Tex. R. Civ. P. 45 · A. General
DEFINITION AND SYSTEM
Text — As posted by the Supreme Court of Texas (file dated October 2, 2026)
Pleadings in the district and county courts shall
(a) be by petition and answer;
(b) consist of a statement in plain and concise language of the plaintiff's cause of action or the defendant's grounds of defense. That an allegation be evidentiary or be of legal conclusion shall not be grounds for objection when fair notice to the opponent is given by the allegations as a whole; and
(c) contain any other matter which may be required by any law or rule authorizing or regulating any particular action or defense.
Pleadings that are not filed electronically must be in writing, on paper measuring approximately 8 2 inches by 11 inches, and signed by the party or his attorney. The use of recycled paper is strongly encouraged.
All pleadings shall be construed so as to do substantial justice.
Notes and commentary — not rule text
Notes and Comments
Comment to 1990 change: To provide for filing of pleadings having either original or copies of signatures and verifications including documents telephonically transferred.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As posted by the Supreme Court of Texas (file dated October 2, 2026)
- Official file
- https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1463426/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf (PDF pages 52–53)
- Text hash
- sha256 f98ce6277c9e85ede8ef71638e12f76ac886718c5a787fb680a2d2c964eaa239
- Composed by
- compose_tx_rules.py 2026-10-05: two PDF extractors agree character for character after the same chrome removal
BenchPath cards that rely on this text
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.