Court Rules
About Judicial Officer Travis County Civil District Courts

The Travis County Civil District Courts are the civil trial courts for Travis County, Texas, hearing civil matters.

Practitioners will find the courts' local rules of civil procedure and decorum, standing orders on submission procedures, and a standing order for family law cases.

Common questions about Travis County Civil District Courts rules

Are courtesy copies required in Travis County Civil District Courts?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for all covered filings. Details: 1 copy, delivery after filing. A party who needs to bring a document to a judge's attention must deliver a courtesy copy of the file-marked document to the judge's staff rather than simply filing it.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 1.3 How the Central Docket Functions

Does Travis County Civil District Courts require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Travis County Civil District Courts rules set a pre-motion procedure for request for assignment to particular judges. Before asking a particular judge to accept assignment of a case, all parties must previously confer and agree to jointly make the request.

View ruleSource: page 10, section 2.6 Assignment of All or Part of Case to a Particular Judge

What formatting rules apply to filings in Travis County Civil District Courts?

Travis County Civil District Courts' formatting rule includes the word 'entered' must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed; only the signing date may be shown.. The word "entered" must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed.

View ruleSource: page 34, section Chapter 11 - Drafts of Judgments, Decrees, and Orders to be Signed by Judge / 11.5 Date of Signing Only

What must be included with notice of hearing filings in Travis County Civil District Courts?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Notices of hearings and trials must not direct parties to the court in the case style; if specially set under Local Rules 2.6 or 10.2 the notice must list that court, otherwise it must direct parties to the Civil and Family Courts Facility and/or the court designated in the posted docket schedule.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 1.4 Locations and Notices of Hearings and Trials

What must be included with motion filings in Travis County Civil District Courts?

The rule requires certificate of conference. Before seeking a setting, parties must confer about the date, time, and format of the hearing, and every motion must include a certification of that conferral.

View ruleSource: page 7, section 2.2 Certification Requirements

How may parties contact Travis County Civil District Courts?

The rule addresses email communications with the clerk. Non-jury settings on the Central Docket must be announced by the parties during the week prior to the hearing.

View ruleSource: page 15, section 3.2 Announcements

How does Travis County Civil District Courts handle sealed or redacted filings?

The rule does not state that a motion to seal is required for the covered filing process. The District Clerk maintains files, docket sheets, and minutes as confidential records in every adoption suit and every suit in which an authorized agency seeks termination of the parent-child relationship.

View ruleSource: page 71, section 25.1 Confidential Records

How do I request an adjournment or extension in Travis County Civil District Courts?

Advance notice is not fully stated in the structured details. The request must include adversary position. Announced settings may be passed (continued) only by agreement of all counsel, and counsel must notify the Court Administrator of the agreement to pass the setting.

View ruleSource: page 13, section 2.14(b) Agreement to Pass a Setting

Does Travis County Civil District Courts require motion papers to be bundled?

Yes. Travis County Civil District Courts requires bundling for covered papers. Objections to mediation must be filed simultaneously with the motion to retain.

View ruleSource: page 26, section 8.6 Objection to Mediation

Is electronic filing required in Travis County Civil District Courts?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Documents provided to a judge for action (e.g., motions) must first be filed with the District Clerk, and then a copy provided to the judge's staff; providing documents to a judge does not file them.

View ruleSource: page 4, section 1.3 How the Central Docket Functions

Are filing fees or waivers addressed in Travis County Civil District Courts?

A fee is required for covered filings. Fees for preparing the pre-adoptive home screening and post-placement adoptive report must be paid as directed by the Family Court Services Manager.

View ruleSource: page 72, section 25.3 Procedures

When is a filing treated as filed in Travis County Civil District Courts?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. A party may not request a setting unless the motion with required certifications is already filed or is filed no later than 24 hours after obtaining the setting.

View ruleSource: page 8, section Chapter 2: Setting Cases on the Central Docket

What rule applies to service for notice of setting in Travis County Civil District Courts?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: all parties. The court does not send setting notices; the party obtaining the setting must notify all parties of the time, date, and total hearing time as required by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule 1.4.

