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A self-represented litigant must have the documents reviewed for legal sufficiency by the Office of the Staff Attorney for the Civil District Courts (100 Dolorosa, Rm 2.16) before being set on the uncontested docket, which is called at 2:00 p.m. in the Presiding Court (room 109); only uncontested matters (no answer or written objection) may be heard there — once contested, the litigant must set a contested hearing and give notice; the litigant must arrive before 2:00 p.m. with all required documents, orders and decrees, dress appropriately (no tank tops, shorts, flip-flops, hats, torn jeans; phones off; no food or gum), and proceeds pro se without assistance or advice from the judge, staff or clerks; the Staff Attorney is not the litigant's attorney and gives no legal advice; filing and service fees are not refundable.
Applies to self-represented litigants seeking a hearing in the 37th, 45th, 57th, 73rd, 131st, 150th, 166th, 224th, 225th, 285th, 288th, 407th, 408th and 438th District Courts of Bexar County. The 2026 Local Rules place the Presiding Court's uncontested walk-up docket at 1:30 (Rule 4.A.3 and 4.O.3); this guideline, posted by the District Clerk, still says 2:00 p.m. — confirm the time with the Presiding Court. Not registered on TOPICs. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
PRO SE Hearing Guidelines The Staff Attorney is NOT your attorney and does not represent you as such. The Staff Attorney does NOT give legal advice. The Staff Attorney does NOT help you complete documents you intend to present to the court. In order for you to set a date for your case to be heard by a judge, you must have your documents reviewed by the Office of the Staff Attorney for the Bexar County Civil District Courts. You may arrange for this by visiting their office at 100 Dolorosa St., Rm 2.16, San Antonio, Texas 78205. The review process is NOT a guarantee of any kind of relief and does NOT mean that you will see a judge on that same day. The Staff Attorneys Office will review the paperwork for legal sufficiency and then set you with a court date, when ready. It is your responsibility to be present at the courthouse on the day set for your hearing. Please note that this review will involve a substantial wait period. You may only be heard on this docket if your matter is uncontested. Your matter is uncontested if the other party has not filed a response of any kind or has not objected to your motion in writing. Once the other party files an answer or otherwise objects to your motion in writing, your matter is contested and you will have to set a date for a hearing on the contested docket on your own. It is your responsibility to send notice of any hearing to the opposing party or attorney. The Staff Attorney is NOT your attorney and does not represent you as such. Your setting will be dropped if you are not present at 2:00 p.m. (by the Court’s clock, not your own) on the date of your hearing. If you are late or fail to appear on this date, you will have to reschedule. Please be aware that by not appearing on the date set for your hearing, your matter may be delayed for several months. The uncontested docket is called at 2:00 p.m. in the Presiding Court, located in room 109 on the first floor of the Bexar County Civil Courthouse. You must appear in the courtroom before 2:00 p.m. with all the necessary documents. You will be responsible for providing the court with the documents required to complete your legal matter (this includes any Orders or Decrees). You are responsible for the content and structure of all documents filed with the clerk or presented to a judge for signature. We do not provide documents for you. We do NOT help you complete documents you intend to present to the court. You must dress appropriately for the courtroom. If you are not dressed appropriately, you will not be seen by the judge. NO tank tops, spaghetti straps, shorts, flip-flops, sandals, ripped or torn jeans, hats, revealing dress, clothing with obscene phrases or pictures or overly soiled clothing will be allowed in the courtroom. Also, all cellular phones and pagers must be TURNED OFF prior to entering the courtroom and NO newspapers, food, drink or gum are allowed. You may hire an attorney to represent you, or if you meet certain requirements, you may be entitled to free counsel provided by a charitable organization. By choosing to voluntarily represent yourself, you are now proceeding PRO SE. You will receive no special favors, assistance, or advice from the judge, judicial staff, or clerks as they cannot and do not represent either party in the litigation. You will be expected to comply with all relevant rules of procedural, evidentiary, and substantive law. The filing and service fees are NOT REFUNDABLE under any circumstance.
PRO SE Hearing Guidelines The Staff Attorney is NOT your attorney and does not represent you as such. The Staff Attorney does NOT give legal advice. The Staff Attorney does NOT help you complete documents you intend to present to the court. In order for you to set a date for your case to be heard by a judge, you must have your documents reviewed by the Office of the Staff Attorney for the Bexar Co
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 from BenchPath's own-site custody copy (one page; native text layer read in full). Undated; 2023-01-01 is a placeholder effective date — UNVERIFIED. The docket time conflicts with the 2026 local rules and is flagged in the applies note.
In justice-court eviction cases: the citation sets a personal-appearance trial day not less than 10 nor more than 21 days after the petition is filed; a written answer is permitted but NOT required (appearing on the trial day is what matters); no trial may be held until 4 days after service; and an appeal must be perfected within 5 days after the judgment is signed.
Policy Regarding Pro Se Applicants — Harris County Probate Courts (Probate Court No. 1 posting) — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.