confirm either that AI was not used to generate the pleading or that they personally verified the accuracy of AI-generated information.

All attorneys and Self-Represented Litigants who file pleadings with the Court shall confirm that artificial intelligence has not been used to generate the pleading or, if artificial intelligence is utilized, that the attorneys and/or Self-Represented Litigants have personally confirmed that the information generated by artificial intelligence is accurate.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pleading

Signing a pleading serves as the certificate that the party or self-represented litigant and all members of the attorneys’ law firm complied with the AI rule.

The signing of the pleading will serve as a certificate that the party and/or the Self-Represented Litigant, and all members of the attorneys' law firm, have complied with this rule.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Proposed docket control order

A proposed docket control order must substantially comply with the Court's provided form docket control orders.

The proposed docket control order shall be substantially in compliance with the form docket control orders provided by the Court.

INFOCivil cases

Applies to

Co parenting seminar completion certificate

Parties may take any listed Court-approved co-parenting seminar or another co-parenting program approved by the Court.

The parties may take any of the following Co-Parenting Seminars which are approved by the Court: “For Kids’ Sake,” “Putting Kids First,” “Kids First,” “Co-Parenting/Divorce Class,” “The Texas Cooperative Parenting Course for Divorcing Parents,” or “Child Sharing” or any other co-parenting program approved by the Court.