Dallas County District Courts Document Filing Requirements

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for continuance

Must include

proposed order

A continuance in a case under one year old requires only an agreed order submitted to the Judge.

Cases that are under a year old require only an agreed order to be submitted to Judge.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for continuance

Must include

proposed order

For cases over one year, all clients and attorneys must sign the continuance/proposed order, and a party's written consent is required even if counsel agree.

If a case is over one year old and all parties agree to a continuance, all clients and attorneys must sign the motion for proposed order. In accordance with the Local Rules, a party’s written consent is required on cases that are more than a year old, even if the motion is agreed by all counsel.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Jury charge

A working charge must be submitted to the Court at the pre-trial conference.

A “working” charge must be submitted to the Court at the pre-trial conference.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Temporary restraining order application

Must include

local rule certificate

TRO applications must include a certification that the case is not subject to transfer under Local Rule 1.06; if it is, counsel must advise the Court and the judge may refer the matter.

Counsel presenting any application for a temporary restraining order shall at the time the application is presented further certify that to the best of counsel's knowledge, the case in which the application is presented is not subject to transfer under Local Rule 1.06. If the case is subject to transfer, counsel shall fully advise the Court of the circumstances, particularly as to whether there has been any previous application for the same or similar relief or whether the relief sought will conflict with any other previous order, and the Judge to whom the application is presented may decline to act and refer the application or the entire case to the Judge of the Court to which the earlier related case is assigned.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Application

No appointment will be made unless a current application is on file, unless all parties agree.

No appointments will be made without a current application on file unless agreed to by all parties.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

certificate of conference

A Certificate of Conference must be one of the four verbatim paragraphs specified in Rule 2.07(c).

For the purpose of Rule 2.07(a), a "Certificate of Conference" shall mean the appropriate one of the following four paragraphs (verbatim):

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial order

Must include

certificate of conference

The pretrial order must include the parties' signed affirmation that they conducted a conference regarding the jury trial.

The parties signed below affirm that we have conducted a conference regarding the jury trial set in this Court on ____________ and have made the following agreements.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Proposed judgment

Must include

proposed order

Counsel must submit a proposed judgment or dismissal order within 30 days after a verdict, judgment, or written settlement announcement; failure to do so may result in dismissal with prejudice and costs.

Within 30 days after the Court has announced a verdict or judgment or the Court receives a written announcement of settlement from either party or from a mediator, counsel shall submit to the Court a proposed judgment or dismissal order, unless ordered otherwise. Failure to so furnish the Court with such a proposed judgment or dismissal order will be interpreted to mean that counsel wish the Court to enter an Order of Dismissal with prejudice with costs taxed at the Judge's discretion.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

Must include

certificate of conference

All motions must include a certificate of conference per Local Rule 2.07; motions without one will not be set for hearing, except where excluded (e.g., summary judgment motions).

Motions require Certificates of Conference as stated in Local Rules 2.07. Motions without Certificates of Conference in compliance with Local Rule 2.07 will NOT be set for hearing by the District Clerks office. Certificates of Conference must be attached to all motions, except those excluded by Local Rules, (i.e. Motions for Summary Judgment).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to compel

Must include

certificate of conference

Motions to compel must include a certificate of conference and attach evidence of attempts to confer.

All Motions to Compel MUST contain a Certificate Conference. The Movant must show and attach attempts to conference with opposing counsel.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Pretrial order

A Joint Pretrial Order is required for all cases lasting 3 days or longer.

The Court’s Joint Pretrial Order shall be required for all cases lasting 3 days or longer. It can be located on this Court’s website and must be submitted 2 days before the Pretrial Conference, or the Pretrial will be canceled.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order to appear

To obtain a contempt setting, the Order to Appear must be walked through for signature and then taken to the Coordinator.

To obtain a setting, an Order to Appear must be walked through to be signed and then taken to the Coordinator for a setting in accordance with the Local Rules.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Name change petition

A name-change petition must include a fingerprint card and a background check by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Petitions for name changes require a fingerprint card and background check by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Final order

Pro se litigants must submit final orders for approval.

Pro Se litigants must submit final orders for appro\’al.

CRITICAL

In property matters, sworn inventories and a proposed division must be filed before trial.

