Tarrant County Civil District Courts Filing Rules
Official filing rules, court-wide sources, and procedure resources for Tarrant County Civil District Courts
For Tarrant County Civil District Courts filings, start with the official local rules and court-level instructions. Then confirm any division, department, clerk, or assigned-officer procedure that applies to the case.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
The certificate of conference must comply with Tarrant County local rules for ex parte relief.
- Judge Dusty Fillmore
When parties report for trial, they must deliver a witness list and exhibit list to the court and other parties.
- Court-level rules
A motion seeking affirmative relief must include an order granting or denying the motion, or the order must be brought to the hearing.
- Judge John P. Chupp
Every ex parte application for relief must include a certificate signed by counsel stating one of three alternative facts about representation, notice, or unsuccessful diligent notice efforts.
- Judge Don Cosby
A motion raising a discovery dispute must include an attached Certificate of Conference and may then be set for a hearing before the Court.
- Judge Dusty Fillmore
Videos taken within 45 days of trial must be made available and the required designations served as soon as possible and sufficiently before trial for an objection hearing.
- Court-level rules
For purposes of these local rules, “counsel” includes a party proceeding without an attorney.
- Judge John P. Chupp
The proffering attorney must serve opposing counsel with page-and-line designations for any further videotaped-deposition portions no later than 7 days before trial.
- Judge Don Cosby
If you intend to offer any exhibits during the hearing you need to email them to all parties and the Court Reporter (MABrantley@tarrantcountytx.gov) no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.
- Judge Josh Burgess
Exhibits offered at a hearing must be emailed to all parties, the Court Coordinator, and the Court Reporter by 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
The jury charges must include page numbers.
- Judge Megan Fahey
Proposed orders must be submitted in word format by email to the specified address.
- Judge Don Cosby
Exhibits must be submitted in PDF format.
- Judge Susan Heygood McCoy
Exhibits larger than 8½ by 11 inches must be accompanied by an 8½-by-11-inch copy; after trial, the reporter retains the copy and returns the original to the offering party.
- Court-level rules
Before trial begins, counsel must mark, exchange, and examine all exhibits so examination does not delay trial.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
All trial documents must be filed by noon on Monday of the pretrial conference week.
- Judge Don Cosby
Related responsive documents should be filed sufficiently early for the Court’s stated goal of reviewing them at least 24 to 48 hours before the hearing.
- Judge Dusty Fillmore
An application must be filed with the clerk and assigned to a court before it is presented to a judge, except when filing beforehand is impossible, in which case it must be filed as soon as possible afterward and the clerk must be notified of the judge’s actions.
- Court-level rules
A hearing on special exceptions, pleas in abatement, or another dilatory plea must be obtained at least 30 days before trial or as soon as possible if filed within 30 days of trial; matters not heard are waived.
- Judge Megan Fahey
For hearing-related documents exceeding 50 combined pages, the binder is due to the court by 12 p.m. on the day before the hearing.
- Judge Don Cosby
The Court has established no policy for after-hours emergencies, but potential after-hours emergencies known during regular court hours should be discussed with the Court’s Coordinator.
- Judge Josh Burgess
Litigants must provide the Court Coordinator with their email address at least 72 hours before a hearing.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
Email or call to request a hearing and include the following:
- Judge John P. Chupp
After bankruptcy proceedings conclude for any reason, counsel must promptly notify the Court Coordinator so affected cases can be restored to the active docket or dismissed.
- Judge Megan Fahey
Proposed orders must be submitted by email to 348DC@tarrantcountytx.gov.
- Judge Dusty Fillmore
Documents accompanying Business Records Accompanied by Affidavits must not be filed.
- Judge Don Cosby
Case law must not be electronically filed together with pleadings.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
The Settlement Agreement, signed Final Judgment, unwaived List of Expenses, payment breakdown, and Minor Information Sheet must be emailed to the court.
- Judge Don Cosby
Failure to obtain a continuance hearing does not automatically result in granting the motion.
- Court-level rules
If a case is set for trial by the court on a date for which an attorney has planned a vacation, the attorney will notify the Court as soon as the notice of trial setting is received and the case may be reset for a different time at the discretion of the court. If plans for a vacation are made by an attorney after a trial setting notice.has been received, the attorney will immediately notify the Court and other parties with a request that the case be reset for a different time. The Court will rule on such request after giving all parties to the lawsuit an opportunity to respond to the request.
- Judge Dusty Fillmore
A continuance requires the Court's consent and generally must be filed by the Wednesday and heard at 2:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding trial, while continuance motions based on later-occurring facts must be filed as soon as possible and scheduled by the Court.
- Judge John P. Chupp
A continuance motion generally must be filed by the Wednesday preceding trial and heard at 2:00 p.m. the following Thursday, while motions based on facts arising on or after that Wednesday must be filed as soon as possible and heard at a court-set time.
- Judge John P. Chupp
Parties must use all reasonable means to resolve pretrial disputes before seeking judicial intervention.
- Court-level rules
A motion, objection, or special exception may not be set for hearing unless the moving party includes the prescribed conference certification in the filing or a separate letter.
- Judge Don Cosby
When a Scheduling Order exists, a continuance motion must include a proposed Amended Scheduling Order or the Court will not consider it.
- Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick
If the motion and response exceed 50 pages, a notebook must be delivered to the court two days before the hearing during one of the stated delivery windows.
- Judge Megan Fahey
When the combined motion, response, reply, and related exhibits exceed 50 pages, the party requesting a hearing must deliver a binder containing all hearing-related documents by noon on the preceding day, failing which the hearing may be cancelled.