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The civil district courts' central-docket rules: public access and no recording without permission (Rule 1); every trial and hearing set on the Presiding Court nonjury dockets or the Monitoring Court jury docket except MSJ, DWOP and Rule 91a motions, which are set in the assigned court (Rules 2, 4.J); monthly rotation of the Presiding Judge (Rule 3); the 8:30, 9:00, 1:30 walk-up and 2:00 specialty dockets, announcements, multiple-setting conflicts, mandatory certificates of conference on date/time/format and on the substance of non-dispositive motions, orders due within two weeks with e-filing comment-section labels, approval blocks, separate documents, an agreed docket control order within 30 days of the first responsive pleading (motion to enter within 45 days), written-submission matters, Zoom protocols (8:30 by Zoom; 9:00 in person unless a joint notice agrees to a hearing of 2.5 hours or less by Zoom; Children's Court in-person rules), the A.I. certification required on all pleadings, Extended Assignments of a pretrial phase to one judge (up to 120 days) and the family-law policies (standing order attached to every petition, Helping Children Cope with Divorce, minors' testimony, default divorces, custody evaluations within 90 days, inventories and support itemizations, Domestic Relations Office) (Rule 4); the Monitoring Court jury docket, trial announcements due by noon the Monday two weeks before trial, carry-over week, motions heard by the Monitoring Judge, continuances, special settings, complex-case removal, proposed orders (Rule 5); scheduling (Rule 6); ex parte requests and TROs (Rule 7); post-trial hearings (Rule 8); mediation 45 days before trial with a mediator's report 30 days out (Rule 9); vacation letters (Rule 10); Attorney General Title IV-D deemed applications (Rule 11); interpreters (Rule 12); and supersession of all prior rules effective July 1, 2026 (Rule 13). The 225th and 285th District Courts do not participate in the Presiding/Monitoring dockets and append their own procedures.
Applies to every civil and family case in the 37th, 45th, 57th, 73rd, 131st, 150th, 166th, 224th, 225th, 285th, 288th, 407th, 408th and 438th District Courts of Bexar County. The 225th and 285th District Courts have opted out of the Presiding Court and Monitoring Court dockets; the standing orders, the family-law policies of Rule 4.P, Rules 1, 10, 11 and 12 and the administrative-office information still apply to them, and their own scheduling procedures appear at pages 26–34 of the instrument (published as bundle members). The A.I. certification of Rule 4.O.1 is also published as its own bundle member. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
THE CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS OF BEXAR COUNTY BEXAR COUNTY COURTHOUSE 100 DOLOROSA SAN ANTONIO, TX 78205 BEXAR COUNTY CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS LOCAL RULES FOR THE 37TH, 45TH, 57TH, 73RD, 131ST, 150TH, 166th, 224TH, 225th, 285th, 288TH, 407TH, 408TH, AND 438TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURTS OF BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS Updated Effective date: July 1, 2026 Texas Rule of Judicial Administration 6 establishes time standards for the disposition of cases. Specifically, Rule 6.1 requires District Courts, so far as reasonably possible, to ensure that all cases are brought to trial or final disposition in conformity with the following time standards: Civil Cases Other Than Family Law. 1. Civil Jury Cases. Within 18 months from appearance date. 2. Civil Nonjury Cases. Within 12 months from appearance date. Family Law Cases. 1. Contested Family Law Cases. Within 6 months from appearance date or within 6 months from the expiration of the waiting period provided by the Family Code where such is required, whichever is later. 2. Uncontested Family Law Cases. Within 3 months from appearance date or within 3 months from the expiration of the waiting period provided by the Family Code where such is required, whichever is later. Texas Rule of Judicial Administration 8 requires the judge of the originally assigned court to maintain full responsibility for the case. Moreover, Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct provides “[a] judge should dispose of all judicial matters promptly, efficiently and fairly. Willful, persistent, and unjustifiable failure to timely execute the business of the court is subject to discipline.” With the above mandates in mind, the Bexar County Civil District Court Judges have adopted these revised Local Rules to ensure that cases are fairly and efficiently resolved without compromising or unduly burdening the litigants’ access to the their courts and, ultimately, justice. NOTE: The 225th and 285th Judicial District Courts of Bexar County, Texas have elected not to participate in the Presiding Court and Monitoring Court dockets of the Bexar County Civil District Courts. As a result, the Local Rules addressing scheduling and proceedings in the Presiding and Monitoring Courts do not apply to the 225th and 285th District Courts. Nevertheless, Bexar County Standing Orders addressing the Civil District Courts generally, the Policies Regarding Family Law addressed in Local Rule 3.P., Local Rules 1,10, 11, and 12, and the Civil District Court Administrative Office information still apply to the 225th and 285th District Courts. Additional rules and procedures for scheduling proceedings and other matters in the 225th and 285th District Courts appear on pages 26 and 30, respectively, of these rules. TABLE OF CONTENTS Local Rule 1. Public Access to and Recording of Court Proceedings….3 Local Rule 2. Civil Court Dockets……………………………………………3 Local Rule 3. Allocation of Judges to Civil Court Dockets………………3 Local Rule 4. Nonjury Docket (Presiding Civil District Court)…………..3 Presiding Court Dockets………………………………………………..4 The 8:30 Docket…………………………………………………………..4 The 9:00 Docket…………………………………………………………..4 The 1:30 Docket…………………………………………………………..4 The 2:00 Docket…………………………………………………………..4 Presiding Court Announcements……………………………………..4 Final Hearings on the Merits……………………………………………4 Multiple Settings by Counsel and/or Self-Represented Litigants..4 Setting Hearings – Certification of Conference Requirements…...5 Orders………………………………………………………………………6 Presenting Orders to Court……………………………………………..6 Agreed Orders…………………………………………………………….6 Orders on matters heard by Presiding Judge……………………….6 Orders on matters heard by sitting District Judge………………….7 Orders on matters heard by Visiting Judge………………………….7 Orders on matters heard during 1:30 Walk-up Docket……………..7 Approval Blocks Required……………………………………………...7 Separate Documents…………………………………………………….8 Docket Control Order……………………………………………………8 Recusal of Presiding Judge…………………………………………….8 Ruling on Submission…………………………………………………...9 Motions To Be Set In Assigned Court…………………………………9 Uncontested motions where no record is required…………………9 Uncontested divorces presented on written submission…………9 Uncontested adoptions…………………………………………………9 Hearings and Bench Trials to be Conducted In Person or Via Zoom………………………………………………………………………10 Setting Hearings………………………………………………………..11 Appearing for Presiding Court and Hearing Assignments………12 Policies (General)………….……………………………………………12 A.I. Certification…………………………………………………………12 Extended Assignments…………………………………………….13 1:30 Uncontested Presiding Court Docket………………………….14 Policies (Family Law)…………………………………………………..15 Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties in Divorce Suits and Original Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship………………………………………………………15 Required Education…………………………………………………….15 Testimony by Minors…………………………………………………...15 Default Divorces………………………………………………………...15 Custody Evaluations and Psychological Evaluations……………16 Divorce Trials……………………………………………………………16 Trials and Hearings Relating to Support……………………………16 Domestic Relations Office…………………………………………….16 Local Rule 5. Jury Docket (Monitoring Court and Jury Assignment Clerk)…………………………………………………………………………….17 General Policies…………………………………………………………17 Appearances…………………………………………………………….17 Procedures………………………………………………………………17 Announcements………………………………………………………...17 Assignment for trial…………………………………………………….18 Motions…………………………………………………………………...19 Certification of Conference Requirement…………………………..19 Policies…………………………………………………………………...20 Continuances……………………………………………………………20 Special Settings…………….