Dallas County Courts at Law Filing Rules

Unless the Court orders otherwise, counsel must submit a proposed judgment or dismissal order after a verdict, judgment, or written settlement announcement.

Attorneys of record must notify the judges handling the earlier and later related cases that the later case is pending.

A temporary restraining order application must be filed under the cause number of the proceeding where relief is sought; if no proceeding exists and supporting original pleadings are not included, the Clerk files it under a new cause number and no further action may occur until jurisdictional pleadings are filed.

A motion to consolidate or for a joint hearing must be filed in the earliest-filed case, with notice to the later-filed court and all parties in each case.

A trial may not be passed, postponed, or reset unless all counsel consent or nonjoining parties receive notice and an opportunity to object; failure to announce under Local Rule 3.02 constitutes consent, subject to Court policy.

Pleadings, proposed orders, and proposed judgments offered for filing or entry must have descriptive, succinct titles.

a. No counsel for a party shall file, nor shall any clerk set for hearing, any motion unless accompanied with a "Certificate of Conference" signed by counsel for movant in one of the forms set out in Rule 2.07(c). b. Prior to the filing of a motion, counsel for the potential movant shall personally attempt to contact counsel for the potential respondent to hold or schedule a conference to resolve the disputed matters. Counsel for the potential movant shall make at least three attempts to contact counsel for the potential respondent. The attempts shall be made during regular business hours on at least two business days.

Courtesy copies are required for motions over 10 pages; they should be provided one week before the hearing, in a binder marked with dividers or tabs as necessary, and include responses, replies, and sur-replies.

For an at-large original capias warrant bond request, the Defendant must e-file a Writ of Habeas Corpus.

Before a severed claim receives a new cause number, the plaintiff's attorney must meet the Clerk's deposit-for-costs requirement.