Tarrant County Civil District Courts Filing Rules

When counsel could not be notified, the certificate must describe the diligent attempts made.

When parties report for trial, they must deliver a witness list and exhibit list to the court and other parties.

Witnesses and exhibits omitted from the required lists may be used at trial only if the Court grants leave.

A proposed order authorizing private service under Rule 103 will not be signed without a counsel-signed certificate identifying the proposed server and affirming that the person is at least 18, is not a party, and has no interest in the outcome.

A motion raising a discovery dispute must include an attached Certificate of Conference and may then be set for a hearing before the Court.

Unless otherwise agreed or ordered, counsel must make qualifying trial videos available and serve page-and-line designations at least 14 days before trial when the recordings were taken at least 45 days before trial; the rule does not apply to materials offered solely for impeachment.

Unless otherwise agreed or ordered, counsel must make qualifying videotapes and films available and serve page-and-line designations at least 14 days before trial when they were taken 45 or more days before trial; impeachment-only materials are excepted.

Videotaped depositions and other films taken within 45 days of trial must be made available to opposing counsel, with the required designations, sufficiently in advance to permit an objection hearing before trial.

Exhibits offered at a hearing must be emailed to all parties by 4:00 p.m. on the preceding day.

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.

The page numbers must use Book Antiqua 10-point font.

All exhibits other than video/audio file exhibits must be submitted in hard-copy form at the time of the hearing or trial.

Exhibits must be submitted in PDF format.

The proposed charge must be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word format to the court reporter by e-mail or flash drive.

Before trial begins, counsel must mark, exchange, and examine all exhibits so examination does not delay trial.

A request to reset the trial date must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before trial.

A request to use juror questionnaires, accompanied by a proposed questionnaire and submitted to the Court and all counsel, must be made at least 30 days before trial to receive consideration.

A court must give notice of its intention to dismiss a case for want of prosecution at least 30 days before signing the resulting dismissal order.

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.

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.

The Court permits practical and cost-efficient telephone conferences to resolve simple motions, requires arrangements through the Court Coordinator, and will not hold a telephone hearing if a record is desired.

Litigants must provide the Court Coordinator with their email address at least 72 hours before a hearing.

A hearing may be requested by email to the court at 342dc@tarrantcounty.com.

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.

For Zoom hearings, marked exhibits must be emailed to pafutrell@tarrantcountytx.gov at least one hour before the hearing.

Documents accompanying Business Records Accompanied by Affidavits must not be filed.

Case law must not be electronically filed together with pleadings.

The Settlement Agreement, signed Final Judgment, unwaived List of Expenses, payment breakdown, and Minor Information Sheet must be emailed to the court.

A first continuance motion is rarely denied, but every continuance requires the Court's approval.

A continuance motion ordinarily must be filed by the Wednesday preceding trial and heard at 2:00 p.m. the following Thursday, unless the Court sets otherwise.

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.

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.

A motion, objection, or special exception may not be set for hearing unless the moving party includes a substantially specified certification concerning a conference or inability to confer.

The conference-certification requirement does not apply to dispositive motions, including summary-judgment, dismissal, cause-of-action dismissal, and new-trial motions.

Case law binders are accepted, and attorneys may highlight portions to focus the Court’s attention.

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.

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.

Courtesy copies for the Court may be submitted to the Court Coordinator.

Two copies of the exhibits must be provided, including one courtesy copy for the judge.