Approval Of Local Rules For The Family Courts Of Tarrant County

Transcription

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXASMisc. Docket No. 06-915 GAPPROVAL OF LOCAL RULES FOR THEFAMILY COURTS OF TARRANT COUNTYo RD ERED that:Pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 3a, the following Local Rules for the FamilyCourts of Tarrant County are approved.d.1 In Chambers, this day of November, 2006.

David M. Medina, JusticePaul W. Green, JusticePh(2-8!d Don R. Willett, JusticeMisc. Docket No. Q6-91SGPage 2

Part 4.of Famil y Law CasessitionDispoforRulesRule 4.01:(I)Gener al Dispo sition RulestoADR. It shall be the policy of the family law courts of Tarrant Countythe use ofencourage the amicable resolution of family law litigation, includingbyalternative dispute resolution. On its own motion, motion of a party ordisputetivealternaagreement of the parties, the Court may refer a case toCode, andresolution pursuant to Chapter 154, Texas Civil Practice and Remediesof amotion,motion6.602 and 153.0071 of the Texas Family Code. On its ownparty or by agreement of the parties, the Court may refer a case to accessfacilitation.their ownIn a case selected for mediation, the Court encourages parties to choosentialmediator. The Court, if requested, shall appoin t a mediator who has substafamily law mediation experience.(2)Pursuant to Texas Family Code Sec. 153.001, itCo-Parenting Education.shall be the policy of the family law courts of Tarrant County to:Assure that children will have freque nt and continuing contact witha.parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the child;Provide a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment for the child; andb.Encourage parents to share in the rights and duties of raising their childc.after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage.CourtOn its own motion, motion of a party or by agreement of the parties, thetingpromoofepurposmay order parties to attend co-parenting education for theparentthis policy. The courts hereby encourage all parties to suits affecting thechild relationship to attend these types of classes.(3)but eachPre-Trial. Pre-trial hearings or orders will not be required in every case,TexasCourt may establish its own pre-trial procedures pursuant to Rule 166,s ownRules of Civil Procedure. A pre-trial conference may be set on the Court'elormotion or proper request of a party. If a pre-trial conference is set, counswill beparties pro se will be expected at pre-trial to advise the Court which issuesdisputed and the time required for trial.r withCounsel attending the pre-trial shall be the lead attorney or shall be familiamakethe case and the party's position on the law and facts, and authorized tog.hearinalstipulations of fact. Counsel shall not send a non-attorney to a pre-triParties appearing pro se must attend the pre-trial in person.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.l

al the CourtWhen counsel or a party pro se, after notice , fails to appear at pre-trimay:suchRule on all motions, dilatory pleas and except ions in the absence ofa.person, including declaring such to be waived;sAdvan ce or delay the trial setting accord ing to the convenience of persond.present;Pass and reset the pre-trial;e.Decline to set the case for trial or cance l a pending setting;fasDismiss the case for want of prosec ution or grant a default judgm ent,g.d toappropriate, provid ed counsel and pro se parties were properly notifieappear; and/orGrant sanctions or other relief.h.(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)accurate factsStipulations. It.is the responsibility of each attorney to stipulate allcedintrodubetonot in dispute, and to waive formal proof as to any documentabout which there is no reasonable disput e as to authenticity.sNotice. Unless otherwise ordered, all notice provisions and time periodCode,nmentprovided by the Texas Rules of Civil Proced ure, Family Code, Govershortenedand any other applicable statute shall be follow ed. Unless specificallyin annedby the court, a party responding to a reques t for temporary relief contai. Nooriginal action shall be entitled to at least 3 days notice of any hearingin anyhearing for relief, tempo rary or final, shall be set prior to answer dateMotion to Modif y for child support and/or possession, unless specialcircumstances set forth by attached affida vit exist.sibility ofAnnou nceme nt of Time. When reques ted by the Court, it is the responte of the timeeach attorney to provide the Court with a reason ably accurate estimaable timerequired for the Court to hear a matter. The Court may impose a reasonthewithincases,limitation upon counsel and pro se parties to presen t theirconfines of due process.forChild Support. Every temporary or final order submitted to the Courtt, shallsupporapproval, which contains provisions orderi ng the payment of childthat may becontai n a paragr aph ordering the parties to pay the appropriate feesge as may becharged by the agency to whom child suppo rt is paid, in such languaapproved by the Court.approvalMedical Suppo rt Order. Every final order submi tted to the Court fora medicalwhich contai ns provisions for child suppo rt shall be accompanied byTexastheof1support order in confor mance with the requir ement s of 154.18Family Code.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.2