…………………………………………..20 Complex Cases………………………………………………………….21 Proposed Orders………………………………………………………..21 Local Rule 6. Scheduling Hearings and Trials……………………………21 Non-jury Settings……………………………………………………….21 Jury Settings…………………………………………………………….22 Local Rule 7. Ex Parte Requests……………………………………………22 General……………………………………………………………………22 Temporary Restraining Orders……………………………………….22 Other Extraordinary Relief…………………………………………….22 Local Rule 8. Post-Trial Hearings…………………………………………...22 Contested Trials and Hearings……………………………………….22 Default Judgments……………………………………………………..23 Local Rule 9. Mediation………………………………………………………23 Local Rule 10. Vacations and Other Unavailability………………………23 Local Rule 11. Attorney General Involvement and Right to Notice……24 Orders for Child Support………………………………………………24 Orders Adjudicating Parentage……………………………………....24 Paternity Testing………………………………………………………..24 Local Rule 12. Foreign Language and Sign Language Interpreters…...25 Local Rule 13. Applicability…………………………………………………..25 225th DISTRICT COURT LOCAL RULES AND PROCEDURES…………26 REQUIREMENT TO CONFER………………………………………………..26 TIME ANNOUNCEMENTS…………………………………………………….26 DOCKET CONTROL ORDERS……………………………………………….26 SETTING A HEARING WITH A TIME ANNOUNCEMENT OF LESS THAN 3 HOURS………………………………………………………………………...27 SETTING A HEARING WITH A TIME ANNOUNCEMENT OF 3 HOURS OR MORE……………………………………………………………………….27 JURY TRIALS/BENCH TRIALS EXCEEDING 2 DAYS……………………28 MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT………………………………….28 ORDERS BY SUBMISSION…………………………………………………..28 DISMISSAL DOCKET………………………………………………………….28 REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF…………………………………...28 FORMAT OF MOTIONS, ORDERS, BRIEFS, ETC………………………...28 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CERTIFICATION…………………………….28 ADA ACCOMODATIONS……………………………………………………...28 285TH DISTRICT COURT LOCAL RULES AND COURT PROCEDURES ……………………………………………………………………………………..30 ASSIGNMENT, BENCH EXCHANGE AND TRANSFER………………...30 Assignment of Cases……………………………………………….30 Exchange of Benches/Cases……………………………………...30 Transfer of cases…………………………………………………….30 Agreement……………………………………………………………30 Recusal……………………………………………………………30 Consolidation………………………………………………………..30 COURT SETTINGS…………………………………………………………….31 CONTESTED MATTERS………………………………………………………31 CONFERENCE REQUIRED…………………………………………………..31 EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE…………………..31 ORDERS FOR CONTESTED MATTERS……………………………………32 SUMMARY JUDGMENTS……………………………………………………..32 ORDERS FOR UNCONTESTED OR UNOPPOSED MATTERS…………33 AGREED ORDERS…………………………………………………………….33 UNOPPOSED ORDERS……………………………………………………….33 ORDERS THAT DO NOT BEAR THE SIGNATURE OF ALL PARTIES...33 ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION……………………………………..33 DISMISSAL DOCKET/ INVOLUNTARY DISMISSAL………………...34 EMERGENCY/EX PARTE MATTERS…………………………………..34 TRIALS…………………………………………………………………...34 Local Rule 1. Public Access to and Recording of Court Proceedings. Unless otherwise noticed by the court, public access to all court proceedings is available in person in the respective courtrooms of the Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa, San Antonio, Texas 78205. Proceedings shall not be recorded in any format unless specific permission to record is granted by the court. See Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 18c. Local Rule 2. Civil Court Dockets. Except for hearings on motions specifically addressed in these rules, including motions for summary judgment, motions to dismiss for want of prosecution, and motions to dismiss pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 91a, every trial and hearing in these civil district courts is scheduled on one of the following dockets: (a) the Nonjury Dockets administered by the Presiding Civil District Judge [“Presiding Judge”], or (b) the Jury Monitoring Docket administered by the Monitoring Civil District Judge [“Monitoring Judge”]. Local Rule 3. Allocation of Judges to Civil Court Dockets. The civil district judges of these courts rotate monthly as Presiding Judge. Each week a fixed number of judges, as determined by these Civil District Courts, are assigned to assist the Presiding Judge with the nonjury docket. The remainder of the judges of these courts are assigned to try jury cases (and nonjury trials of more than two days (more than 12 hours of court time) or as referred by the Presiding Judge). The judges trying jury cases assist the Presiding Judge with nonjury matters from 8:30 to 9:30 and resume their jury trials at 9:30. When the jury docket for the week has been completed, the available judges assist the Presiding Judge for the rest of the week. Local Rule 4. Nonjury Docket (Presiding Civil District Court). The Presiding Civil District Court [“Presiding Court”] hears all nonjury matters expected to last two days or less, including pretrial matters in cases set for jury trial, with the exception of issues allocated to the Monitoring Judge under Rule 5 and motions set for hearing after the case has been assigned for trial which are heard by the judge assigned to preside over the trial. A. Each morning, and most afternoons, the Presiding Judge calls several dockets. Settings on all dockets are handled by the Presiding Civil District Clerk: 210-335-2000. During the docket call, the Presiding Judge will assign each case set for hearing to an available judge to preside over the hearing. 1. The 8:30 Docket. The 8:30 docket hears matters that do not require witnesses, such as discovery hearings, pleading disputes, etc. 2. The 9:00 Docket. The 9:00 docket hears matters that may require significant court time or involve witnesses, such as nonjury trials on the merits, temporary orders, injunctions, family law protective orders (excluding applications filed by the District Attorney’s Office which are called in the Monitoring Court), special appearances, venue hearings, etc. 3. The 1:30 Docket. The 1:30 “walk-up” docket hears any uncontested matters that require a court order and emergency proceedings. See Local Rule 3(O)(3) for 1:30 Docket policies. 4. The 2:00 Docket. The 2:00 docket consists of two specialty dockets. The tax docket is heard two times each month on Wednesdays. The expunction docket is heard every Thursday. B. Presiding Court Announcements. When each case is called at docket call, only counsel or self-represented litigants shall announce whether they are ready or not ready, whether they want to confer, or whether the matter will be dropped, reset by agreement, or disposed of by agreed order. Parties are expected to provide an accurate estimate of the amount of court time hearings will require including appropriate time for judges to review briefing and authorities. One full day of court time is 6 hours. When no announcement is made, the setting on the matter will be dropped. Once noticed, a setting may be dropped only by agreement of all present parties. C. Final Hearings on the Merits. A setting on any final hearing on the merits of a proceeding cannot be continued or dropped without court approval. D. Multiple Settings by Counsel and/or Self-Represented Litigants. When counsel and/or self-represented litigants have more than 2 civil, criminal, or other settings that conflict with settings on the Presiding Court docket, the Presiding Judge shall have discretion as to how those cases set on the Presiding Court docket are assigned. Judges will ordinarily, in the exercise of their discretion, give preference to federal settings, criminal settings and court-ordered special settings. If counsel and/or self-represented litigants have more than 2 settings, counsel and/or self-represented litigants must confer with all counsel and/or self-represented litigants on all cases at least two days prior to the date of the settings. Counsel and/or self-represented litigants must notify opposing counsel and/or self-represented litigants of the multiple settings, discuss resetting hearings, and provide opposing counsel and/or self-represented litigants with a cell phone number to contact on the day of the hearing. If an agreement as to how to resolve the conflict cannot be reached, counsel and/or self-represented litigants must advise the Presiding Judge of the conflict when the case is called for hearing. Failure to comply with this section may result in the settings of the case(s) on the Presiding Court docket being dropped, an adverse ruling being entered, or such other action as the Presiding Judge deems appropriate. E. Setting Hearings – Certification of Conference Requirements. Prior to setting a hearing, counsel and/or self-represented litigants must make reasonable efforts to actually speak to one another regarding the date, time, and format (i.e., whether in-person or remote) of a hearing or trial and the substance of the motion in a genuine effort to narrow their disputes before seeking court intervention. To that end, every motion must include a certification that “[counsel/self-represented litigant] has conferred with (or made reasonable efforts to confer with) all parties about the date, time, and format of the setting”, and every motion (other than dispositive motions) must also certify either: 1. “[Counsel/Self-represented litigant] has conferred with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion in a good faith effort to resolve or narrow the issues raised.”; or 2. “[Counsel/Self-represented litigant] has made reasonable efforts to confer with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion but has been unable to do so.” The court retains discretion to strike any setting in which the motion (or an amended version of the motion) does not include such certificates. F. Orders. 1. Presenting Orders to Court. