Travis County District Courts Document Format Requirements
50 rules from official source documents
Font, margin, spacing, and file format requirements for court filings.
CRITICALCriminal cases
Attorneys must affix exhibit labels to all exhibits intended for introduction before trial or hearing.
In all cases, the attorneys shall, prior to the trial or hearing, insure that all exhibits, intended for introduction, have an exhibit label affixed thereto.
CRITICAL
Proposed or draft orders may not be filed as stand-alone documents and may be filed only as attachments to other pleadings.
Proposed or draft orders must not be filed with the clerk as stand-alone documents. Proposed or draft orders may be filed with the clerk only as attachments to other pleadings.
CRITICAL
The judge’s signature line on a proposed order must appear on a page with other text, not on a separate page.
The signature line for the judge to sign proposed orders must not be on a separate page, but must be on a page with other text.
CRITICAL
Orders setting a case that are presented for a judge's signature must be on a separate page and must not be combined with a pleading.
Any show cause or other order setting a case presented for signature to a judge must be on a separate page and not combined with a pleading.
CRITICAL
The word "entered" must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed.
The word "entered" must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed.
CRITICAL
A draft order must be on a page separate from pleadings, motions, and certificates of service, and must have a heading with the cause number, case style, and court.
A draft of an order must not be typed on the same page with a pleading, motion, certificate of service, or any part thereof, and each such draft must have a heading showing the cause number, the style of the case, and the court in which it is pending.
CRITICAL
An Order to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page and contain the language in the posted court form.
Orders to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page and must contain the language in the form posted on the Travis County Civil District Courts’ website.
CRITICAL
Orders setting cases may be presented to a judge for signature only when a show cause order or a rule of law requires it, must appear on a separate page not combined with a pleading, and do not substitute for making the setting with the Court Administrator's office.
Judges must not be requested to sign orders setting cases except when a show cause order is necessary, or when some rule of law requires that an order for a setting be signed by a judge. Any show cause or other order setting a case presented for signature to a judge must be on a separate page and not combined with a pleading. Even if a judge signs such an order, the setting must be made with the Court Administrator's office.
CRITICAL
The judge's signature line on proposed orders must be on a page with other text, not on a separate page.
The signature line for the judge to sign proposed orders must not be on a separate page, but must be on a page with other text.
CRITICAL
Orders to Appear filed before answer day must be placed on a separate page.
Orders to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page
CRITICAL
A party using a spreadsheet instead of the Proposed Property Division form must provide a copy to the court in editable electronic format at the beginning of trial.
If a spreadsheet is used in lieu of the Proposed Property Division form, then a copy of such spreadsheet must be provided to the court in an editable electronic format at the beginning of the trial.
CRITICAL
The judge’s signature line on a proposed order must appear on a page with other text, not by itself on a separate page.
The signature line for the judge to sign proposed orders must not be on a separate page but must be on a page with other text.
CRITICAL
A draft order must not be typed on the same page as a pleading, motion, certificate of service, or any part thereof.
A draft of an order must not be typed on the same page with a pleading, motion, certificate of service, or any part thereof
CRITICAL
If a spreadsheet is used instead of the Proposed Property Division form, an editable electronic copy must be provided to the court at the beginning of trial.
If a spreadsheet is used in lieu of the Proposed Property Division form, then a copy of such spreadsheet must be provided to the court in an editable electronic format at the beginning of the trial.
CRITICAL
Orders to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page.
Orders to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page and must contain the language in the form posted on the Travis County Civil District Courts’ website.
CRITICAL
An Order to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page and contain the language in the form posted on the Travis County Civil District Courts' website.
Orders to Appear before answer day must be on a separate page and must contain the language in the form posted on the Travis County Civil District Courts' website.
CRITICAL
A draft order must be on a separate page from pleadings, motions, and certificates of service, and must have a heading with the cause number, case style, and court.
A draft of an order must not be typed on the same page with a pleading, motion, certificate of service, or any part thereof, and each such draft must have a heading showing the cause number, the style of the case, and the court in which it is pending.
CRITICAL
A show-cause or other case-setting order presented for judicial signature must be on a separate page and not combined with a pleading.
Any show cause or other order setting a case presented for signature to a judge must be on a separate page and not combined with a pleading.
CRITICALCivil cases
Both the movant and nonmovant must email a draft proposed order in Word and PDF formats to 250.submission@traviscountytx.gov.
Both the movant and nonmovant must send a draft proposed order in Word and PDF formats to 250.submission@traviscountytx.gov.