(9). (10)(11)approvalIncom e Withh olding . Every final order submi tted to the Court forby a order orwhich contains provis ions for child suppo rt shall be accom paniedTexas Familywrit for incom e withho lding in accord ance with Chapte r 158 of theof Suppo rtCode and a compl eted Tarran t County Child Suppo rt Office RecordForm.and delive red toForms . All approp riate state and local forms shall be compl etedthe Clerk forwiththe Court Clerk with all propos ed Orders or Decre es to be leftconsid eration by the Court.Motio n to Transf er, Conso lidate, or Dismi ss.idation or11.1 Within Tarran t Count y, Texas every motion for transfer, consolof Civiljoint hearin g of two or more cases under Rule 174(a), Texas RuleshaveshallProced ure, shall be filed in the earlies t filed case. The Motio nhearin gthe cause numbe r and style of each applic able case. Notice of theCivilofshall be given to all parties in all action s pursua nt to Texas RulesDistrictProced ure 21 and 21a. If grante d, the other Tarran t Count y FamilytCourt shall enter an order transfe rring all other action s into the earliesfiled case, except in situations where a suit affecting parent childcase therelatio nship is pendin g and a subseq uent divorce is filed in whichCode.transfe r or consol idation shall be done pursua nt to the Texas Family11.2(12)withinIf any action is dismis sed or non-su ited by any party, and is refiledCourtninety (90) days and assigned to a differe nt Court, either party or thefiledwassuitfirstmay move to transfe r the case to the Court in which thewi thin the time limits provid ed by Sectio n 155.204 of the Texas FamilyandCode. Absen t good cause shown , transfe r shall be granted upon noticehearing.Motio n Practic eal disput es12.1 Parties are directed to use all reason able means to resolve pre-trito avoid the necessity ofjudi cial interve ntion.12.2unless theNo motion s, object ions or specia l except ions will be set for hearingntiallymovin g party shall have certifi ed in such motion or in a letter substathe following:"A conference was held on (date) with (name of attorney foroppos ing party) on the merits of this motion. A reason ableeffort has been made to resolv e the dispute withou t thenecessity ofcou rt interve ntion and the effort failed. Theref oreit is presen ted to the Court for determination."ORRules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober \6, 2006 Revisionp.3

"A confer ence was not held with (name of oppos ing attorney)on the merits ofthis motion because (expla nation of inabilityto confer)."12.312.412.5(13)forCourt Coordinators are respon sible for scheduling the dates and timesdates forhearings. The movin g party shall attemp t to secure agreed upontime ofanddatethehearing prior to setting the same. Upon receivingwritinghearing, the moving party shall immed iately notify all other parties inof thiscopyas to the date, time and subjec t matter of the hearing. Acomm unicat ion shall be provid ed to the Court Coord inator.ng aOn reques t of a party and with conse nt of the Judge, a matter not requirigmovinrecord by the Court Repor ter may be conducted by telephone. Thed andparty shall be responsible for advisi ng opposing parties of the methocall.time of hearing and shall be respon sible for arranging the conferencewithout aBy agreement, parties may submi t matters for ruling by the Judged inpersonal appearance and oral presen tation. The Judge should be advisewriting when such proced ure is desire d.Ex Parte Ordersdetermination13.1 All applications for ex parte orders shall first be presen ted forlableto the Court in which the case is pendin g, and only ifthe Court is unavaiCourt.rto promptly review same, may it be presented to anothe13.2inPrior to presen tment, all applic ations for ex parte orders shall certifyis to bewriting, signed by the party or attorne y, one of the follow ing whichcompl eted as to each oppos ing counse l:I hereby certify as follow s: (check off and fill in blanks as required)To the best of my knowl edge, there is no attorney of recordrepresenting any oppos ing party at this time; or1.2. Prior to presen ting this matter to a Judge for approv al, I contactedall attorneys of record, transm itted a copy of the pleadings andpropos ed order in this matter , and notified them that I was requestingsuch ex parte relief, and;A. After confer ring, no attorney of record wishes to be heardprior to the presen tment of this request for ex parte relief; or,B. We were unable to reach an agreem ent, at which time Inotifie d all attorne ys ofrecord that I would presen t this matterRules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 RevisionpA