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or required by law, orders reflecting rulings made by the Court must be reduced to writing and presented to the Court for entry not later than two weeks from the date of hearing. If a proponent of the order is unable to secure the approval of the other counsel and/or self-represented litigants, a Motion to Enter the order must be filed and set in the Court which heard the motion. A copy of the Judges’ Notes for the hearing at which the Judge rendered the order or a copy of the court reporter’s record of the hearing should accompany all Motions to Enter. The motion must succinctly set forth any disagreement regarding the terms of the order. a. Agreed Orders. If the order involves a matter that is agreed to by counsel and/or self-represented litigants, the order must bear full signature blocks for all counsel and/or self-represented litigants and state “Agreed” or “Agreed as to Form and Substance.” All Agreed Orders must be submitted to the Courts through the efiling system pursuant to the following requirements: 1. Agreed orders announced to Presiding Court must be efiled within two weeks of the announcement with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “Presiding Court [Time/Type of Docket] Docket [Date of Docket]”. 2. Agreed orders that require review by the Staff Attorney’s Office prior to being presented to the court (Default Judgment, Rule 106 and 109 Motions for Substituted Service, Gestational Agreement) must be efiled with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “[Type of Order] – Staff Attorney Review Required”. b. Orders on matters heard by Presiding Judge. Orders on matters set and heard by Presiding Judge must be efiled with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “Presiding Court [Time/Type of Docket] Docket [Date of Docket]”. c. Orders on matters heard by sitting District Judge. Orders on matters assigned out of Presiding Court and heard by a sitting District Court Judge must be efiled with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “[Assigned Court] [Date of Hearing]”. AFTER order is efiled, the envelope number of the efiling must be emailed to the court at the address provided by the court clerk. d. Orders on matters heard by Visiting Judge. Orders on matters assigned out of Presiding Court and heard by a Visiting Judge must be efiled with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “Forward to Visiting Judge [Name] [Date of Hearing]”. AFTER order is efiled, the envelope number of the efiling must be emailed to the Visiting Judge at the address provided by the Visiting Judge. e. Orders on matters heard during 1:30 Walk-up Docket. Orders on matters to be heard at the Presiding Court’s 1:30 Walk-up Docket (Refer to Local Rule 3(O)(3)) must be efiled prior to (but no more than 24 hours before) appearing in Court with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “Presiding Court, 1:30 Docket, [Date of Hearing]”. Prior to approaching the Presiding Court, counsel and/or self-represented litigants must make sure that the relevant pleadings have been accepted by the District Clerk’s Office and be prepared to provide the envelope number of the efiled order to the Presiding Judge. 2. Approval Blocks Required. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, all proposed orders and judgments presented for a judge’s signature must have appropriate signature blocks for the counsel and/or self-represented litigant presenting the order and all other counsel of record and/or self-represented litigants indicating their approval as to form and substance or approval as to form, as appropriate. If a local counsel is presenting an order on behalf of an out-of-county counsel, the order should bear the signature block of the local and out-of-county counsel. A full signature block consists of counsel’s and/or self-represented litigant’s signature, printed name, mailing address, email address, bar number (if applicable), telephone number, fax number (if available), and the identity of the party represented (if applicable). 3. Separate Documents. Except in the case of motions and orders setting hearings, all proposed orders and judgments must be filed separately from any motion or other document. G. Docket Control Order. Within 30 days of the filing of the first responsive pleading, counsel and/or self-represented litigants must confer and present to the court to which the case is assigned at filing an agreed docket control. The docket control order must include: (1) a trial setting that is within the time standards for the disposition of cases established by the Texas Supreme Court (see page 1 of these rules); and (2) a deadline (at least 60 days before the trial setting to allow compliance with Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 166a) after which no summary judgment motions may be filed. The control order may include, but is not limited to, any of the following deadlines: 1. Joinder of additional parties; 2. Designation of experts; 3. Discovery deadlines; and 4. Amendment of pleadings. If counsel and/or self-represented litigants cannot agree on the docket control order, a motion to enter must be set with the assigned court within 45 days of the filing of the first responsive pleading. The motion must succinctly set forth the respective side’s agreements and disagreements and attach a proposed docket control order. Failure to file a motion to enter and set it for hearing within the prescribed time limits may result in dismissal of the proceeding. H. Recusal of Presiding Judge. If the Presiding Judge is recused from a case that has been set for a hearing in the Presiding Court, the Presiding Judge shall refer the proceeding to the Monitoring Judge for assignment to the judge who will preside over the hearing. If the Monitoring Judge is not available, the proceeding will be referred to the Local Administrative Judge for assignment. I. Ruling on Submission. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, the following may be presented by written submission: (1) Default Judgment; (2) Rule 106 and 109 motions for substituted service; and (3) Agreed Orders. The motion or order must be efiled with the following statement included in the Comment Section – “Presiding Court, Written Submission Docket, [Date Submitted]”. All default judgments must comply with the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. Appendix, section 521. All default judgments and Rule 106 and 109 motions for substituted service must be reviewed by the Staff Attorney’s Office prior to submission to a Judge for signature. J. Motions To Be Set In Assigned Court. Motions for Summary Judgment, Motions to Dismiss Pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 91a, Motions to Dismiss for Want of Prosecution, and any related motion(s) must be set for hearing or presentation on written submission with the court in which the case is filed. To set any of these motions on the court’s docket, contact the clerk of the assigned court. K. Uncontested motions where no record is required. Uncontested motions where no record is required may be submitted in person or by Zoom at the Presiding Court’s 1:30 docket. L. Uncontested divorces presented on written submission. For uncontested divorces where the parties do not want an evidentiary hearing, the following must be filed: 1. an affidavit or sworn interrogatories to prove up the divorce (the parties’ declaration of bankruptcy status must be included); and 2. the agreed Final Decree of Divorce. M. Uncontested adoptions. The parties must file all statutorily-required documents and an affidavit or interrogatories to prove up the adoption order, along with the Decree of Adoption, including affidavits and/or interrogatories to prove up the adoption and the Decree of Adoption. N. Hearings and Bench Trials to be Conducted In Person or Via Zoom. Proceedings in the Presiding Court will be conducted pursuant to the following protocols: 1. Hearings to be heard as part of the 8:30 Presiding Court docket – counsel and/or self-represented litigants may appear by Zoom or in person. 2. Hearings to be heard as part of the 9:00 Presiding Court docket – counsel and/or self-represented litigants are to appear in person EXCEPT as follows: a. If, after conferring, the parties and their counsel and/or self-represented litigants agree in writing that the time required for their hearing is 2.5 hours or less and agree in writing to have the hearing held via Zoom; then b. Counsel and/or self-represented litigants must file a joint notice of hearing stating that the time required for the hearing is 2.5 hours or less and that the parties have agreed to have the matter heard by Zoom. The joint notice must be filed at least 2 days prior to the date on which the hearing is set to be heard. Where counsel and/or self-represented litigants have agreed that their hearing meets the requirements to be heard via Zoom and file the required joint notice of hearing, the hearing will be called during the 9:00 Presiding Court docket and assigned to a judge to be heard via Zoom. Hearings that extend beyond the 2.5 hour time announcement shall be referred back to Presiding Court for reassignment for an in-person hearing. 3. All uncontested matters set in Presiding Court can be heard via Zoom or in person as counsel and/or self-represented litigant chooses. 