Part 3 of the Tarrant County Local Rules governs civil cases in the civil district courts and county courts at law: ADR referral on the court's motion or agreement (3.01(a)); trial settings on written request no sooner than 75 days out, with seven-day objection windows (3.01(c)–(e)); continuance motions filed by the Wednesday before trial and heard Thursday at 2:00 p.m. (3.02); trial procedure — dilatory pleas heard 30 days before trial, witness and exhibit lists, motions in limine and charge requests delivered when parties report for trial, and page-and-line designations for videotaped depositions 14/10/7 days out (3.03); settlement prove-ups and unliquidated default hearings scheduled through the Court Coordinator (3.04); stipulation duties (3.05); certificate-of-conference motion practice, coordinator-set hearings, telephone hearings and submission by agreement (3.06); deposition guidelines — Tarrant County depositions, expert-report fees, ten-day notice presumption and a required conference recital in every notice (3.11); sanctions for frivolous discovery objections (3.12); matters requiring immediate action and ex parte certificates (3.30); private process servers (3.40); and 30-day notice before dismissal for want of prosecution (3.90).
Texas > Tarrant County > civil cases in the civil district courts and the county courts at law (approved as the Local Rules of the Civil Courts of Tarrant County by Misc. Docket No. 99-9164 and adopted by the ten civil district judges and the three county-court-at-law judges of 1999).
Rule 3.01 Disposition of Civil Cases: "(a) On its own motion or by agreement of the parties, the Court will refer a case for resolution by an alternative dispute resolution procedure under Chapter 154, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Any party may move for such referral if agreement cannot be reached. … (c) Cases will be set for trial by the Court upon written request and representation of any party that the case will be ready for trial. The request may ask for a setting on a specific trial week, but not sooner that 75 days from the date of the request for the initial trial setting. … Other parties will file a written response to the request within seven (7) days after receipt stating any objection to the request for setting. … any party having any known objection to the setting should inform the Court of the objection within seven (7) days after receiving the notice. … (e) An objection to a trial setting under paragraphs (c) and (d) of this rule is ineffective unless the objecting party requests a hearing on the objection." Rule 3.02 Motion for Continuance: "A trial date cannot be postponed or changed without the consent of the Court. Except as hereinafter provided and unless otherwise set by the Court, any motion for continuance will be filed no later than the Wednesday preceding the trial date and will be heard by the Court in the courtroom at 2:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the trial date." Rule 3.03 Trial Procedure: "(a) Any party filing special exceptions, pleas in abatement or other dilatory pleas shall request and obtain a hearing on them at least 30 days prior to the trial date or as soon as possible after the pleading is filed within 30 days of the trial date. Any such matters not heard are waived. … (c) At the time the parties report for trial they will deliver to the Court and the other parties a witness list, exhibit list, any motion in limine and any requested instructions and questions if a jury trial and proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law if a non-jury trial. Any witnesses and exhibits not shown on such list can be used at the trial only upon leave of the Court. … (d) … counsel intending to offer videotaped depositions, or other films or videotapes at trial, except those offered solely for impeachment, must make such videotapes and films available to opposing counsel, and serve opposing counsel with page and line designations for videotaped depositions, not later than fourteen (14) days prior to trial for all depositions or other films taken forty-five (45) days or more in advance of trial. Opposing counsel shall then serve … designations … not later than ten (10) days prior to trial. The proffering attorney shall then serve … further … designations … not later than seven (7) days prior to trial. … Any videotapes or films not so tendered will not be permitted into evidence at the trial." Rule 3.04: "Requests for hearing to approve settlements in cases involving minors and default judgments, where the amount is unliquidated, shall be made to the Court Coordinator who will schedule the same for hearing." Rule 3.06 Motion Practice: "(b) No motions, objections or special exceptions will be set for hearing unless the moving party shall have certified in such motion or in a letter substantially the following: “A conference was held on (date) with (name of attorney for opposing party) on the merits of this motion. A reasonable effort has been made to resolve the dispute without the necessity of court intervention and the effort failed. Therefore it is presented to the Court for determination.” or “A conference was not held with (name of opposing attorney) on the merits of this motion because (explanation of inability to confer).” (c) Court Coordinators are responsible for scheduling the dates and times for hearings. Upon receiving the date and time of hearing, the moving party shall immediately notify all other parties in writing as to the date, time and subject matter