to the Judge at (time) on (date) in the (court) and invited themto attend and be heard prior to signing; or,C. I was unable to speak with the oppos ing attorney(s) andI left word with a staff person for each attorney that I wouldpresent this matter to the Judge at (time) on, (date) in the(court) and invite d them to attend and be heard prior tosigmng; or,After dilige nt attempts, I was unable to reach theD.oppos ing attorn ey(s).For purpos es of this rule, repres entatio n of counsel ends thirty-one(31) days following entry of a final order.(14)(15)(16)motions, orders,Pleadings Must Be Titled & Have Holes Punch ed. All pleadings,TRCP Rule 45and other papers, when offered for filing or entry shall compl y withof the page toand shall be descriptively titled and pre-pu nched at the topnumbe red andaccom modat e the Clerk' s filing system. Each instrum ent shall betitled at the bottom of each page.s attorney,Ad Litem Entitled to All Pleadings. When the court appoints an amicuprovide suchattorney ad litem, or an attorney servin g in a dual role, all counsel shallwith the Court,appoin tee with copies of their pleadi ngs, orders, and reports filedwithin five days (5) of notice of the appoin tment.shall treat theLawyers Creed & Code of Judici al Condu ct. Counsel and partiestent withconsisrCourt, court personnel, each other and trial participants in a mannethe Texas Lawyers Creed.trialThe Court and court person nel shall treat attorneys, parties andct.Conducialparticipants in a manne r consis tent with the Texas Code ofJudi(17)(18)Each attorney in charge shall have the right to designate aVacati on Letters.ion, providedreasonable numbe r ofvacation days and days ofcontinuing legal educatat least 30 dayshe notifies the clerk ofthe Court and all oppos ing counsel in writingt with a currentprior to such designated dates, and provid ed said dates do not conflicery deadline insetting for trial, hearing, deposition, inspec tion, mediation or discovl and partiesthe case. During the dates design ated in said letter, oppos ing counseg except forshall not set any matter for deposition, inspec tion, media tion or hearinthe datesduringsetemergency situations requiring immed iate action. If a matter isdule it upondesignated in said letter, the Court may cancel the setting and/or rescheoral or written motion of a party or the Court 's own motion.Proper Courtr oom Decorum.witnesses of18.1 All attorneys shall be respon sible for advising their clients andappropriate courtr oom condu ct, attire, and policy regard ing children.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16,200 6 Revisionp.5

18.2Pagers. beepers, and telephones should be turned off when a person is in thecourtroom. If the devise can be on without making a sound (except thevibration) it may remain on if kept in that mode. Failure to follow this rulemay result in a finding of contempt, fine or other sanction.Absent medical necessity, the following shall not be acceptable in thecourtroom: hats, bandanas or other headgear, shorts, bare midriffs, tank tops,tattered or dirty clothing.(19)18.3There will be no eating, drinking or chewing gum in the courtroom unless theCourt has expressly stated otherwise.18.4There will be no outbursts, disturbances, threats, obscene language, orgestures.18.5Violation ofthe courtroom decorum may result in immediate expulsion of theperson who is violating the same or a finding of contempt, fine or othersanction.Pro Se Litigants.Rules for attorneys apply equally to pro se litigants. Allrequirements ofthese rules applicable to attorneys or counsel; apply with equal forceto pro se litigants. Pro se litigants are required to provide addresses and telephonelistings at which they can be reached by court personnel and opposing counsel.Failure to accept delivery or to pick up mail addressed to the address provided by prose litigants will be considered constructive receipt ofthemail or delivered documentwhich may be established by postal service receipt, certified or registered mailreceipt, or comparable proof of delivery.Rule 4.02:Prove-Ups and Default Hearings(1)Times. Each Court shall hear agreed cases and defaults daily, at times setby each Court. It will not be necessary to schedule agreed prove-ups anddefault hearings with the Court, and such are heard on a first-come-firstserved basis, with the exception that the Court may first hear cases in whicha party is appearing with counsel in order to minimize attorneys fees. ACourt may cancel its daily uncontested hearings as may be required by otherCourt business. Notice ofsuch cancellation shall be posted outside the Court,and parties and their attorneys may proceed as set forth in 4.02(2) below.Agreed prove ups and defaults maybe heard at other times during the day ifthe court is available.(2)Presiding Judge. Agreed cases and default hearings should normally beheard by the District Judge sitting in the Court to which the case is assigned.If that Judge is not available, then it may be heard by any other District JudgeRules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.6

