Hood County Court at Law Service and Proof of Service Rules

Copies of all pre-trial motions must be forwarded to the County Attorney when the originals are filed with the County Clerk.

Copies of all pre-trial motions shall be forwarded to the County Attorney at the time of filing the originals with the County Clerk.

Copies of the materials must be provided to opposing counsel or self-represented parties.

In all civil jury trial cases, anticipated special questions, definitions and instructions shall be submitted to the Court in writing and on computer disc in Microsoft Word® format at the pre-trial hearing, or if there is no pre-trial hearing, seven (7) days prior to the beginning of the trial, with copies to opposing counsel or pro se parties.

Applies to

Exhibits

Before trial begins, counsel must exchange and examine all exhibits.

Prior to commencement of trial all exhibits will be marked, exchanged and examined by the counsel so that the trial will not be delayed by such examination.

A copy of each covered motion, plea, exception, or amended pleading must be forwarded to all opposing parties.

All motions, motions in limine, dilatory pleas, exceptions, or amended pleadings must be filed at least thirty (30) days prior to trial and a copy forwarded to all opposing parties.

Each party must serve its expert-witness disclosure document on the opposing party as provided by Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Each party shall list such witnesses in a document containing the caption of the case and serve it upon the opposing party as provided by Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Applies to

Trial materials

The witness list, exhibit list, and any motion in limine must be delivered to the other parties when the parties report for trial.

At the time the parties report for trial they will deliver to the Court, the Court Reporter and the other parties a witness list and exhibit list and any motion in limine.

A party submitting a proposed judgment for signature must serve the judgment and letter on all other parties who have appeared and remain in the case under Rule 21a.

Each party who submits a proposed judgment for signature shall serve the proposed judgment and a copy of the letter on all other parties who have appeared and remain in the case, in accordance with Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

A written motion requesting a setting must be accompanied by a certificate of service to opposing counsel.

filing with the Court a motion requesting a hearing, and an order setting the hearing, accompanied by a certificate of service to opposing counsel

A letter confirming an orally requested setting must be served on opposing counsel under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21a.

confirming the setting by letter addressed to the Court, a copy of which shall be served on opposing counsel in accordance with Rule 21a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, as amended.

If counsel chooses this option, the motion for entry of a proposed judgment, order, or decree must be set for hearing with notice to all opposing counsel under Rule 21a.

File a motion for entry of the proposed judgment, order or decree and secure a hearing for the same, with notice to all opposing counsel pursuant to Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Counsel must forward the written judgment, decree, or order to opposing counsel for approval as to form.

Within thirty (30) 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 to be reduced to writing, forwarded to opposing counsel for approval as to form, and delivered to the Court for signing.

Service

Mail

If another attorney is not to be substituted as attorney for the party or if the party does not consent to the motion to withdraw, the withdrawing attorney shall notify the client in writing that the Court will be requested to sign an order granting the withdrawal on or after ten (10) days following the date of such notice. Notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, on all such motions a hearing is required, and the attorney requesting the motion must give their client reasonable notice of such hearing.

If another attorney is not to be substituted as attorney for the party or if the party does not consent to the motion to withdraw, the withdrawing attorney shall notify the client in writing that the Court will be requested to sign an order granting the withdrawal on or after ten (10) days following the date of such notice. Notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, on all such motions a hearing is required, and the attorney requesting the motion must give their client reasonable notice of such hearing.

Tapes or films must be tendered to opposing counsel sufficiently before trial; parties must examine them and promptly request a hearing on objections, which must be heard before trial.

to opposing counsel sufficiently in advance of trial so that a hearing on any objections can be held before commencement of trial. Any tapes or films not so tendered will not be permitted into evidence at the trial. All parties must timely examine any tendered tapes or films and request a hearing immediately if there are objections to the admissibility of any party of the tapes or films. Any objections not heard prior to trial will be waived.

A responding party seeking affirmative relief must serve its temporary-order application and hearing notice on the adverse party in accordance with Rules 5 and 21a.

An application to the Court for a temporary order and notice of any hearing thereon which is presented by a party responding to an application for temporary orders in which that party is seeking affirmative relief shall be served on the adverse party in accordance with Rule 5 and Rule 21a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, as amended.