of the hearing. … (d) On request of a party and with consent of the Judge, a matter not requiring a record by the Court Reporter may be conducted by telephone. … (e) By agreement, parties may submit matters for ruling by the Judge without a personal appearance and oral presentation. … (f) Section (b) of this Rule does not pertain to dispositive motions, e.g., Motions for Summary Judgment, Motions to Dismiss and Special Exceptions seeking to dismiss a cause of action, or a Motion for New Trial." Rule 3.11 Deposition Guidelines: "(1) A party filing a lawsuit in Tarrant County, or a party properly sued in Tarrant County, must give that party’s deposition in Tarrant County, if requested. … (4) The fee for the preparation of an expert’s report, not previously reduced to writing and sought under Rule 195.5, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, shall be paid by the party by whom the expert is employed. (5) Notice of less than ten (10) calendar days under Rules 21a and 199.2(a), Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, shall be presumed to be unreasonable. … (b) A party initiating an oral deposition shall first attempt to communicate with opposing counsel to determine whether agreement can be reached as to date, time, place and material … Any written notice of deposition shall state as follows: “A conference was held (or attempted) with the attorney for opposing party to agree on a date, time, place and materials to be furnished. Agreement could not be reached (or counsel will not respond) and the deposition is therefore being taken pursuant to this notice (or Agreement was reached and this notice complies with the agreement).” Failure to hold such conference or to make adequate attempt to hold such conference prior to noticing a deposition shall be grounds to quash the deposition." Rule 3.30 Matters Requiring Immediate Action: "(a) … No application for action or relief of any kind shall be presented to a judge until the application or case has been filed with the clerk and assigned to a court, unless it is impossible to do so. … (b) … Every application for action or relief of any kind shall be presented first to the judge of the court to which it is assigned. If that judge is not available … it may be presented to any other court with subject matter jurisdiction. After a judge has announced a ruling on the application or deferred ruling, the application shall not be presented to any other judge without leave of the judge to which it was first presented. (c) Ex Parte Applications. Every application for relief ex parte shall contain a certificate signed by counsel that: (1) To the best of his or her knowledge that party against whom relief is sought ex parte is not represented by counsel in the matter made the basis of the relief sought; or, (2) Counsel for the party against whom relief is sought ex parte has been notified of the application and has stated whether he or she wishes to be heard; or, (3) Diligent attempts to notify counsel … have been unsuccessful, and the circumstances do not permit additional efforts to give notice." Rule 3.40 Private Service of Process: "(b) Any proposed order authorizing private service under Rule 103 will not be signed by the judge unless accompanied by a certificate signed by counsel requesting such an appointment. Such certificate shall set out the name and address of the person to be so authorized and affirm that such person is not less than eighteen (18) years of age, is not a party, and has no interest in the outcome of the suit in which the authorization is sought." Rule 3.90 Dismissal for Want of Prosecution: "(a) The courts will periodically give notice of their intention to dismiss for want of prosecution. Such notice will be give at least thirty (30) days prior to the signing of consequent dismissal order."
Rule 3.01 Disposition of Civil Cases: "(a) On its own motion or by agreement of the parties, the Court will refer a case for resolution by an alternative dispute resolution procedure under Chapter 154, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Any party may move for such referral if agreement cannot be reached. … (c) Cases will be set for trial by the Court upon written request and representation of any p
Reviewer note: Image-only registrations (17 pp each) read through the vision lane 2026-09-05; docs 148 and 1318 are page-for-page identical prints (the 1999 book: Part 1, Part 2 reserved, Part 3, Parts 4–5 reserved, the 13-judge approval page and the Supreme Court's two-page order). Provisions quoted verbatim; Parts 4 and 5 are today separate instruments (docs 1342, 3103). Composed benchpath-ajr8-tarrant. County-site receipt(s) in custody 2026-09-06: https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/civil-courts/CountyCourts/Local_Rules_Of_Court-Tarrant_Couty.pdf (same edition); https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/civil-courts/CountyCourts/CCL1/Local_Rules.pdf (same edition); https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/civil-courts/DistrictCourts/96thCDC/civrules.pdf (same edition).
Establishes a Traffic Violations Bureau within the Clerk of the County Court under Fla. R. Traf. Ct. 6.100(a) (Burnstein, C.J., Nov. 1, 1988).
Approves the National Highway Safety Council Defensive Driving course as a school to which traffic courts may require attendance (Fla. R. Traf. Ct. 6.110(a)).
Designates the D.W.I. Counterattack School (Broward County Commission on Alcoholism) as an approved school for court-ordered attendance (Fla. R. Traf. Ct. 6.110(a)).