Harris County District Courts Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICAL

When all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless it is settled and proven up before the dismissal date, trial is set and approved to occur within 90 days of that date, or a motion to retain is granted before that date.

If all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless: (1) the case has been settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, (2) trial has been set and approved to occur within 90 days of the dismissal date, or (3) before the dismissal date, a motion to retain has been granted by the court.

CRITICAL

Responses must be filed at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

Must be filed and served at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

CRITICAL

If an order has all signatures, the proposed order must be filed before the entry date.

If the order has all signatures, file the proposed order before your entry date for the judge’s signature.

CRITICAL

Deadline

1 business days

Exhibits must be sent to the Court by 2:00 p.m. on the business day before the hearing.

For all settings, exhibits must be exchanged by the parties and sent to the Court by 2:00 p.m. the business day before the hearing.

CRITICAL

The Court sets the final-order entry date in its rendition or at an oral prove-up, and failure to enter the order by that date may result in dismissal.

Entry dates on final orders will be set by the Court in its rendition or at an oral prove-up of an agreement. Failure to enter the order before that date may result in dismissal of the case.

CRITICAL

Responses to motions set for submission must be on file at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

The notice must state that: (1) the motion will be heard by submission; (2) no party may appear for the hearing in person; and (3) any response to the motion must be on file at least 3 days before the submission date, or longer if required by statute or rule.

CRITICAL

Responses must be filed and served at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

Must be filed and served at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

CRITICAL

When the order has all signatures, the proposed order must be filed before the entry date.

If the order has all signatures, file the proposed order before your entry date for the judge’s signature.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

24 hours

Responses to motions must be filed at least 24 hours before the hearing.

E-File responses to motions at least 24 hours prior to the hearing and include a proposed order.

CRITICAL

Answers should be mailed within a reasonable amount of time prior to the hearing date.

Please mail your answer within a reasonable amount of time prior to your hearing date.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

7 calendar days

Parties must file and exchange specified trial documents 7 days before trial or per the pre-trial order.

Parties need to file and exchange exhibit lists, motions in limine, deposition offers, proposed jury charges, proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law 7 days prior to trial, or in accordance with the Courts pre-trial order.

CRITICAL

The parties should exchange motions in limine, exhibit lists, witness lists, deposition excerpts and any objections thereto at least five (5) days prior to the assigned trial. Discuss the matters among yourselves and attempt agreements.

The parties should exchange motions in limine, exhibit lists, witness lists, deposition excerpts and any objections thereto at least five (5) days prior to the assigned trial. Discuss the matters among yourselves and attempt agreements.

CRITICAL

Motions to exclude experts must be filed and set for hearing at least 30 days before trial.

All motions to exclude experts should be filed AND set for hearing well in advance of trial (at least 30 days). Do not wait until the eve of or morning of trial to file your motion.

CRITICAL

Motions placed on the submission docket must be noticed for submission at least 10 days from filing, or the hearing will be passed.

Motions set for submission must be noticed for submission at least ten (10) days from filing, except on leave of the Court. Submission hearings set without timely notice will result in the Court passing the hearing.

CRITICAL

Deadline

24 hours

Responses must be filed at least 24 hours before the hearing or they may be treated as no opposition.

All responses should be filed at least 24 hours before the hearing unless otherwise required at a different time under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. The failure to file a written response prior to the hearing or submission date may be considered a representation of no opposition.

CRITICAL

A summary-judgment motion may not be set for hearing less than 35 days after the motion is filed.

All MSJ must be set no sooner than 35 days after the motion has been filed.

CRITICAL

A default judgment for unliquidated damages requires an oral hearing on Mondays at 10:30 AM with at least ten days' notice.

Default judgments asking for unliquidated damages will need an oral hearing on Mondays at 10:30am with a ten days’ notice.

CRITICALCivil cases

Summary judgment motions must be heard within 60 days of filing or be automatically denied without prejudice.

PER RULE 166A: Motions for Summary Judgment must be heard within 60 days of filing. If a Motion for Summary Judgment is not set or heard within 60 days, it will be automatically denied without prejudice.

CRITICALCivil cases

If a reset is granted, the summary judgment motion must be heard within 90 days of filing or be automatically denied without prejudice.

If the reset is granted, the motion MUST be heard within 90 days of filing, or the motion will be automatically denied without prejudice.

CRITICAL

If a respondent has not appeared, a case may be dismissed unless a return of service or a properly executed waiver is on file before the dismissal date.

If a respondent has not appeared, a case may be dismissed unless a return of service or a properly executed waiver is on file before the dismissal date.

CRITICAL

When all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless one of the listed settlement, trial-setting, or motion-to-retain conditions is met.

If all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless: (1) the case has been settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, (2) trial has been set and approved to occur within 90 days of the dismissal date, or (3) before the dismissal date, a motion to retain has been granted by the court.

CRITICAL

If an order has all signatures, file the proposed order before the entry date.

If the order has all signatures, file the proposed order before your entry date for the judge’s signature.

CRITICAL

Responses must be filed and served at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

Must be filed and served at least 3 days before the submission date, or earlier if required by statute or rule.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions set for submission must be noticed for submission at least ten (10) days from filing, except on leave of the Court.

Motions set for submission must be noticed for submission at least ten (10) days from filing, except on leave of the Court.

CRITICAL

Submit orders and judgments for the Court's signature within 15 days after the hearing, unless the Court specifies otherwise.