CRITICAL
- Format
Upload each exhibit as a separate PDF and do not combine exhibits into one PDF.
Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate PDF. Do not combine multiple exhibits into a single PDF;
CRITICAL
- Format
Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate PDF; multiple exhibits may not be combined into a single PDF.
Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate PDF. Do not combine multiple exhibits into a single PDF;
CRITICALCivil cases
- Format
- DOCX
If a matter is taken under advisement, a proposed order in Word format must be emailed to the Staff Attorney.
If the matter is taken under advisement, email a proposed order in Word format to the Staff Attorney.
CRITICALCivil cases
Electronic exhibits uploaded to Box are preferred and official; if upload is not possible, bring at least four indexed paper copies in binders.
The Court strongly prefers electronic exhibits, uploaded to Box as instructed in the separate document entitled “Guidance on Submission of Electronic Exhibits.” The electronic exhibits will be the official exhibits. However, if you are unable to upload electronic exhibits, you must bring no fewer than four paper copies of each exhibit to be offered into evidence (one each for the Court, Staff Attorney, witness [who gets the original], and opposing counsel), and they must be indexed and placed in binders.
CRITICAL
Use the specified party designations and exhibit-number format regardless of which party filed the motion, adding last names when designations repeat and no other descriptive language to the exhibit number.
USE THIS FORMAT REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTY IS THE MOVING PARTY. The party who originally filed the lawsuit should be designated Petitioner or Plaintiff (P), the opposing party should be designated Respondent (R) or Defendant (D), and an Intervenor should be designated Intervenor (I), regardless of the party that filed the motion being heard. If there is more than one party with the same designation, use last names to identify the party. The exhibit numbers should include “00” prior to the exhibit number. For example: P-001; R Smith-001; I Jones-001. There should be no other descriptive language in the exhibit number.
CRITICALCivil cases
Scanned exhibit documents must be made searchable with OCR before upload.
Prior to uploading, make sure that any scanned documents are searchable using an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool.
CRITICALCivil cases
Exhibit filenames must use three-digit exhibit numbers to maintain the proper order in Box.
Each exhibit file name must be a three-digit exhibit number to keep exhibits in proper order within Box (i.e., P-001, P-010, P-100, D-001, D-010, D-100).
CRITICALCivil cases
4) Exhibits must be marked with numerals, not letters. While A, B, C is often used for exhibits attached to pleadings, numerals must be used for exhibits offered in court. No letters, hyphens, or dots should be added to the exhibit numbers.
4) Exhibits must be marked with numerals, not letters. While A, B, C is often used for exhibits attached to pleadings, numerals must be used for exhibits offered in court. No letters, hyphens, or dots should be added to the exhibit numbers.
CRITICALCivil cases
Exhibit file names must use three-digit exhibit numbers with the party designation (e.g., P-001, D-100), switching to four-digit numbering for all exhibits if numbers will exceed 999.
6) Each exhibit file name must be a three-digit exhibit number to keep exhibits in proper order within Box (i.e., P-001, P-010, P-100, D-001, D-010, D-100). If you anticipate exhibit numbers to go beyond 999, use four-digit numbering for all exhibits, i.e., P-0001, P-0010, P-0100, P-1000.
CRITICALCivil cases
Exhibit files may not be password-protected, encrypted, or protected by rights management.
The computer file must not be password-protected, encrypted, or protected by rights management.
CRITICALCivil cases
Exhibits offered in court must be marked with numerals, not letters.
Exhibits must be marked with numerals, not letters.
CRITICALCivil cases
- Format
Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate, text-searchable PDF; exhibits may not be combined into one PDF and Word/Excel files must be converted to PDF.
2) Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate text-searchable PDF file. Do not combine multiple exhibits into a single PDF. Word and Excel documents must be converted to PDF.
CRITICALCivil cases
Exhibit files must not be password-protected, encrypted, or rights-management protected.
The computer file must not be password-protected, encrypted, or protected by rights management.
CRITICALCivil cases
- Format
Upload each exhibit as its own text-searchable PDF; do not combine multiple exhibits into one PDF.
Each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate text-searchable PDF file. Do not combine multiple exhibits into a single PDF.
CRITICALCivil cases
Do not add letters, hyphens, or dots to exhibit numbers.
No letters, hyphens, or dots should be added to the exhibit numbers.
CRITICALCivil cases
- Format
Word and Excel exhibit documents must be converted to PDF.
Word and Excel documents must be converted to PDF.