In property matters, mediation must occur before trial and sw^orn inventories and a proposed division must be filed before trial.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion for contempt

Must include

proposed order

A motion for contempt seeking punishment must include a proposed contempt order and an order of commitment to be heard.

No motion for contempt seeking punishment will be heard without a proposed contempt order and. order of commitment.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Notice of hearing

A Notice of Hearing must state whether the hearing is in person or remote and include remote appearance information; the Court will not send Zoom links before the hearing.

All Notices must be in compliance with the Rules and state whether the hearing is to be in person or by remote appearance. The remote appearance information must be contained in the Notice of Hearing. The Court will not send out Zoom links prior to the hearing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Child support order

Every new child support order, including a temporary order, must be accompanied by a wage withholding order for the Court to sign it.

The Court will not sign any child support order (including temporary orders) that is not accompanied bv a wage withholding order(see TEX FAM CODE §154.001).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Disclosures

Parties in delinquent ad valorem tax collection cases in Dallas County District Courts are exempt from the disclosure requirements of Tex. R. Civ. P. 194.1-194.4.

It is therefore hereby ORDERED that all parties in cases filed in the District Courts of Dallas County to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes pursuant to Texas Tax Code Sections 31-34 are exempt from the otherwise required disclosures set forth in Tex. R. Civ. 194.1 (“Duty to Disclose; Production”), 194.2 (“Initial Disclosures”), 194.3 (“Testifying Expert Disclosures”), and 194.4 (“Pretrial Disclosures”).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion for leave

Must include

proposed order

A party seeking disclosures from another party must file a Motion for Leave to Request Disclosures and obtain a written order permitting the disclosures.

If a party desires to require another party to provide the aforementioned disclosures, such party must file a Motion for Leave to Request Disclosures and obtain a written Order permitting such.

CRITICALCourt noticeProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Applies to

Notice of hearing

A fiat must be filed as a separate Notice of Hearing (not part of the pleading), containing the name of the associated pleading, with a cover letter or transmittal sheet as the lead document and the notice of hearing as an attachment.

A fiat should be filed as a separate Notice of Hearing and should not be part of the pleading, but should contain the name of the pleading associated to it. For example, Notice of Hearing on Motion for Continuance. The separate notice of hearing should contain a cover letter and/or transmittal sheet as the lead document with the notice of hearing as an attachment.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Appointment order

Each appointment must be made by a written order.

Each appointment is to be made by a written order.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Appointment or fee approval order

Orders for appointments or fee approvals must be specific enough for clerks to prepare monthly reports.

orders making appointments or approving the payment of fees are to be sufficiently specific to enable the clerks to prepare the required monthly reports.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Appointment order

Each appointment must be made by a written order.

each appointment must be made by written order

CRITICAL

Applies to

Fee approval order

Fee approval orders must include case number and style, name, position, relationship, date of approval, source of fees, amount of fees, and if fees exceed $1,000, hours billed and expenses.

CHECKLIST FOR ORDERS APPROVING PAYMENT Case Number and Style Name of person or entity appointed Position to which appointed Relationship to ward or deceased, if relevant Indicate: Attorney, private professional guardian, public guardianship program or friend/family member Date of approval of fee Source of fees Amount of fees approved If fees exceed $1,000: Number of hours billed for work performed Billed expenses

CRITICALCivil casesCourt notice

Applies to

Exhibits

Please have all exhibits marked numerically or letters prior to going on the record.

Please have all exhibits marked numerically or letters prior to going on the record.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Appointment order

Appointment orders must include case number and style, name of appointee, position, relationship, and date of appointment.

CHECKLIST FOR APPOINTMENTS Case number and style Name of person or entity appointed Position to which appointed Relationship to ward or deceased, if relevant Indicate: Attorney, private professional guardian, public guardianship program or friend/family member Date of appointment

CRITICAL

Applies to

Virtual hearing request

Must include

case number

Virtual room requests must include case number/style, hearing date, docket time, duration, subject, reset status, and participant email addresses.

Provide the following information in your request for the virtual room to be generated/setup from the Court Coordinator: o Cause Number and Case Style? o Date of the hearing? o Time of the docket hearing? o Duration of hearing for ALL sides? o What is being heard on this setting? o Is this request a reset/rescheduled of a previous hearing, which had NOT occurred or taken place? o Email address for all persons expected to participate in the hearing.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Exhibits

Parties are jointly responsible for preparing the jump drive with all admitted exhibits; non-admitted exhibits must not be included.