All orders and judgments must be submitted for the Court's signature within fifteen (15) days from the date of the hearing unless otherwise specified by the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

Late-filed responses will not be considered.

Late-filed responses will not be considered.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

10 calendar days

Set motions for severance on the Monday 8:00 a.m. submission docket with ten days’ notice.

Motions for Severance should be set on the submission docket, any Monday at 8:00 a.m. with ten days’ notice.

CRITICALCivil cases

A motion challenging expert testimony must be filed and set for hearing at least 30 days before trial.

Any motion to exclude or otherwise challenge expert testimony must be filed and set for hearing at least thirty (30) days before trial.

CRITICALCivil cases

A supplemental certificate of conference must be filed at least 3 days before the submission/hearing date for discovery motions.

Further, a Supplemental Certificate of Conference should be filed notating further efforts to resolve the discovery disputes at least 3 days before the submission/hearing date for the motion.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions to exclude experts must be filed and heard 30 days before trial, with exception for good cause.

All motions to exclude experts should be filed and heard 30 days prior to trial. The Court will NOT consider such motions filed after the deadline in the docket control order without a motion for leave demonstrating exceptionally good cause.

CRITICALCivil cases

Counsel has sixty days to file an Agreed Judgment or Final Non-Suit after settlement announcement.

Counsel has sixty days to file an Agreed Judgment or Final Non-Suit with the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

A final order must be filed three days before the structured settlement hearing.

The Court requires the party to seek evaluator services. A Final Order must be filed three days in advance of the hearing.

CRITICALCivil cases

For minor settlement hearings, final order and ad litem fee report must be filed three days before the hearing.

Regarding Minor Settlement Hearings, a Final Order and the Attorney Ad Litem's Fee Report must be filed three days in advance of the hearing.

WARNING

Failing to enter a final order by the court-set entry date may result in dismissal.

Failure to enter the order before that date may result in dismissal of the case.

WARNINGCivil cases

Parties must not file responses to motions within 2 days of the hearing on that motion.

Unless otherwise governed by statute or by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, parties are not to file a response to any motion within two (2) days of their hearing date on that motion.

WARNING

Failure to enter a final order by the date set by the Court may result in dismissal.

Failure to enter the order before that date may result in dismissal of the case.

WARNING

If all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless: (1) the case has been settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, (2) trial has been set and approved to occur within 90 days of the dismissal date, or (3) before the dismissal date, a motion to retain has been granted by the court.

If all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless: (1) the case has been settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, (2) trial has been set and approved to occur within 90 days of the dismissal date, or (3) before the dismissal date, a motion to retain has been granted by the court.

WARNING

Deadline

7 working days

The judge must sign judgments and orders within seven working days after submission for entry, unless the court rejects them.

All judgments and orders submitted for entry must be signed by the judge within seven (7) working days from the date that the judgments or orders are submitted for entry, unless the judgment or order is rejected by the court.

WARNING

Failure to enter a final order before the court-set entry date may result in dismissal of the case.

Failure to enter the order before that date may result in dismissal of the case.

WARNING

The Court generally does not grant motions to withdraw filed within 30 days of a dispositive event such as a trial setting or a summary judgment hearing.

The Court generally does not grant motions to withdraw that are filed within 30 days of a dispositive event, such as a trial setting or a hearing on a motion for summary judgment.

WARNINGCivil cases

Deadline

24 hours

Objections to deposition excerpts should be made in writing more than 24 hours before the deposition is used at trial.

Excerpts should be reviewed and objections made in writing more than 24 hours before that deposition is to be used at trial.

WARNING

All summary judgments should be set and heard at least thirty days before trial.

ALL Summary Judgments should be set and heard at least thirty days PRIOR to trial.

WARNING

Parties must inform the Court of their ADR strategy by the DCO deadline.

The DCO will have a deadline for the parties to inform the Court of their ADR strategy.

WARNING

Objections to ADR should be filed by the deadline in the DCO.

An objection to ADR should be filed by the deadline specified in the DCO.

WARNING

Deadline

3 hours

Cases on the two-week docket may be called to trial with three hours' advance notice.

Cases on the docket during a two-week period may be called to trial with a three (3) hour advance notice.

WARNING

Dead weeks are scheduled for Regional Conference (April 20, 2026), State Bar Convention (June 18, 2026), Annual Conference (September 7, 2026), and Christmas Week (December 22, 2025).

Dead Week Schedule Regional Conference Week of April 20th, 2026 State Bar Convention Week of June 18th, 2026 Annual Conference Week of September 7th, 2026 Christmas Week Week of December 22nd, 2025

WARNING

If a respondent has not appeared, the case may be dismissed unless a return of service or properly executed waiver is on file before the dismissal date.

If a respondent has not appeared, a case may be dismissed unless a return of service or a properly executed waiver is on file before the dismissal date.

WARNING

If all respondents have appeared, dismissal may be avoided if the case is settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, trial is set and approved to occur within 90 days of that date, or the court grants a motion to retain before that date.

If all respondents have appeared, the case may be dismissed unless: (1) the case has been settled and proven-up before the dismissal date, (2) trial has been set and approved to occur within 90 days of the dismissal date, or (3) before the dismissal date, a motion to retain has been granted by the court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Summary judgments should be heard at least 1 month prior to trial.

Summary judgments should be heard at least 1 month prior to trial.

WARNING

Most motions must receive at least 10 days' notice before being set on Monday's submission docket at 8:00 AM.

Submission docket takes place on Monday at 8:00 AM after 10 days’ notice for most motions.