Sutton County District Court, Texas Document Filing Requirements

CRITICAL

Applies to

Request for setting

Must include

case number, certificate of service

A written Request for Setting must include the specified case, counsel, discovery, mediation, pretrial, settlement, trial, service, and signature information, and have a blank Order Setting attached; pending discovery or pretrial matters require additional details.

The Request for Setting shall contain the following: 1.) The style and number of the case, and the county where the case is pending. 2.) The name, address and telephone number of the attorney making the request and the party represented by said attorney; 3.) Whether discovery is intended to be conducted under level 1, 2 or 3 according to Rule 190, T.R.C.P.; 4.) The date on which the jury fee was paid; 5.) A statement that the pleadings of the party requesting the setting are in order; 6.) A statement that mediation has been completed or none is required. (a) Pending mediation, all discovery is abated unless otherwise ordered by the Court. 7.) A statement that all discovery has been completed or none is desired. (a) If discovery is pending the request shall contain the date on which discovery is expected to be completed; 8.) A statement that all pre-trial matters have been disposed of or none is pending. (a) If pre-trial matters are pending the request for setting shall state the nature of same, the party asserting same, the estimated time for hearing same and possible dates for a pre-trial hearing which have been cleared with opposing counsel; 9.) A statement that the party requesting the setting has made a good-faith effort to negotiate a settlement of the case and further efforts appear futile. 10.) Possible dates for the trial of the case which have been cleared with opposing counsel. (a) If opposing counsel will not agree to a date for trial, the dates proposed and the reason for opposing counsel's refusal to agree to same; 11.) The estimated time of trial; 12.) A certificate that a copy of the Request for Setting has been served on all counsel in the case, the name and address of each attorney and the date of service; 13.) The signature of the attorney making the Request. 14.) A blank Order Setting which should be attached to the Request.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order setting

If item 8(a) applies, send an Order Setting, after which the Court will set a pre-trial hearing.

If item 8.(a) in the Request for Setting is applicable, please send an Order Setting and the Court will set a pre-trial hearing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order setting

Order Settings must list every party to notify and provide attorneys’ fax numbers or self-represented litigants’ addresses.

At the bottom of all ORDER SETTINGS, please list all the parties who need to be notified. If the parties are represented by attorneys, please list the attorney's fax numbers. If they are pro se litigants, please give their addresses.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Jury questions

Each party must submit proposed jury questions when the parties announce ready.

At the time the parties announce ready, each party shall submit to the Court proposed jury questions.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion and order setting

After agreeing on a date, enter it on the Order Setting and send the Motion, Order, and a statement that the date is agreed to the Court Administrator for entry.

Once you have an agreed date, fill that date in on your Order Setting and forward both your Motion and Order, along with a statement that the date is an agreed date, to the Court Administrator in Ozona, Texas for entry with the Court.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Request for setting

A trial setting requires a written Request for Setting submitted directly to the Court Administrator, not filed with the Sutton County Clerk.

A setting for trial on the merits will be made in response to a written Request for Setting submitted directly to the Court Administrator in Ozona, Texas. The party requesting a setting should not file the Request for Setting with the Clerk of Sutton County.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order setting

Order Settings must list every party to notify and provide attorneys’ fax numbers or self-represented litigants’ addresses.

c. At the bottom of all ORDER SETTINGS, please list all the parties who need to be notified. If the parties are represented by attorneys, please list the attorney's fax numbers. If they are pro se litigants, please give their addresses.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Application

An application for an ex parte Temporary Restraining Order or Protective Order must include an accompanying verified complaint or affidavit stating specific facts and intelligible grounds, not mere conclusions; no testimony will be heard.

An application for a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Protective Order, to be granted without notice to the adverse party, will be considered only upon the applicant's verified complaint or affidavit accompanying the application, and no testimony will be heard. No Temporary Restraining Order or Protective Order will be granted without notice to the adverse party unless the applicant's verified complaint or affidavit accompanying the application contains "specific facts," as required by Rule 680, T.R.C.P., and "a plain and intelligible statement of the grounds for such relief," as required by Rule 682, T.R.C.P. No such Temporary Restraining Order shall be granted upon a complaint or affidavit containing mere conclusions, even if verified.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Ex parte order

Ex parte orders in family law matters must meet the Family Code’s requirements.

Ex Parte Orders in family law matters must meet the requirements of the Family Code.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Trial setting request

When obtaining a trial date, submit an Order Setting with a Request for Setting; when obtaining a pre-trial date, submit a letter, and state the agreed date.

a. Submit an Order Setting to the Court, with a Request for Setting when obtaining a trial date, or a letter when obtaining a pre-trial date, stating the date the parties have agreed to.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Request or cover letter

The request or cover letter must advise the Court that opposing counsel was contacted and is available for a hearing on the requested date.

c. ALWAYS ADVISE THE COURT IN YOUR REQUEST OR COVER LETTER THAT YOU HAVE CONTACTED THE OPPOSING COUNSEL AND THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR HEARING ON THE DATE YOU HAVE REQUESTED.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Order resetting

Send an Order Resetting with a cover letter identifying the date agreed upon by the parties.

b. Send an Order Resetting with a cover letter advising the Court Administrator in Ozona, Texas of the date the parties have agreed on.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Attorney fee voucher

Court-appointed attorneys must submit an Attorney Fee Voucher.

All court appointed attorneys shall submit an Attorney Fee Voucher, which can be obtained from the Court Administrator in Ozona, Texas.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Income and expense statement

For every contested support hearing, attorneys must prepare complete written income and expense statements for their clients and present them to the Court before the hearing.

The attorneys in all contested hearings concerning support shall prepare complete written income and expense statements as to their respective clients and present same to the Court prior to the hearing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Property inventory

In contested property-division cases, the attorney must prepare a complete written inventory of the client’s marital and separate estate assets and liabilities and submit it before trial.

In all contested cases involving the division of property the attorney shall prepare a complete written inventory of the assets and liabilities of the marital estate and of the separate estate of their respective client and submit same to the Court prior to trial.

CRITICAL

In divorce, annulment, and parent-child relationship cases, the Attorney General and any attorney of record must complete Form VS-165 and present it to the presiding judge when the decree or judgment is filed.

The Attorney General and any attorney of record, in a case involving a divorce, an annulment, or any suit affecting the parent-child relationship shall complete the form and present it to the presiding judge upon the filing of the decree or judgment.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Decree or judgment

A decree or judgment will not be signed until Form VS-165 is submitted.

No decree or judgment will be signed until said document is submitted.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Motion

Must include

certificate of service

Every motion must include opposing counsel’s name, address, phone number, and fax number under the Certificate of Service.

At the end of all MOTIONS, please include the opposing counsel's name, address, phone number and fax number under the Certificate of Service.

WARNING

Applies to

Motion

Do not use the statement that a copy has been sent to all opposing counsel in the Certificate of Service.

Please do not put "...a copy has been sent to all opposing counsel."

WARNING

Applies to

Order setting

If counsel cannot agree on a date, send the order setting with a letter stating the dates offered to opposing counsel and their reasons for not agreeing.

b. If you cannot obtain a date that is agreeable to all counsel, send your order Setting with a letter stating the dates that were given to opposing counsel and their reasons for not agreeing.

WARNING

Applies to

Request to set hearing

When setting or resetting a case for trial, pre-trial, or another hearing, advise the Court of the estimated time needed.

When setting or resetting a case for trial, pre-trial, etc., please advise the Court the estimated time you will need for the hearing.