It is the joint responsibility of the parties to prepare the jump drive and ensure that it contains all admitted exhibits. No party shall include any exhibit on the jump drive that was not admitted into evidence by the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

Rule 106 motions for substitute service must be accompanied by an affidavit detailing verification efforts, service attempts with dates/times, persons present, and proof of residence.

All motions for substituted service under Rule 106 must be accompanied by an affidavit that includes the following information: 1. all efforts taken to verify that defendant actually lives or works at the subject address; 2. each attempt at service, with date(s) and time(s); 3. identity of persons who were present at the subject address and what was said; and 4. a printout of some public record or PublicData.com or similar online database confirming that the person to be served actually resides at the address at which service is being attempted.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Return of service

A copy of any envelope or green card returned by the post office must be attached to the return of service.

a copy of any envelope or green card returned by the post office shall be attached to the return of service.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Appointment order

Every appointment made in a civil case, probate case, or proceeding governed by Titles 1, 2, or 4 of the Family Code, by a regular or assigned judge of any district court, constitutional county court, statutory county court, statutory probate court, court master or court referee of a person to a position for which any type of fee may be paid shall be made by written order.

Every appointment made in a civil case, probate case, or proceeding governed by Titles 1, 2, or 4 of the Family Code, by a regular or assigned judge of any district court, constitutional county court, statutory county court, statutory probate court, court master or court referee of a person to a position for which any type of fee may be paid shall be made by written order.

CRITICALCourt noticeProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Applies to

Case cover sheet

A case cover sheet must be filed as a separate document from the lead document, not as an attachment to it.

A case cover sheet should be filed as a separate document from the lead document and not as an attachment to the lead document.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Fee approval order

Each fee payment approval must be made by a separate written order.

Each approval of the payment of a fee is to be accomplished by a separate written order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion

The Board of Law Examiners fee acknowledgment letter must be included with the pro hac vice motion.

This acknowledgment letter will need to be included with the written motion to the Texas Court in which the out-of-state attorney is requesting permission to participate.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Attorney fees claim

The claim must attach a detailed list of dates worked, services performed, time, and expenses.

ATTACHMENT: ATTACH A DETAILED LIST OF DATES WORKED, SERVICES PERFORMED, TIME, AND EXPENSES.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Return of service

The return of service must include a statement of the mailing dates and results for both certified and regular mail.

the return of service shall include a statement setting out the date of mailing and the result of the mailing by certified mail, and the date of mailing and result of same by regular mail (i.e., whether the envelope was returned by the post office, the green card came back signed, etc.); and

CRITICALCourt noticeProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Applies to

Motion

Must include

proposed order

A motion must be filed as one lead document and the proposed order as a separate lead document, with the proposed order containing a cover letter or transmittal sheet as the lead document and the proposed order as an attachment.

The filing of a motion with the order at the bottom of the motion. You must file a motion as one lead document and a proposed order as a separate lead document. The proposed order should contain a cover letter and/or transmittal sheet as the lead document with the proposed order as an attachment.

CRITICALCourt noticeProposed or draft document; may not be in force

Applies to

Answer

An answer and counterclaim must be filed as separate lead documents.

The filing of an answer and counterclaim. You must file the answer as one lead document and the counterclaim as a separate lead document.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Reporters record request

Reporter's Record requests require the 134th Request form emailed to the Reporter.

When requesting a Reporter's Record, please fill out the 134th Request for Reporter's Record Form and email it to the Reporter at tina.thompson@dallascounty.org

CRITICAL

Applies to

Fee approval order

Each fee payment approval must be made by a separate written order.

each approval of the payment of a fee must be accomplished by a separate written order

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Fee approval order

Fee payment applications must be approved by a separate written order.

Every application or request for the payment of a fee by such an appointee shall be approved by the court of the judge making the appointment. This approval shall be accomplished by a separate written order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Application for appointment

No appointments will be made unless a current application is on file, except by agreement of all parties.

No appointments will be made without a current application on file unless agreed to by all parties.