4. In addition to Local Rules inconsistent with this provision, all proceedings before the Associate Judges in the Children’s Court Division of the Civil District Courts will be conducted pursuant to the following procedures: a. Title IV-E and/or SAPCR proceedings, including Chapter 262 hearings, merits hearings on termination proceedings, CWOP hearings, and all hearings involving psychiatric hospitals, shall be in-person proceedings. Counsel and ad litems must attend the hearing in person. Parents and non-party witnesses may appear via Zoom. b. All other hearings will be heard as docketed by the courts. If the court dockets the hearing via Zoom, Zoom information is available from the assigned Associate Judge. c. All de novo challenges to the rulings of the Associate Judges of the Bexar County Civil District Courts must be set for hearing in the Presiding Court of the Bexar County Civil District Courts. 5. Any party or counsel and/or self-represented litigant who believes that a hearing should not occur pursuant to the above protocols for the several dockets and/or courts must file a motion to be heard on the 8:30 Presiding Court Docket or by the Associate Judge before whom the hearing is set, preferably before the date of the hearing. 6. Regardless of whether the parties and/or counsel appear in person, witnesses may still be presented via Zoom in compliance with controlling laws. 7. Setting Hearings. Counsel and self-represented litigants shall set matters pursuant to the above protocols and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure by efiling the appropriate Fiat or Notice of Setting. All fiats, orders setting hearings, and orders to appear must identify whether the hearing will occur in person in Presiding Court OR remotely on the Presiding Court Zoom. All Fiats, Notices of Setting, orders setting hearings, and orders to appear must also include the following: 1. The time announcement; 2. Telephone numbers for all counsel and/or self-represented litigants; 3. Email addresses for all counsel and/or self-represented litigants; and 4. Whether an interpreter is required and the desired language. For languages other than Spanish interpretation, please make arrangements with court administration 10 days in advance of the hearing at (210) 335-2300. 8. Appearing for Presiding Court and Hearing Assignments. Counsel and self-represented litigants are expected to appear at the Presiding Court docket call in-person where required by these protocols on the date and time listed on the fiat, notice of setting, order setting hearing, and/or order to appear. Counsel and self-represented litigants may appear at the Presiding Court call docket on Zoom on the date and time listed on the fiat, notice of setting, order setting hearing, and/or order to appear for non-evidentiary hearings or for evidentiary hearings that by agreement will be 2.5 hours or less and the required joint notice of hearing has been filed with the court as set forth in these protocols. O. Policies (General). The Presiding Judge will adhere to the following policies: 1. A.I. Certification. All pleadings shall include a certificate on the form approved by the Civil District Court Judges and available on the Presiding Court website, signed by counsel or self-represented litigant, attesting that: a. all drafted language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments, and legal analyses produced by generative A.I. will—before submission—be verified by counsel licensed in Texas (or admitted to appear in the cause) or a self-represented litigant as accurate through traditional (non-A.I.) legal sources, and b. that counsel of record and/or self-represented litigant understands and acknowledges that they are responsible for any failure to comply with this order. 2.Extended Assignments. Upon formal motion by a party or request by a judge, the Presiding Judge or their designee has the discretion to assign a discrete pretrial phase of a cause to a judge who has previously presided over a substantive hearing in the cause based on any or all of the following considerations: a. The cause involves inherently complex, unique or novel legal issues and/or complex factual issues that will necessarily arise in more than one hearing and would benefit from one judge presiding over all related hearings; b. The cause involves logistical issues and would benefit from one judge presiding over all related hearings; c. The cause will involve a series of motions that could result in conflicting rulings on discrete issues of law if heard by more than one judge; d. A party is presenting multiple motions involving the same or closelyrelated issues that would more efficiently be resolved by one judge; and/or e. Any other extraordinary factor that justifies deviating from the Presiding Court system. A motion in Presiding Court is required even if all parties agree that an Extended Assignment is appropriate. Motions or requests for an Extended Assignment to a single judge will be considered by the Presiding Judge or their designee on written submission. The motion for Extended Assignment must be accompanied by a Notice of Submission setting the date of submission no less than 5 days after it is filed. The motion and response, if any, are limited to 5 pages each. No replies or sur-replies are allowed. If relief is sought under this rule, and it is not practicable or possible for the party to make such a request with 5 days' notice, that party may urge its request under this rule at the time of the setting on the motion sought to be the subject of an Extended Assignment. Any such hearing should be limited to five minutes of argument per side. There may be circumstances where the Presiding Court Judge or their designee determines, within the judge's sole discretion, that an oral hearing is necessary to rule on the motion. In that event, the Presiding Judge or their designee will set an oral hearing on the motion with at least 3 days' written notice to the parties. If the motion is granted, an order will be entered assigning the relevant portion of the case to the specific judge for an extended period with the scope and duration of the assignment clearly defined in the order. The assignment may not exceed 120 days. The duration of the assignment may be extended by the judge to whom the assignment is made with approval of the Presiding Judge. Any expansion of the assignment's scope requires a subsequent motion to be filed and heard pursuant to this procedure by the Presiding Judge or by their designee. 3. 1:30 Uncontested Presiding Court Docket. No setting is required. Matters considered by the court at this docket are: a. uncontested divorce prove-ups; b. uncontested adoptions; c. uncontested name changes; d. friendly-suits; e. agreed orders; f. requests for ex parte temporary restraining orders; g. requests for ex parte protective orders; h. default judgments; i. alternative service requests; and j. other matters (at the discretion of the Presiding Judge). Court participants must have ready to present to the court all statutorily-required documents, pleadings, and proposed orders. If appearing remotely, these documents must be in digital .pdf format. DO NOT email documents to ANY court and staff counsel email addresses in advance of your appearance. If appearing remotely, the Presiding Judge will tell you where to email your documents when you make your appearance for this docket. Failure to follow these instructions will delay your case. P. Policies (Family Law). These policies are not intended to, and shall not modify or supersede the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure or the Texas Family Code. 1. Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties in Divorce Suits and Original Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship. Bexar County Civil District Courts require in every divorce case and in original suits affecting the parent-child relationship, that the Petitioner shall attach to the original petition and to each copy of the petition a copy of the Bexar County Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties. 2. Required Education. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, all parties involved in divorces with minor children must complete the Helping Children Cope with Divorce or similar education before their divorce will be granted. Resources for the required education can be found in the Bexar County Domestic Relations Office. 3. Testimony by Minors. The Courts discourage calling minor children as witnesses to testify in court in family law matters involving their parents. If a minor child’s testimony is absolutely required, children are not to be brought to court to testify until such time as their testimony is scheduled by the judge. 4. Default Divorces. On entry of default divorce decrees, all parties shall comply with the requirements of Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 239 and 239a including the requirement that a certificate of last known address of the defaulting party be filed. Pursuant to the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, all default judgments must be accompanied by a non-military affidavit with sufficient facts for the Court to determine the military status of the defaulting party or with a Military Status Report from the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center attached. 