CRITICALCivil cases
Numerals, rather than letters, must be used for exhibits offered in court; letters may be used for exhibits attached to pleadings.
While A, B, C is often used for exhibits attached to pleadings, numerals must be used for exhibits offered in court.
CRITICALCivil cases
Lawyers must use the Court's jury charge and Exhibit List templates, which are provided once a case is assigned to the 459th District Court.
Lawyers must use the Court's jury charge and Exhibit List templates which will be provided once your case has been assigned to the 459th District Court.
WARNING
An order setting a case that is presented to a judge for signature must be on a separate page and may not be combined with a pleading.
Any show cause or other order setting a case presented for signature to a judge must be on a separate page and not combined with a pleading.
WARNING
A party may move to have a matter heard by a District Judge instead of an Associate Judge, and the motion must be in writing.
A party may file a motion to have any other matter heard originally before a District Judge instead of an Associate Judge. The motion must be in writing and
WARNING
A party may object to an Associate Judge hearing any trial on the merits, and the objection must be in writing.
A party may file an objection to the assignment of an Associate Judge to hear any trial on the merits. A trial on the merits is any trial in which a party seeks a final adjudication from which an appeal may be taken to a court of appeals. The objection must be in writing.
WARNING
Pages within each pre-marked exhibit should be separately numbered so the Court can quickly locate specific pages.
The pages of each pre-marked exhibit should be separately numbered so that the Court can quickly locate specific pages of each exhibit.
WARNINGCivil cases
- Format
- DOCX
Proposed jury questions and instructions must be submitted in Word format with supporting citations and without boilerplate provisions.
Submit in Word proposed jury questions and instructions, with supporting cites to cases, statutes, and the PJC, at the pretrial conference or on or before the first day of trial, by uploading them to Box and/or by email to the Staff Attorney. Do not include boiler plate provisions; the Court will add those.
WARNING
Pages within each pre-marked exhibit should be separately numbered.
The pages of each pre-marked exhibit should be separately numbered so that the Court can quickly locate specific pages of each exhibit.
WARNINGCivil cases
Audio MP3 and video MP4 files may be uploaded to Box, but each file is limited to 10 GB.
Audio files (.mp3) and video files (.mp4) may be uploaded to Box, but each audio/video file may not exceed 10GB.
WARNINGCivil cases
Scanned exhibits must be verified as searchable using OCR before uploading to Box.
Prior to uploading, make sure that any scanned documents are searchable using an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool.
WARNINGCivil cases
If exhibit numbers are expected to exceed 999, use four-digit numbering for all exhibits.
If you anticipate exhibit numbers to go beyond 999, use four-digit numbering for all exhibits, i.e., P-0001, P-0010, P-0100, P-1000.
WARNINGCivil cases
Audio (.mp3) and video (.mp4) files may be uploaded to Box, but each file is limited to 10GB.
7) Audio files (.mp3) and video files (.mp4) may be uploaded to Box, but each audio/video file may not exceed 10GB.
WARNINGCivil cases
Trial exhibits must be pre-marked with a party abbreviation and number (e.g., P-1, D-2, R-3).
Pre-marked with party abbreviation and number (e.g., P-1, D-2, R-3)
WARNINGCivil cases
Documents provided to the Court should be indexed and uploaded to Box and, if paper copies are used, placed in binders (with a copy of the index provided to opposing counsel)
Documents provided to the Court should be indexed and uploaded to Box and, if paper copies are used, placed in binders (with a copy of the index provided to opposing counsel)
WARNINGCivil cases
- Format
- DOCX
Proposed jury questions and instructions must be submitted in Word format.
Submit in Word proposed jury questions and instructions, with supporting cites to cases, statutes, and the PJC, at the pretrial conference or on or before the first day of trial, by uploading them to Box and by email to the Briefing Attorney.
What formatting rules apply to filings in Travis County District Courts?
Travis County District Courts' formatting rule includes the word 'entered' must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed; only the signing date may be shown.. The word "entered" must not be used to show the date on which a judgment, decree, or order is signed.
Judge Jan Soifer's formatting rule includes file format PDF and each exhibit must be uploaded as a separate pdf; multiple exhibits must not be combined into a single pdf.. Upload each exhibit as a separate PDF and do not combine exhibits into one PDF.
Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel's formatting rule includes scanned documents must be made searchable using an optical character recognition (ocr) tool before uploading.. Scanned exhibit documents must be made searchable with OCR before upload.
14 more rules answer this question.
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