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The 393rd District Court's instructions for self-represented litigants: neither the administrator nor the judge can give legal advice; hiring counsel is strongly encouraged (Denton County Bar, North Texas Legal Aid, Friends of the Family, or a court-appointed attorney in CPS cases or jail-seeking enforcement actions); self-represented parties are held to an attorney's standard and research their own filings (texaslawhelp.org, the Law Library); agreed divorces are proved up by affidavit on or after the 61st day after filing by e-filing the respondent's waiver or answer, the prove-up affidavit and the completed agreed decree as separate lead documents, with in-person prove-ups on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. only for those unable to e-file or prepare the affidavit, proper courtroom attire required; an answer or waiver must be on file for the respondent if not served; contested divorces are set for final trial by e-mailing the administrator with both sides included, dates at least 75 days out under the county's local rules, two business days to confer; a final trial cannot be set until the respondent has been served or has answered; default prove-ups in person on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. or by scheduled setting; adult and child name changes filed as separate lead documents, with in-person appearance where criminal history is indicated or both parents do not agree.
Texas > Denton County > 393rd District Court — self-represented litigants (family docket).
"As a self-represented litigant, you are held to the same standard as an attorney and required to know and understand the laws as an attorney would. … Instructions for finalizing a divorce — The 393rd is conducting prove ups of agreed (uncontested) divorces by prove up affidavit. On the 61st day after filing the original petition for divorce or any time thereafter, please file the waiver or answer
Reviewer note: Own-site document (text layer, 2 pp, 5,373 chars) read in full 2026-09-06; quoted verbatim; undated; the 442nd's parallel sheet (registered doc 1831) is the template, adapted here to the 393rd (Tuesday prove-ups, Friday defaults); joined to Judge Karen Alexander as the court's current posting. Composed benchpath-ajr8-denton (own-site lane).
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.
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