who so consents. Unless otherwise directed by the Court, multipleuncontested matters originating out of different Courts may be presented toone court for hearing. Once a case has been presented to a Judge, and theJudge has made a ruling or deferred ruling, the same matter may not bepresented to a Judge other than the Judge to whom it was first presentedwithout that Judge's approval. With the consent of the COUli, agreed cases,not requiring a record, may be presented to the Associate Judge of the Courtfor hearing as permitted by 201.005, 201.007, and 201.104 of the TexasFamily Code.(3)Court's File. Any attorney presenting an uncontested matter to the Court forhearing shall obtain the Court's File of such case from the District Clerk'soffice prior to appearance before the Court. The Court's File shall bedelivered to the Court's bailiff, or other person designated by the Court, forconsideration by the Court. When the File is so delivered, it shall contain theproposed Decree or Order, all other necessary pleadings, and all otherdocuments required under Rule 4.01 above.(4)Record. If a record of testimony is required, the attorney or pro se litigantshall so notify the bailiff: or other person designated by the Court, and shallcomplete any additional forms as may be required by the Court to bedelivered to the court reporter prior to appearance before the Court.Rule 4.03:Trial Settings(1)Final Trial. Cases will be set for final trial upon written request using theprocedure and form as may be required by the specific Court. Each Court'sprocedure and setting request form shall be obtained from the Court'scoordinator.(2)Final Trial Before Associate Judges. Upon agreement of the parties andcounsel of record, the Court may refer a case for final disposition by theAssociate Judge ofthat court ifthe parties agree to waive their right ofappealto the referring court pursuant to 201.015 and 201.1042 of the Texas FamilyCode.(3)Specially Set Case. Cases specially set shall take precedence over all othermatters in all other Family District Courts, except matters entitled topreference by law and matters commenced but not completed in thepreceding week. Other engagements of counselor parties shall not begrounds for postponement of a case specially set, unless good cause is shownon a timely filed motion. No party shall specially set a case that conflictswith another court setting of said party or his or her attorney. If a person witha special setting obtains a subsequent setting which conflicts with suchRules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.7

thespecial setting, that person must, within two (2) business days, notifycourt setting the later matter and oppos ing party of the conflict.Rule 4.04:(1)Associate Judge s and Associate Judge s for Title IV-D Cases.to theCases Referred. Each court may refer any aspect of a family law casetentAssociate Judge or Associate Judge s for Title IV-D Cases, that is consiswith Chapter 201 SUb-chapter A and B of the Texas Family Code. Unlessbe sootherwise ordered by the Court, the following matters will normallyreferred:1.1Requests for Temporary Order s in any case, including custody.1.2Motions to Modify on Temp orary or Final Order, except for finalcustody modifications.1.3Motions to Transfer.1.4Motions for Enforcement or Contempt.1.5An action under Chapter 159 of the Texas Family Code.1.6Applications for Protective Orders.1.7Discovery matters.1.8Motions to Compel or for Sanctions.1.9Motions for Judgment, Entry, or to Sign Orders, if the hearing, thesubject of the proposed Order, was heard by the Associate Judge.1.10Motions to Withdraw.1.11Pre-Trial Conferences.1.12Any other matter referred by the Court.andThe Court will not refer to the Associate Judges for Title IV-D cases,ingAssociate Judges for Title IV-D cases shall not hear final trials involvJudgesateAssocithetodivorce proceedings. The Court may decline to refernotfor Title IV-D cases, and the Associate Judges for Title IV-D cases shallTexastheofhear any matters listed above as is consistent with 201.104Family Code.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.8