View ruleSource: page 8, section 2.4 Notice of Setting to be Provided by Party Obtaining the Setting
Complete rules summary for Travis County Civil District Courts

Chapter 10 (administrative agency review) cases are excluded from referral to mediation under Chapter 13.

A party who needs to bring a document to a judge's attention must deliver a courtesy copy of the file-marked document to the judge's staff rather than simply filing it.

Documents intended for a judge that are delivered by email must be sent to the judge's submission email address or the judge's staff, not to the judge directly.

Documents provided to a judge for action (e.g., motions) must first be filed with the District Clerk, and then a copy provided to the judge's staff; providing documents to a judge does not file them.

Notices of hearings and trials must not direct parties to the court in the case style; if specially set under Local Rules 2.6 or 10.2 the notice must list that court, otherwise it must direct parties to the Civil and Family Courts Facility and/or the court designated in the posted docket schedule.

Questions about case assignments or the location of hearings or trials in non-specially-assigned cases must be directed to the Court Administrator, not to a particular court.

Matters that the court determines cannot reasonably be heard within the announced time will be rescheduled at the court's discretion.

Before seeking a setting, parties must confer about the date, time, and format of the hearing, and every motion must include a certification of that conferral.

All motions except dispositive motions must also certify either that counsel conferred in good faith to resolve or narrow the issues, or that reasonable efforts to confer were made but unsuccessful.

The court may strike any setting if the underlying motion does not include the required conferral certifications.

A party may not request a setting unless the motion with required certifications is already filed or is filed no later than 24 hours after obtaining the setting.

Every setting request must include an estimate of total hearing time for all matters and participants, keeping in mind that a half-day generally provides fewer than three hours and a full-day fewer than six hours of actual hearing time.

Jury trial setting requests must include announced time covering pretrial, voir dire, evidence, charge conference, closing argument, and deliberation.

The court does not send setting notices; the party obtaining the setting must notify all parties of the time, date, and total hearing time as required by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule 1.4.

Lack of the required notice may be argued by opposing counsel as a basis for a continuance.

Orders setting a case that are presented for a judge's signature must be on a separate page and must not be combined with a pleading.

Even when a judge signs an order setting a case, the setting itself must be made with the Court Administrator's office.

Administrative appeal briefs must not include a statement regarding oral argument.

A request to assign a case (or part of a case) to a particular judge must be made jointly in writing, must explain the unusual characteristics, and must be filed and submitted to the Local Administrative Judge.

Requests for assignment of a case to a particular judge may be submitted by email to LocalAdministrativeJudge@traviscountytx.gov.

Before asking a particular judge to accept assignment of a case, all parties must previously confer and agree to jointly make the request.

Settings will not be accepted after the Friday preceding the announcement period, except by agreement of all parties or where a statute requires a hearing prior to the next available setting week.

Before presenting an order (including a Show Cause Order or TRO) that sets a hearing before the answer date, a tentative date must first be procured from the Court Administrator's Office and included in the order.

A jury trial setting is not permitted where a non-jury trial setting was obtained after the answer date and before the jury fee was paid, unless a written agreement to strike the non-jury setting is presented to the Court Administrator when the jury setting is requested.

Announced settings may be passed (continued) only by agreement of all counsel, and counsel must notify the Court Administrator of the agreement to pass the setting.

In cases involving an incarcerated party, the party wishing to set a hearing must communicate with the Court Administrator at least 30 days before the proposed hearing date, unless leave of court is granted for good cause.

The party requesting a hearing setting (in a case involving an incarcerated party) must give notice of the setting to all other parties.

Non-jury settings on the Central Docket must be announced by the parties during the week prior to the hearing.

Jury trial settings on the Central Docket must be announced during the week that is three weeks before the jury trial setting.

Announcements are accepted only during the window from Monday at 8:00 a.m. until Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.

More Judges in Travis County Civil District Courts

Amy Clark Meachum
Judge
Aurora Martinez Jones
Judge
Catherine A. Mauzy
Judge
Cory Liu
Judge
Daniella DeSeta Lyttle
Judge
Jan Soifer
Judge
Jessica Mangrum
Judge
Laurie Eiserloh
Judge