Bexar County Civil District Courts Filing Rules
Official filing rules, court-wide sources, and procedure resources for Bexar County Civil District Courts
For Bexar 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.
- Court-level rules
Failure to appear at a trial docket may result in dismissal or default judgment.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
If the parties cannot obtain approval as to form of an order, counsel/litigants must file a motion to enter and secure a hearing date.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Proposed jury instructions must at minimum include the prima facie elements of each cause of action and defense, required legal definitions, items of damages, and methods of calculating damages.
- Judge Christine Vasquez Hortick
Any use of generative AI must be verified as legally accurate by an attorney licensed in Texas or a self-represented litigant before submission, with acknowledgment of responsibility for non-compliance.
- Judge Elizabeth R. Martinez
Parties seeking an in-person or Zoom hearing must confer with opposing counsel to select a date and file a Notice of Hearing stating the selected date and explaining how much time is needed and why.
- Court-level rules
A motion for Extended Assignment must include a Notice of Submission setting the submission date no less than 5 days after the motion is filed.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
Final judgments/orders must be reduced to writing within 30 days and delivered to the Court for signature.
- Judge Elizabeth R. Martinez
The hearing-setting and ruling timeline is paused if a summary judgment motion is withdrawn and refiled.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
Summary judgment motions are set and heard by the 438th District Court (not the Presiding Court), with the Clerk selecting a hearing date within 35-60 days of filing and entering settings into Odyssey.
- Judge Norma Gonzales
The filing party must file a notice of hearing within 3 days of receiving the hearing date from the court.
- Court-level rules
For hearings with time announcements of 3 hours or more, all parties will be given a time to briefly discuss the contested issues with the Court (via Zoom or in person) before the hearing date is provided.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
Each MTE hearing is limited to 15 minutes.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
The parties and all agents with settlement authority must attend mediation unless the Court grants leave excusing attendance.
- Judge Christine Vasquez Hortick
Before requesting a hearing, counsel must confer with the opposing party about the dispute, with a minimum of three legitimate conferral attempts required on non-emergency issues.
- Judge Tina Torres
The clerk must confirm settings before a notice of hearing is filed, and settings without prior court approval may not be honored.
- Court-level rules
All docket settings are handled by the Presiding Civil District Clerk, who can be reached at 210-335-2000.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Counsel must contact the Clerk by e-mail, letter, or phone to arrange testing courtroom equipment before trial, and parties providing their own equipment must make special arrangements with the Clerk before the day of trial.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
For emergency matters, parties must notify the clerk immediately so the court will treat the issue as urgent and provide an expedited emergency hearing as soon as possible.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
Disputes over the form of an order must be set by a Motion to Enter Order (MTE) with the 438th District Court and may not be litigated via email with the court.
- Judge Angelica Jimenez
A hearing setting must be confirmed with the clerk before filing a notice of hearing; settings without prior court approval may not be honored.
- Court-level rules
An order must be eFiled only once; duplicate eFiling of the same order creates longer processing times.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
Agreed orders signed by all attorneys of record and any self-represented litigants may be e-filed as proposed orders and signed by the Court without a hearing.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Parties must file all documents through the District Court's Electronic Case Filing System.
- Court-level rules
Settings for final hearings on the merits cannot be continued or dropped without court approval.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
Even agreed resets of a summary judgment hearing must comply with the 60-day statutory deadline, and resets within the 90-day deadline require the movant's consent or good cause.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
The Court will not pass (continue) a trial setting because of another trial setting unless the attorney has actually commenced trial in court.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
Trial settings may only be passed or reset by a settlement announced in open court, an Agreed Order to Dismiss/all-party agreement with Court approval, or a Motion for Continuance granted by the Court.
- Judge Marisa Flores
Agreed resets must comply with the statutory 60-day deadline; resets within the 90-day deadline require the movant’s consent or a court finding of good cause, settings cannot be dropped without leave, and resets must be confirmed with the Clerk before notice is filed.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Each requested jury instruction must be numbered and presented with supporting authority.
- Court-level rules
When appearing remotely, statutorily-required documents, pleadings, and proposed orders must be in digital PDF format.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
The court prefers one party to draft the order with the other submitting visible redline edits shareable via Zoom screen share, and disfavors two competing orders though it recognizes this is sometimes necessary.
- Court-level rules
To schedule a non-jury trial or hearing, a party must file a motion to set with the Presiding Court and serve a copy of the motion and a conformed copy of the order on all other parties.
- Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto
A Notice of Setting must be delivered to each attorney of record and/or self-represented litigant.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
The courtesy copy email to the Court must copy all counsel of record and self-represented litigants.
- Judge Antonia Arteaga
Written copies of summary-judgment motions, including all exhibits, must be provided to opposing counsel at least seven days in advance.
- Judge Antonia Arteaga
Written copies of summary-judgment motions, including all exhibits, must be provided to opposing counsel and the Court at least seven days in advance.
- Court-level rules
The District Clerk processes signed orders and provides courtesy copies to all attorneys and self-represented litigants.
- Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Parties must provide courtesy copies of all documents pertaining to matters heard by the Court.
- Judge Marisa Flores
The parties must email the Court a complete electronic courtesy copy of the summary-judgment motion papers and supporting exhibits no later than seven days before the hearing, copying all counsel and self-represented litigants.
- Judge Rosie Alvarado
Parties must email the Court a complete electronic courtesy copy of the summary judgment motion, response, reply, and supporting exhibits no later than seven days before the hearing.