(2)(3)Rule 4.05:(1)(2)theSettings. Hearings before the Assoc iate Judge shall be obtained fromorcoordinator of the appropriate Court and the appropriate written OrderhearingNotice of Hearing shall be presen ted to the coordinator at the time thengis requested. The Court, in its discre tion, may allow the setting or resettitingrequesyattorneof a hearing without a written Order or Notice, but thewrittensaid setting or resetting shall send the coordinator and all partiesconfirmation of the hearing date so set.specificTimes. Hearings before the Assoc iate Judge shall be held daily at aingtime and place as directed by the Court . Each attorney and party appeardsaitobefore the Assoc iate Judge shall timely report to the bailiff assignedat his orAssociate Judge on the date of the hearin g, and the Associate Judge,partiesher discretion, may request an annou nceme nt from couns elor pro sed.requireas to the issues in controversy and estima tes of timeTrial Proce duresIt is the respon sibilit y of every attorney to timelyTimely Appearance.of anyappear before the Judge or Assoc iate Judge, as appropriate, at the timecheckshallltrial or hearing. Unless otherwise direct ed by the Court, counseg is set.in with the Court, or its bailiff, at or before the time the trial or hearinelorcounsCourt,If counsel is to be late for a trial or hearin g or is in anotherbailiff,couns el's staff shall, by telephone or otherwise, notify the Court or itsotherwhichgiving the reason for the delay in appearance and specifytheCourt(s) counsel is appearing before . Failure to appear or check-in withtimeghearinAssociate Judge or Court within 30 minute s of the scheduled, asshall result in a default being grante d or the hearing being passedtheizeappropriate. Althou gh it is the policy of the Courts to recogne, itinevitable conflicts in an urban law practice and to be reasonably flexibltelyis ultimately the responsibility of counsel to keep the Court accuranot beinformed of couns el's where abouts so that the Court' s dockets willagainstunduly disrupted. Violation of this rule may result in sanctionscounsel.and/orDocum ents Required. In all cases in which support of a spouseedchild(ren) is in issue, whether tempo rary or final, each party shall be requirtheofto furnish the Court and oppos ing party true and correct copiesfollowing, at or before the time of hearin g, if available:2.1Summ ary statement of month ly income and expenses in a formsubstantially similar to any form that may be adopted by the Court.2.2All payroll stubs or wage statements for the past 3 months.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.9

2.3If self-employed, all profit and loss statements, balance sheets,income statements or other evidence of earnings for the previous 12months.2.4Federal Income Tax Returns, including all attachments and schedules,for the two years immediately prior to the hearing, or if a return hasnot been prepared and filed for a particular year, all W-2's, 1099's, KI's or other evidence of income for such a year.2.5Financial Statements filed by the parties with any financial institutionwithin the past 2 years.2.6Any other documents as ordered by the Court, or properly subpoenaedby a party.(3)Inventories. When ordered by the Court, each party shall file a sworninventory and appraisement within 60 days of the Court's order, unless theCourt or the parties extend or shorten such period. An Inventory andAppraisement may be ordered in any case in which the character, value ordivision of property or debts is in issue, and should be filed in a formsubstantially similar to the form provided in the Texas Family PracticeManual of the State Bar of Texas. Additionally, each party shall at the timeoftrial prepare for the Court and opposing counsel a written summary ofthatparty's proposed division of property and debts.(4)Orders.Within 60 days after rendition of a decision by the Judge orAssociate Judge, counsel shall cause, unless ordered otherwise, all orders,decrees or judgments of any kind to be reduced to writing, approved as toform by opposing counsel, and to be delivered to the court for signature. Ifcounsel is unable to secure the approval as to form from opposing counsel,counsel shall file a motion for entry of the proposed order and secure ahearing on same no sooner than 10 days from the date of filing ofthe Motion.The party or counsel responding to such a motion shall at least 3 days priorto the hearing present to opposing counsel an alternative proposed order ora written list ofobjections to the first order. Failure to furnish the Court witha proposed order, decree or judgment or to schedule a hearing for entry withinthe 60 day period may result in the Court's placing the case on the dismissaldocket.(5)Court Reporters. A court reporter will be furnished to the Associate Judgesfor hearings only on the days that Enforcement/Contempt matters are to beheard, unless special arrangements are made with the referring Judge.Counsel shall be required to furnish his or her own court reporter, if desired,for all other hearings before the Associate Judge.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.IO