5. Custody Evaluations and Psychological Evaluations. When the Court orders a custody evaluation or a psychological evaluation, the parties shall not appear for a contested final hearing until the custody evaluation or psychological evaluation has been completed. If there is difficulty obtaining the custody evaluation or psychological evaluation, or the evaluation is no longer warranted, the parties must seek relief (including waiver of the requirement) from the order requiring the custody evaluation or psychological evaluation before appearing for trial. All custody evaluations and psychological evaluations shall be completed within 90 days absent leave of the court. 6. Divorce Trials. Unless waived by the Court, all litigants appearing for trial involving property or liability issues shall present the Court with a sworn Inventory & Appraisement substantially in the format of the sample posted in the Forms section of the Presiding Court website, which shall contain an itemization including values of all contested items of property and all debts. 7. Trials and Hearings Relating to Support. Unless otherwise waived by the Court, all litigants involved in trials or hearings relating to child support or spousal support shall present to the Court an itemization or summary of all of their income and expenses, substantially in the format of the sample in the Forms section of the Presiding Court website, as well as a minimum of the prior 3 months of wage and income information and a tax return from the previous year, if child support and/or spousal support is an issue in the trial or hearing. 8. Domestic Relations Office. In cases involving children, the Court may, on its own motion, request that the Domestic Relations Office assist the Court. If the parties to a proceeding wish to involve the Domestic Relations Office in the case, a motion must be filed and a hearing set before the Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge will determine if the involvement of the Domestic Relations Office is appropriate. No orders, including orders agreed to by the parties, will be signed unless the Presiding Judge has determined at a hearing that the involvement of the Domestic Relations Office will assist the Court. Local Rule 5. Jury Docket (Monitoring Court and Jury Assignment Clerk). A. General Policies. Trials on the merits in all jury cases and in nonjury cases referred by the Presiding Judge are scheduled and assigned by the Monitoring Judge. Each week, the Monitoring Judge with the assistance of the Jury Assignment Clerk assigns jury trials (and referred non-jury matters) to courts as they become open. Jury cases are set for a specific week. All trials are set on Mondays and the case may be assigned for trial on that Monday or any day that week. Cases not reached during the week of the setting are automatically reset for trial during carry-over week— generally the last week of the month — without further notice. Each quarter of the year, a different civil district judge serves a rotation as Monitoring Judge. B. Appearances. All appearances for trial settings must be in person. Appearances for hearings on motions may be by Zoom. The link to Monitoring Court ZOOM is https://zoom.us/my/monitoringcourt. The Zoom telephone access number for Monitoring Court is 1-346-248-7799. The Zoom personal meeting identification number: 992-478-8545. The Monitoring Court telephone access code is 992-478-8545. C. Procedures. Each week's jury docket is handled pursuant to the procedures set forth below. 1. Announcements. All cases set on the Monitoring Court trial docket require a trial announcement. The parties must announce “Ready” or “Not ready” for trial. If a party announces “Not ready”, they must file a motion for continuance of the trial date at the time of or before making their announcement and set their motion for hearing prior to the trial setting. Each counsel and self-represented litigant shall submit their announcement no later than 12:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the scheduled trial date. The responses must be sent electronically to monitoringcourt@bexar.org. The information required in a Trial Announcement may be found in the Forms section of the Presiding Court and the Jury Assignment/Monitoring Court websites. Time announcements for trial will be strictly enforced absent extenuating circumstances. At any time, if the case resolves or for another reason will not be tried on the scheduled trial setting, the parties must contact the Civil Jury Assignments Office immediately via the above email. 2. Assignment for trial. a. The Monitoring Judge assigns cases to specific courts for trial. The clerk of the court assigned to try the case will email or otherwise contact the counsel and/or self-represented litigants and notify them that they are assigned for trial in that court. Motions in Limine, proposed Jury Charges, and motions to realign parties or equalize peremptory strikes must be delivered to all parties by noon on the last business day before the trial date. Failure to do so could result in waiver of the issues, instructions, and/or questions presented. Counsel and self-represented litigants must confer on all motions prior to presenting any issue to the trial court and must bring to the hearing an order conforming to any agreements reached on an issue and providing space for the trial judge to rule on the remaining disputed issues. b. Trial Settings. The cases remaining on the docket after the Friday assignments have been made are called for announcements at 8:30 on the following Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) in Monitoring Court. Counsel and self-represented litigants are expected to appear in person and announce whether they are ready for trial (with the estimated trial time), not ready (with filed motion for continuance), or that the case has been settled. Every case set for trial that week remains subject to assignment through Thursday. Cases not reached and assigned to a court by Thursday will automatically be placed on the trial docket for carry-over week (generally, the last week of the month) for trial at that time. Failure to appear at a trial docket may result in the case being dismissed or a judgment being rendered by default. c. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Except when a holiday falls on a Monday, all hearings on motion to be heard by the Monitoring Judge shall be set on any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 8:30 a.m. When Monday is a holiday, the available hearing dates for that week are Wednesday and Thursday. Available dates may be found at http://www.bexar.org/1813/Chief-Trial-Assignment-Clerk. Hearings on all motions heard by the Monitoring Judge require a minimum of 3 days’ notice. Parties should be prepared to provide the Monitoring Court Judge with the efiling envelope number if the filing has not been accepted by the District Clerk at the time of the hearing. D. Motions. Except for motions set for hearing after the case has been assigned for trial which are heard by the judge assigned to preside over the trial, the Monitoring Judge hears the following trial-related motions: 1. Set on Jury Docket; 2. Continuance of Trial; 3. Scheduling Order/Docket Control Plan; 4. Designate case as Complex; 5. Special/Preferential Setting; 6. Level III Discovery Control Plan; 7. Accelerate/Advance Trial Setting; 8. Strike jury demand; and 9. Motion to Compel Mediation. Each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the State’s protective order docket is called in the Monitoring Court at 9:00 a.m.. Inquiries regarding the State’s protective order docket should be directed to the District Attorney’s Office at 210-631-0100. E. Certification of Conference Requirement. Prior to setting a hearing, the parties must make reasonable efforts to actually speak to one another regarding the date, time, and format (i.e., whether in-person or remote) of a hearing or trial and the substance of the motion in a genuine effort to narrow their disputes before seeking court intervention. To that end, every motion must include a certification that “[counsel and/or self-represented litigant] has conferred with (or made reasonable efforts to confer with) all parties about the date, time, and format of the setting”, and every motion (other than dispositive motions) must also certify either: 1. “[Counsel and/or self-represented litigant] has conferred with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion in a good faith effort to resolve or narrow the issues raised.”; or 2. “[Counsel and/or self-represented litigant] has made reasonable efforts to confer with all parties who may be affected by the relief sought in this motion but has been unable to do so.” The court retains discretion to strike any setting in which the motion (or an amended version of the motion) does not include such certificates. All fiats setting hearings to occur remotely by ZOOM must include the following: 1. The link to Monitoring Court ZOOM: https://zoom.us/my/monitoringcourt. 2. The Zoom telephone access number for Monitoring Court: 1-346-248- 7799. The personal meeting identification number: 992-478-8545. 