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Rule 11 illustration

Objective of rules

Understand the goals of fair adjudication, prompt resolution and practicable economy.

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Rule 21 illustration

Scope of rules

Read Rule 2 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 31 illustration

Construction of rules

Read Rule 3 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 3a1 illustration

Local rules, forms, and standing orders

Read Rule 3a with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 61 illustration

Suits commenced on sunday

Read Rule 6 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 71 illustration

May appear by attorney

Read Rule 7 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 81 illustration

Attorney in charge

Read Rule 8 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 91 illustration

Number of counsel heard

Read Rule 9 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 101 illustration

Withdrawal of attorney

Read Rule 10 with its complete assigned text and an official source link.

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Rule 111 illustration

Agreements to be in writing

See the written agreement and open-court alternatives for enforceable agreements.

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Rule 121 illustration

Attorney to show authority

Follow the sworn challenge, notice, burden of proof and conditional consequences.

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Rule 131 illustration

Effect of signing pleadings, motions and other papers; sanctions

Understand signature certifications, the good-faith presumption and sanctions safeguards.

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Rule 141 illustration

Affidavit by agent

See who may make an affidavit for a party in a civil suit or proceeding.

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Rule 14b1 illustration

Return or other disposition of exhibits

Follow exhibit custody, the applicable case categories and the withdrawal period.

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Rule 14c1 illustration

Deposit in lieu of surety bond

Compare a surety bond with the permitted deposits and their conditions.

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Rule 151 illustration

Writs and process

Read the required form of process and the default direction and return provisions.

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Rule 161 illustration

Shall endorse all process

See the receipt, execution and service details that must be endorsed on process.

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Rule 171 illustration

Officer to execute process

Understand the default rule against advance demands for execution fees and its express exceptions.

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Rule 181 illustration

When judge dies during terms, resigns or is disabled

Follow the continuation of court and pending motions when a judge cannot continue.

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Rule 18a5 illustrations

Recusal and disqualification of judges

Read Rule 18a through 5 illustrations, with the assigned rule text and an official source link.

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Rule 18b3 illustrations

Grounds for recusal and disqualification of judges

Read Rule 18b through 3 illustrations, with the assigned rule text and an official source link.

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Rule 18c1 illustration

Recording and broadcasting of court proceedings

Compare the three circumstances in which a trial court may permit courtroom recording.

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Rule 191 illustration

Non-adjournment of term

See when a court term begins and how long it remains open.

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Rule 201 illustration

Minutes read and signed

Follow the reading, correction and signing of court minutes.

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Rule 21b1 illustration

Sanctions for failure to serve or deliver copy of pleadings and motions

See how notice, a hearing and court discretion apply to a failure to serve or deliver documents.

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Rule 21c1 illustration

Privacy protection for filed documents

Identify sensitive data, filing exceptions, redaction, retention and restrictions on Internet publication.

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Rule 21d2 illustrations

Appearances at court proceedings

Understand methods of appearance, objections, good-cause factors and public access.

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Rule 221 illustration

Commenced by petition

See how filing a petition commences a civil suit in district or county court.

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Rule 231 illustration

Suits to be numbered consecutively

See how consecutive suit numbers identify every paper in a case.

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Rule 241 illustration

Duty of clerk

Identify the filing endorsements the clerk must place on a petition.

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Rule 251 illustration

Clerk's file docket

Read the required entries in the clerk’s file docket.

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Rule 261 illustration

Clerk's court docket

Identify the entries kept in the clerk’s permanent court docket.

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Rule 271 illustration

Order of cases

See how filing determines placement on the docket.

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Rule 281 illustration

Suits in assumed name

Follow use of an assumed name and the permitted substitution of a true name.

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Rule 291 illustration

Suit on claim against dissolved corporation

Read the no-receiver condition, service provisions and treatment of a dissolved corporation.

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Rule 301 illustration

Parties to suits

Distinguish joint suit with principal obligors from the statutory cases allowing suit alone.

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Rule 311 illustration

Surety not to be sued alone

Follow the alternative prerequisites for suing a surety and the separate legal exceptions.

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Rule 321 illustration

May have question of suretyship tried

See when suretyship may be determined without delaying the plaintiff’s suit.

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Rule 331 illustration

Suits by or against counties

Identify the corporate-name requirement for suits by or against the listed local governments.

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Rule 341 illustration

Against sheriff, etc.

Joining the principal and surety on an indemnifying bond when an officer is sued for an official act.

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Rule 351 illustration

On official bonds

Joining sureties on official bonds when the timing of a default and the liable set of sureties are difficult to determine.

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Rule 361 illustration

Different officials and bondsmen

Joining subordinate officers and their sureties with a superior officer and bondsmen under the rule’s stated conditions.

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Rule 371 illustration

Additional parties

Adding necessary or proper parties before trial without unreasonably delaying the trial.

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Rule 382 illustrations

Third-party practice

Third-party claims, counterclaims, insurer-joinder restrictions and preservation of venue statutes.

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Rule 392 illustrations

Joinder of persons needed for just adjudication

Required joinder when feasible, the court’s decision when joinder is not feasible, and pleading nonjoinder.

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Rule 401 illustration

Permissive joinder of parties

Permissive joinder of plaintiffs and defendants, common questions, and separate trials.

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Rule 411 illustration

Misjoinder or non-joinder of parties

Adding or dropping parties, consolidation and severance by court order.

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Rule 194a3 illustrations

Requests for disclosure in suits governed by the family code

Read Rule 194a through 3 illustrations, with the assigned rule text and an official source link.

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Rule 2991 illustration

Omitted findings

Read Rule 299 through 1 illustration, with the assigned rule text and an official source link.

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Rule 299a1 illustration

Findings of fact to be separately sent and not recited in a judgment

Read Rule 299a through 1 illustration, with the assigned rule text and an official source link.

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