Washington County, TX
All 7 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Washington County, newest effective date first. 2 region-wide and 1,248 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Published rules, newest effective date first
Showing 1–7 of 7
21st/335th (& Bastrop 423rd/465th) District Courts — Standing Order on Motions for Summary Judgment (Washington County; eff. July 8, 2026)
The shared summary-judgment standing order of the 21st, 335th, 423rd and 465th District Courts serving Washington, Burleson, Lee and Bastrop Counties (eff. July 8, 2026), as applied in Washington County: precise motion titling; the clerk immediately calls a filed motion to the court's attention; the court sets the motion for submission or hearing 35 days after filing and within 60 days (or 90 on docket need, good cause, or movant consent), with resets kept inside those windows; the nonmovant responds within 21 days of filing; an oral-hearing request must appear in the response title; the movant replies within 7 days without raising new grounds; each party files a separate proposed order before the submission/hearing date; and an Amended Motion for Summary Judgment resets all timelines and automatically denies the original without prejudice by operation of law.
Local Rules of Procedure and Rules of Decorum for the Justice of the Peace Courts of Washington County (rev. May 1, 2026)
The county-wide local rules of procedure and decorum for the four Washington County Justice of the Peace courts (as required by Texas H.B. 79; eff. Jan. 1, 2012, revised May 1, 2026; Judges Zwiener, Johnson, Houston, Riddle): general procedure and decorum, civil and criminal practice, and case management. Operative provisions include that (except continuance motions on new circumstances) all motions in limine, exceptions, pretrial motions, and pleas in a jury case are presented and heard at the pretrial hearing or deemed waived absent good cause, while non-jury exceptions/motions/pleas are filed three court business days before trial; agreed civil judgments require a notarized or in-person defendant signature (or attorney under power of attorney) — a rule in effect only for Justice Court #1; telephone hearings at the presiding judge's sole discretion on a written request at least seven court business days ahead (the requesting party arranges and bears the cost, and the court never incurs conference-call expense); and dismissal for want of prosecution sua sponte, with the citation serving as notice that failure to appear may result in dismissal.
Local Rules for the 21st and 335th District Courts (Washington County edition, eff. Feb. 13, 2025)
The shared local rules of the 21st and 335th District Courts of Bastrop, Burleson, Lee and Washington Counties (Bastrop additionally hosts the 423rd and 465th), revised January 2025 and effective February 13, 2025, as registered for Washington County: attorney conduct and courtroom decorum (rise to address the court, no ex parte case discussion with the press or outside opposing counsel); recording/broadcasting of proceedings prohibited without prior court permission; withdrawal of counsel only by motion with the client's last-known address/email and, if without consent, certified-mail/email notice (a hearing required in criminal cases); attorney vacation letters up to four consecutive weeks on 90 days' notice; conflicting-settings priority (juvenile, criminal, statutory-preference, preferentially-set, lowest cause number, earliest setting request) with a duty to notify all courts; mandatory e-filing (TRCP 21/21c sensitive data); the Local Administrative District Judge elected annually by the four counties' district judges (Gov't Code 74.091, TRJA 9); bench/case exchange to accommodate dockets; interpreter advance notice; adoption of the Second Administrative Judicial Region's Rules of Administration (which prevail on conflict); CIVIL — rotating filing between the courts, time standards (jury 18 months, non-jury 12 months from appearance), submission-for-ruling on 10 days' notice, setting-request mechanics, jury demand and fee within 10 days of the bench-trial setting notice, no reset except by Rule 11 agreement/court-approved agreement/granted continuance (trial settings never passed by counsel agreement alone), annual dismissal-for-want-of-prosecution docket (TRCP 165a), Rule 166 pretrial/scheduling conferences with the proposed charge/witness/exhibit lists due noon the Friday before jury week, order-submission mechanics (same-day duplicate to opponents, 10-day objection window, dismissal-with-prejudice if no proposed order within 14+7 days), ADR/mediation encouraged (Ch. 154), and telephone/video hearings for non-evidentiary matters by advance arrangement; FAMILY — six/three-month contested/uncontested time standards, sworn inventories within 75 days in property-division cases, child-support per the Supreme Court guidelines, a mandatory 4-hour Parent Education and Family Stabilization course before a final-hearing setting, and the county Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct applying to every divorce/SAPCR/modification; CRIMINAL — adoption of the Texas Fair Defense Act local rules (appointed-counsel fee schedule $100-$250/hour or fixed $700 plea / $600-per-day trial), case-flow scheduling with bond forfeiture for a signed-reset no-show, 9:00 a.m. docket call with the State announcing ready, pleas at any docket call, and CCP art. 28.01 pretrial practice.
Washington County Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties
Washington County's self-executing family standing order (the County Court at Law and the 21st and 335th District Courts serving Washington County), applying in every divorce suit and every suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed in the county: it protects the children (no removal to change residence or evade jurisdiction; no disruption of school/day-care), the parties (no threats, harassment, profane communication, bodily injury, or interception of mail/electronic communications), the marital property in divorce cases (no destroying, concealing, encumbering, transferring, or alienating property to defeat a just division; no incurring debt beyond legal expenses; no unauthorized account withdrawals), electronic data (no destroying/altering relevant ESI, deleting social-media content, or using the other party's passwords), and insurance coverage, with the standard authorizations for ordinary business, living, and litigation expenses.
Local Rules for the Washington County Court at Law (Judge Berg; filed Jan. 11, 2023)
The local rules of the Washington County Court at Law (Judge Eric Berg, Brenham), a 12-page instrument governing civil, family, and criminal practice before the court: general rules and attorney conduct/decorum; civil case filing, settings and docketing, dismissal for want of prosecution, pretrial and scheduling, and order submission; family-law case management; and criminal case flow, docket call, pleas, trial procedure, continuances/resets, and pretrial motions (Rule III), plus attorney-of-record conduct, withdrawal, and vacation provisions (Rule IV). The CCL follows the Texas Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Second Administrative Judicial Region's Rules of Administration.
Washington County Court at Law — Standing Order, "Kids First" Program (Judge Berg, 2016)
Judge Eric Berg’s standing order requiring parents in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship or a divorce action in the Washington County Court at Law to attend the "Kids First" program (or a comparable parenting program) before obtaining a final-hearing setting: certificates of attendance for both parents must be filed with the District Clerk before the final hearing, and failure to attend and file the certificate by the final hearing may be punished by contempt or loss of visitation privileges until completed. Comparable programs (including named online options) are accepted.
Washington County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 — Local Rules of Administration
The local rules of administration of the Washington County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 court, covering the precinct court's practice and decorum, filing and setting procedures, and case-management timelines, with adoption/amendment by the justice of the peace and publication through the Office of Court Administration; the Washington County JP courts may promulgate interim orders affecting local practice by majority vote for emergencies, pilot programs, or other reasonable needs.