3. The Monitoring Court telephone access code: 992-478-8545. F. Policies. The Monitoring Judge will adhere to the following policies: 1. Continuances. For all requests for a continuance of the trial setting, including agreed continuances, the parties must file a motion and set it for hearing before the Monitoring Judge. Available trial dates can be found at the following website and are updated each week: http://www.bexar.org/1813/Chief-Trial-Assignment-Clerk. Regardless of agreement, the counsel and/or self-represented litigants must appear and obtain approval of the continuance by the Monitoring Judge. 2. Special Settings. The Monitoring Judge may grant a special setting, which will give cases a priority over the ordinary settings. This decision requires a motion and hearing in Monitoring Court, even if all parties agree. 3. Complex Cases. The Monitoring Judge has the discretion to remove a case from the central docket for assignment to one court for all further pretrial matters and trial on the merits. A motion and hearing in Monitoring Court is required even if all parties agree. If the motion is granted, the Monitoring Judge will use a predetermined random procedure to determine which court will preside over the case to its conclusion. 4. Proposed Orders. All agreed orders or orders pursuant to the rulings of the Monitoring Judge must be submitted pursuant to the procedures set forth on the Jury Assignment/Monitoring Court website. All agreed orders must have a complete signature block for counsel representing each party to the proceeding and each self-represented litigant and the order must be signed by counsel for each party and any self-represented litigant (electronic signatures and signatures by permission remain acceptable). Orders pursuant to a hearing also need to include the signature block for each counsel representing a party and signatures for each counsel or self-represented litigant. If the order was obtained by default, “did not appear” should be included in the signature block for counsel and/or self-represented litigant who did not appear. If the proposed order is not signed by all counsel and/or self-represented litigants, the order must be presented to the Court by a motion to enter. If a ruling was made by a judge other than the Monitoring Judge, the order must be submitted to the judge who issued the ruling. Local Rule 6. Scheduling Hearings and Trials. A. Non-jury Settings. A party may schedule a nonjury trial or hearing by filing a motion to set on a specific date and time with the Presiding Court (210-335-2000) and serving a copy of the motion and a conformed copy of the order on all other parties. If the non-jury matter is expected to last longer than two days, a Motion for Referral to the Monitoring Court must be filed and set at 8:30 in Presiding Court. The Presiding Judge will decide if the matter will be referred to the Jury Assignments Clerk for a setting, regardless of any agreement by the parties. B. Jury Settings. A party may request a jury trial date or non-jury trial date in cases referred by the Presiding Court Judge by filing the appropriate motion and setting a hearing before the Monitoring Court Judge. All dates must be approved by the Monitoring Court Judge. Available dates can be found on the Jury Assignment/Monitoring Court website. All cases must be mediated no later than 45 days before the trial date as provided in Local Rule 9 below. The jury fee must be paid prior to the setting or at the time of setting a case on the jury docket. Local Rule 7. Ex Parte Requests. A. General. Generally, ex parte requests for relief must be presented to the Presiding Court. B. Temporary Restraining Orders. Counsel or the self-represented litigant making the request shall state in writing that: (1) to the best of his knowledge the respondent is not represented by counsel, (2) he has tried and has been unable to contact opposing counsel about the application and the means by which the attempt was made, (3) opposing counsel has been notified of the application and does not wish to be heard, or (4) notifying the respondent or his counsel would cause irreparable harm to the movant. C. Other Extraordinary Relief. Other requests for extraordinary relief, such as requests for writs of habeas corpus, sequestration, attachment, and garnishment, and requests for family law protective orders, must be presented to the Presiding Judge for decision or assignment to another judge. When any judge has denied such a request, the matter may not be presented to a different judge without assignment by the Presiding Court. In the case of ex parte and final protective orders, there are two forms which must be attached to all said orders. The forms may be found in the Forms section of the Presiding Court website. Local Rule 8. Post-Trial Hearings. A. Contested Trials and Hearings. With the exception of post-judgment discovery and enforcement proceedings and family-law motions to modify or clarify a final order, after a contested trial on the merits all motions must be scheduled with and heard by the judge who presided over the trial. Motions to enter a judgment, order, or decree should be scheduled directly with the judge who made the ruling at issue. B. Default Judgments. Motions to set aside or modify no-answer default judgments must be set before the Presiding Court in the same manner as other non-jury matters. Motions to set aside or modify post-answer default judgments (e.g., after failure to appear for trial or after the granting of sanctions) must be set before the judge who granted the default judgment. Local Rule 9. Mediation. A. Deadline for Mediation. All cases set on the jury docket must be mediated no later than 45 days before the trial date. B. Mediation Orders. The court will honor agreements that choose a particular mediator. Agreed meditation orders must be submitted pursuant to the Monitoring Court website. All orders must state the mediator's name, how the fee will be split, the deadline for mediation, and must contain a provision authorizing sanctions for noncompliance. C. Pro Bono Mediations. Any agreement to use a Pro Bono mediator must be approved by the Monitoring Judge. D. Report of Mediator. The Mediator’s Report must be filed no later than thirty (30) days before the trial date. Parties are responsible for ensuring the Mediator’s report is filed. E. Failure to Comply. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section regarding mediation may result in the trial setting being dropped or other sanctions which the Monitoring Judge deems appropriate. Local Rule 10. Vacations and Other Unavailability. A. Notice. Counsel who plan to take a vacation, or who know that they will be unavailable for hearings, and who wish to prevent the scheduling of hearings during their absence must give written notice to the Bexar County District Clerk and to the counsel-in-charge for other parties and/or self-represented litigants in the cases affected at least two weeks before the vacation or period of unavailability will begin. The notification letter must provide an address, telephone number, email address, and telecopier number for service of notice. In family-law cases, the notification letter must also designate alternate counsel in the event an emergency arises during the vacation or period of unavailability. B. Existing Settings. Existing settings will not be dropped, postponed, or rescheduled solely on the basis of a vacation or unavailability letter. Counsel who desire to take a vacation or otherwise be unavailable must reschedule existing hearings by agreed order or by motion for continuance and ruling from the Presiding Court. Local Rule 11. Attorney General Involvement and Right to Notice. A. Orders for Child Support. Each order or decree which provides for child support to be paid through the Texas State Disbursement Unit shall be deemed to include an application for Title IV-D child support services provided through the Office of the Attorney General, pursuant to Texas Family Code Chapter 231. Unless required to accept such services pursuant to other laws, a person entitled to receive Title IV-D child support services may decline such services by filing a written Refusal of Child Support Services with the Bexar County District Clerk. Refusal of Title IV-D Child Support Services does not preclude that person from making a subsequent written application for such services. B. Orders Adjudicating Parentage. All timely proceedings to adjudicate parentage and suits in which a denial of parentage has been filed and an order for genetic testing has been entered shall, upon filing, be deemed to include an application for Title IV-D services provided by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas pursuant to Chapter 231 of the Texas Family Code. The Office of the Attorney General is thereby a party entitled to notice of proceedings pursuant to Section 102.009(d) of the Texas Family Code. Unless required to accept such services pursuant to other laws, a person entitled to receive Title IV-D Child Support Services may decline such services by filing a written Refusal of Child Support Services with the Bexar County District Clerk. Refusal of