Rule 4.06:Continuances and Resets(1)Associate Judges and Associate Judges for Title IV-0 cases.Unlessotherwise directed by the Court, motions for continuance and resets may bepresented to the Associate Judge without the necessity of a written motionbeing filed. If not agreed by all parties, said motion for continuance or resetmust be made to the Associate Judge after all parties have been given noticeand an opportunity to object.(2)Presiding Judges. No request for a continuance or resetting shall be grantedby the presiding Judge of a Court without the filing of a written motion,notice and hearing, unless agreed by all parties, with the consent ofthe Court.All other requests shall be in writing pursuant to the Texas Rules of CivilProcedure, filed with the Court, and shall be heard as may be scheduled bythe Court after proper notice to all parties.Rules 4.07 through 4.10 - ReservedRule 4.11:Discovery Guidelines(1)Full Discovery. As provided in the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure andappellate court rulings, the Courts shall permit full, liberal and broaddiscovery, however such discovery shall not be unlimited, and the reasonableparameters contained in 192 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, shall beapplied in both letter and spirit.(2)Disputes. Counsel shall attempt to resolve any discovery question, problemor dispute before intervention by the Court. Any discovery motion shallcontain a certificate by the party or counsel filing the same in accordance withrule 4.01 (13) 13.2 above.No discovery motion shall be set for hearing or heard unless it contains suchcertificate, signed by counselor pro se party.(3)Depositions. The following guidelines will generally be followed by theCourts on matters pertaining to oral depositions:3.1A party filing an action in Tarrant County must give his or herdeposition in Tarrant County, if requested.3.2A Respondent properly sued in Tarrant County must give his or herdeposition in Tarrant County, if requested.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.ll

3.3The party initiating a deposition may elect to take the depositionorally or on written questions and the opposing party may elect tocross-examine orally or on written questions.3.4Unless agreed otherwise, fees charged by an expert for giving ofdeposition testimony shall be paid by the party requesting thedeposition unless the expert is retained by the opposing party inwhich case fees shall be paid pursuant to 195.7 of the Texas Rules ofCivil Procedure.3.5The following shall be presumed to be unreasonable unless otherwiseagreed or ordered:A.Notice ofless than 10 days under Rules 21a and 199.2 TexasRules of Civil Procedure.B.Depositions scheduled for Saturday, Sunday or legal holidaysin which the County Courthouse is closed.C.Depositions scheduled to begin before 8:00 a.m. or to extendpast 6:00 p.m.3.6A party imtiatmg an oral deposition shall first attempt tocommunicate with all opposing counsels to determine whetheragreement can be reached as to the date, time, place and materials tobe furnished at the time of deposition. Any written notice of oraldeposition shall state substantially as follows:"A conference was held or attempted with the attorney foropposing party to agree on a date, time, place and materials tobe furnished. Agreement could not be reached, or counselwill not respond, and the deposition is therefore being takenpursuant to this Notice (or) Agreement was reached and thisNotice complies with the agreement."Failure to hold such conference or to make adequate attempt to holdsuch conference prior to noticing a deposition shall be grounds toquash the deposition.3.7Notwithstanding the above guidelines, the parties may agree to adifferent procedure, and nothing shall preclude a party fromsubmitting disputes as to such matters to the Court for determinationby proper motion and hearing pursuant to the Texas Rules of CivilProcedure.Rules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.12

(4)Production. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, or agreed by the parties,the following times and locations for production shall be presumed to bereasonable:4.1For non-voluminous production, counsel for the party from whom theproduction is requested shall make and deliver copies of thedocuments to the office of counsel for the requesting party inaccordance with the request.4.2For voluminous production, counsel for the party from whom theproduction is requested shall gather the documents at his or her officeand inform requesting counsel that they are available. Requestingcounsel shall then, at the option of requesting counsel, either pick upthe documents to examine, copy and return within 5 working days, orexamine and copy the documents at the office of producing counsel,with the expense of copying to be paid by requesting counsel.For purposes of this rule "voluminous production" shall be definedas the total documents produced, responsive to the request, beingincapable ofinclusion, in an orderly fashion, without overflow, withina "Bankers Box"; such being of the following dimensions: fifteen(15 ") inches long, twelve (12 ") inches wide, and ten (10") inchesdeep.(5)Filing of Discovery. Notwithstanding Rule 1.07 ofthe Local Rules of Court,discovery matters shall be tiled or not filed in accordance with 191.4 of theTexas Rules of Civil Procedure.Rules 4.12 through 4.99 - ReservedRules for Disposition of Family Law CasesOctober 16, 2006 Revisionp.13

IL -L------(Part 4. .r (Adopted on October Z ,200 William233 rd Dis ict Court /:LC': Jerome S. Hennigan, Judgeth324 District Court Approved this y of,2006.a

FAMILY COURTS OF TARRANT COUNTY . o. RD ERED that: Pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 3a, the following Local Rules for the Family . Misc. Docket No. Q6-91SG . Page 2 . Part 4. Rules for Disposition of Family Law . Cases Rule . 4.01: General Disposition Rules (I) ADR. It shall . be the policy of courts of to. encourage the amicable .