Title IV-D Child Support Services does not preclude that person from making a subsequent written application for such services. C. Paternity Testing. The Office of the Attorney General shall coordinate genetic testing through the accredited and state-approved and - contracted vendor laboratory in all cases in which parentage is an issue to be determined and adjudicated by the Court, unless the parties agree to an adjudication of parentage, a valid acknowledgement of paternity has been filed, or the time limitation to bring the suit to adjudicate parentage has expired. Unless required to accept such services pursuant to other laws, a person entitled to receive Title IV-D child support services may decline such services by filing a written Refusal of Child Support Services with the Bexar County District Clerk. Refusal of Title IV-D Child Support Services does not preclude that person from making a subsequent written application for such services. Local Rule 12. Foreign Language and Sign Language Interpreters. All interpreters are scheduled through the Office of the Civil District Court General Administrative Counsel (210) 335-2300. A party that needs an interpreter, other than Spanish language interpreters, should, to the extent possible, call the office to arrange for the interpreter at least 10 days in advance of the hearing or trial. If the party requesting the interpreter determines that the interpreter is no longer required, the party must notify the Office of the Civil District Court General Administrative Counsel immediately. Local Rule 13. Applicability. These rules supersede and replace all prior Rules of Practice, Procedure and Administration in the District Courts of Bexar County and are effective July 1, 2026. Administrative Offices. The administrative offices of the Civil District Courts may be contacted as follows: Presiding Civil District Court: (210) 335- 2000; Civil District Courts General Administrative Counsel: (210) 335-2300; Jury Assignment Clerk: (210) 335-2520; Dismissals Clerk: (210) 335-2120; Staff Attorney, Bexar County Civil District Courts: (210) 335-2123. 225th DISTRICT COURT LOCAL RULES AND PROCEDURES https://www.bexar.org/3628/225th-Civil-District-Court All cases filed in the 225th District Court will remain in the Court through final disposition unless there is an official transfer of the case to another Court. REQUIREMENT TO CONFER Attorneys and Self-represented litigants are required to confer in advance of requesting a hearing regarding the subject of the hearing AND available dates and times for the hearing. The requirement to confer will be enforced. If a case involves the Attorney General’s Office, attorneys/self-represented litigants must confer with a representative from that office regarding the subject of the suit as well as their availability. TIME ANNOUNCEMENTS Providing accurate time announcements is necessary to ensure that the daily dockets run efficiently. Attorneys/self-represented litigants are to provide a total time announcement that includes time for the hearing, reading time if needed, and time to confer in chambers prior to the hearing if so desired. Parties will be given a date and specific start time. Parties should be ready to begin at their assigned time. If parties under announce by any significant amount of time they will be asked to step aside to allow for the next case to be heard. Parties will conclude their hearing at the end of the day if time permits or they may elect to schedule additional time at a later date. DOCKET CONTROL ORDERS Effective July 1, 2026, all contested cases shall have a docket control order on file within 45 days of the filing of the petition. Civil jury cases will be required to be set for trial within 18 months, civil, non-jury in 12 months, and family law cases in 6 months. There are specific deadlines that are to be incorporated into all docket control orders such as deadlines to mediate and have dispositive motions heard. See the 225th website for sample docket control orders. Amended Agreed Docket Control Orders may be submitted for signature without a hearing if the extended trial date remains within the trial completion dates listed in the paragraph above (18 months, 12 months, or 6 months). Any requests for an amended docket control order that extends the trial date further than the suggested completion dates listed above will require a hearing. SETTING A HEARING WITH A TIME ANNOUNCEMENT OF LESS THAN 3 HOURS Confer with opposing counsel/self-represented litigant regarding the dispute BEFORE requesting a hearing. A minimum of three legitimate attempts to confer must be made on non-emergency issues. 1. If a hearing is needed send a request to 225settings@bexar.org that includes all counsel/self-represented litigants. The email should include an estimated time announcement (including reading time if necessary) and provide a preferred time window for the hearing i.e. “Counsel are available May 1st or May 9th in the afternoon or morning, setting 45 days out”, etc. 2. Once all counsel/self-represented litigants have replied to the email providing available dates the hearing will be confirmed. 3. If the hearing is no longer needed or the time announcement is altered significantly, please contact the Court. SETTING A HEARING WITH A TIME ANNOUNCEMENT OF 3 HOURS OR MORE Confer with opposing counsel/self-represented litigant regarding the dispute BEFORE requesting a hearing. A minimum of three legitimate attempts to confer must be made on non-emergency issues. 1. If a hearing is needed send a request to 225settings@bexar.org that includes all counsel/self-represented litigants. The email should include an estimated time announcement (including reading time if necessary) and provide a preferred time window for the hearing i.e. “Counsel are available May 1st or May 9th in the afternoon or morning, setting 45 days out”, etc. 2. Once the request is received, all counsel/self-represented litigants will be given a time to approach the Court to briefly discuss the contested issues, witnesses to be called to testify, and the requested time announcement. This will be a brief conference which can be done via Zoom or in person. 3. Once provided a hearing date, the hearing MUST be confirmed the Thursday of the week prior to the hearing date. If you do not confirm the Thursday prior to your hearing, the setting may be dropped. 4. If the hearing is no longer needed or the time announcement is altered significantly, please contact the Court. JURY TRIALS/BENCH TRIALS EXCEEDING 2 DAYS For an initial agreed trial setting, attorneys/self-represented litigants are to look at the Court’s website for available trial dates that will comply with the final trial scheduling guidelines provided in the Docket Control Section listed above. If there is no agreement or there is a need to set the trial past the deadlines listed above, then a Motion to Set should be filed and a hearing will be scheduled. A docket call will be held approximately three weeks prior to jury trial and multi-day bench trial dates (see court website for dates). The conference will be limited to providing the trial announcement, time requested, whether an interpreter is needed, whether the case has been mediated, and if there are any out-of-town parties or witnesses. See the 225th District Court website https://www.bexar.org/3628/225th-Civil-District-Court MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT Attorneys/self-represented litigants are to email the Court Clerk when a motion for summary judgment has been filed. Summary Judgment motions will be set for submission 45 days from date of filing. If a party would like to request a hearing on the motion they are to submit a request to 225settings@bexar.org within 10 days of the filing of the motion. ORDERS BY SUBMISSION Agreed orders should be efiled with a filing comment directing that the proposed order be forwarded to the Court. Orders for substituted service, default judgments, and motions requesting relief in which no record is requested should be efiled with a filing comment directing the proposed order be forwarded to the staff attorneys’ office for review. Orders will be reviewed and forwarded to the Court for signature. Signed orders will be processed by the District Clerk’s office and courtesy copies will be provided to all attorneys/self-represented litigants. DISMISSAL DOCKET Cases set for dismissal for want of prosecution will be set the fourth Tuesday of the month at 8:30 am as needed. If no one appears at the docket to request that the case be retained it will be dismissed. REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF Once a request for emergency relief has been filed in the 225th District Court call the court at (210)335-2233 to arrange a time to present the request. If there is opposing counsel or a self-represented litigant on the other side, you must provide them notice of your intent to approach and at what time you have been assigned to appear unless doing so would cause irreparable harm or injury. FORMAT OF MOTIONS, ORDERS, BRIEFS, ETC. Motions, orders, briefs, etc. should include page numbers and complete signature blocks on all orders. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CERTIFICATION All pleadings shall include a certificate signed by the attorney or self-represented litigants attesting that all drafted language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments, and legal analyses produced by generative artificial intelligence will before submission, verified by an attorney licensed in Texas or self-represented litigant as legally accurate and that the attorney of record or self-represented litigant understands and acknowledges that they are responsible for their failure to comply with this order. ADA ACCOMODATIONS Requests for ADA accommodations should be made in advance of any scheduled hearing to the Civil District Court Administration at (210)335-2300. 285TH DISTRICT COURT LOCAL RULES AND COURT PROCEDURES ASSIGNMENT, BENCH EXCHANGE AND TRANSFER 1. Assignment of Cases. The District Clerk shall randomly assign cases to the 285th District Court. Once assigned, the case shall remain on the docket of the 285th District Court for all purposes unless officially transferred. 2. Exchange of Benches/Cases. If the Judge of the 285th District Court is unavailable, a sitting or visiting judge may preside over matters. However, all cases shall remain pending in the 285th District Court for all purposes unless officially transferred. 3. Transfer of cases. A case shall be officially transferred in accordance with the provisions set forth here. 3.1 Agreement. Any case may be transferred from one court to another by written order of the judge of the court in which the case is pending with the consent of the judge of the court to which it is transferred. 3.2 Recusal. If the judge of the 285th District Court will not or cannot preside over a case, the Court or the regional administrative judge shall enter a recusal order to assign the case to another court. 3.3 Consolidation. A Motion to Consolidate cases shall be heard in the court where the first case was filed. If the motion is granted, the consolidated case will be given a new cause number and transferred to the original court. COURT SETTINGS CONTESTED MATTERS. All scheduling will be coordinated through the Court Clerk, Amber Martinez at amber.martinez@bexar.org. Please contact the clerk or coordinator to obtain the available dates and times for your case to be heard. A Notice of Setting shall be delivered to each attorney of record and/or self-represented litigant. Each Notice of Setting shall state the nature of the contested matter, the name, address, telephone number, and email address of each attorney of record or self-represented litigant and the hearing date, hour and estimated time announcement. All attorneys and parties are advised to carefully consider the amount of time requested, as additional cases may be scheduled once the allotted period ends. The court will proceed to the next matter accordingly. CONFERENCE REQUIRED. Before filing any contested motion, the movant shall confer with all parties affected by the requested relief to determine whether the motion will be opposed and prepare a Certificate of Conference. The Certificate of Conference shall detail the efforts to resolve the dispute without court intervention. Any motion omitting a Certificate of Conference shall not be set for hearing until such certification has been filed. EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE. Dispositive motions, Motions for New Trial and Ex Parte matters do not require a Certificate of Conference. ORDERS FOR CONTESTED MATTERS. All temporary orders shall be reduced to writing within ten (10) days and delivered to the Court for signature. All Final Judgments/Orders of the Court shall be reduced to writing within thirty (30) days and delivered to the Court for signature. If the parties are unable to obtain approval as to form, counsel/litigants must file a motion to enter and secure a hearing date. Agreed Orders bearing the signature of all attorneys of record and self-represented litigants, if any, may be submitted via e-filing as a proposed order and may be signed by the Court without the necessity of a hearing. FAILURE TO FURNISH THE COURT WITH A TEMPORARY ORDER, FINAL JUDGMENT OR DECREE WITHIN THE APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD MAY RESULT IN THE COURT SETTING A HEARING OR PLACING THE CASE ON THE COURT'S DISMISSAL DOCKET. SUMMARY JUDGMENTS. The Court currently considers Summary Judgment Motions on submission; however, if any party requests a hearing, the court will grant one at its discretion. Should a party require a hearing, they must contact the court's clerk or coordinator to schedule an appropriate date. Additionally, each motion for summary judgment, as well as each response, must be accompanied by a proposed order granting the motion and a proposed order denying the motion for the court's signature. ORDERS FOR UNCONTESTED OR UNOPPOSED MATTERS AGREED ORDERS. Agreed Orders bearing the signature of all attorneys of record and self-represented litigants, if any, may be submitted via e-filing as a proposed order. Orders shall be e-filed with a comment for a staff attorney to review. Upon review by staff counsel, these orders may be signed by the Court without the necessity of a hearing. UNOPPOSED ORDERS — ORDERS THAT DO NOT BEAR THE SIGNATURE OF ALL PARTIES. When at least one party is represented by counsel and a party seeks the Court's signature but is unable to obtain the opposing side's signature on the proposed order, you may approach the Court during the morning docket to present the order for consideration. Please alert the Court at that time that the opposing party does not object to the relief requested but is unavailable or otherwise unable to sign the order. Upon this notification, the Court will review the proposed order and determine whether it is appropriate for signature. ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. No jury trial on the merits shall be conducted in any case until all contested issues have been referred to Mediation. Mediation will be at the discretion of the court and may be requested by the parties. If the parties cannot agree, the Court will appoint a qualified Mediator. Except on leave of Court, the parties and all authorized agents with the authority to settle the case must attend mediation. DISMISSAL DOCKET / INVOLUNTARY DISMISSAL. The parties shall be sent a Notice of Dismissal for Want of Prosecution as provided by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Written motions to remove the case from the dismissal docket must be presented to the judge prior to the notified date of dismissal. If no appearance or announcement is made when the case is called, the case will be dismissed. When motions to remove a case from the dismissal docket are granted, the case shall be set for trial. EMERGENCY/EX PARTE MATTERS. For all emergency matters, please notify the clerk immediately. Once the clerk has been advised, the court will treat the issue as urgent and recognize that you are requesting an expedited hearing. The clerk will then inform the court accordingly, and you will be provided with an emergency hearing as soon as possible. TRIALS. The 285th District Court is honoring all trials set through Monitoring Court for 2026, unless further ordered by the court. A Docket Control Order must be submitted to the Court for signature. Please see the attached Trial Dates for 2026 and 2027. A Pre-Trial conference may be required upon notice of the Court. No setting shall be passed or reset except by: (a) settlement agreement announced in open court complying with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure; (b) Agreed Order to Dismiss/agreement of all parties with Court approval; or (c) a Motion for Continuance granted by the Court. The Court, at its discretion, will notify the parties upon the removal of a case from its trial docket. [The "attached Trial Dates for 2026 and 2027" are not part of the registered file.]
THE CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS OF BEXAR COUNTY BEXAR COUNTY COURTHOUSE 100 DOLOROSA SAN ANTONIO, TX 78205 BEXAR COUNTY CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS LOCAL RULES FOR THE 37TH, 45TH, 57TH, 73RD, 131ST, 150TH, 166th, 224TH, 225th, 285th, 288TH, 407TH, 408TH, AND 438TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURTS OF BEXAR COUNTY, TEXAS Updated Effective date: July 1, 2026 Texas Rule of Judicial Administration 6 establishes time stand
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-08 from the TOPICs custody file (40 pages; native text layer read in full). Pages 36–40, the 285th District Court's procedures, are an OCR scan inside the otherwise native file and were transcribed from the render through the vision lane (OCR artifacts such as "officiaJly" and "Cou11" corrected against the image; the clerk's e-mail is transcribed as amber.martinez@bexar.org, which the OCR garbled). The instrument carries no signature block or adoption order; the effective date is the one stated on its face. Internal cross-references to "Local Rule 3(O)(3)" point at what the text numbers as Rule 4.O.3 (transcribed as registered). Line-end hyphen artifacts (U+FFFE) in the text layer rendered as hyphens. No judge join (a bench instrument of fourteen courts).