Tarrant County Civil District Courts

Learn the virtual court procedures, who you need to contact, and more about the Tarrant County Civil District Courts.

• Overview
• Instructions & Forms
• Related Articles

Guide Overview

Civil District Courts hear all civil law issues including cases involving title to land and civil matters where the amount of money or damages involved is $500–$250,000.

This guide contains information on all Civil District Courts in Tarrant County.

TexasLawHelp is working with courts around the state to provide you with accurate information. To help improve upon the information that is available, please leave any comments or recommendations in this Virtual Court Content Survey.

Research Tips

Read our articles on Zoom and how to use it to prepare for your hearing. You should also read the following documents uploaded by the Tarrant County District Clerk:

• Tarrant County Local Rules,
• Local Rules of the Civil Courts of Tarrant County,
• Civil Courts Building Court Locator,
• Inclement Weather Filing Procedure, and
• Eighth Administrative Judicial Region Rules of Administration.

Common questions about Tarrant County

The Tarrant County Civil District Courts are in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building at 100 North Calhoun Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76196.

Phone: (817) 884-1240
Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit the Tarrant County District Clerk Court Document Lookup available on the District Clerk’s webpage. To view case file information online, you need to apply for a web-based access subscription. Once you are approved, you will have to make a $120 initiation fee and a $35 per month subscription fee.

To see information or look up documents in your case for free, you can visit the District Clerk's office at the locations listed on the District Court Clerk Document Lookup page.

If you want to get a copy of documents from your case, call (817) 884-1069.

You can also read more about E-Filing on the District Clerk's webpage including rules, standards, and answers to frequently asked questions. You can also call (817) 212-6953.

You can find the 2023 Civil Dockets for all Civil District Courts on the Tarrant County website. The dockets show each court’s hearing docket, current trial docket, and next trial docket.

Instructions & Forms

Honorable Melody Wilkinson

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Third Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 17th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to schedule a hearing.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings.

If a party is out of state or three hours or more away, parties may request a virtual hearing. Structured annuity hearings are also held on Zoom. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Jan Grimsley at (817) 884-1460 or JMGrimsley@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable Chris Taylor

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fourth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 48th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to schedule a hearing.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Cori Balderas at (817) 884-2690 or cdbalderas@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable Don Cosby

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fourth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 67th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information. Read the 67th District Court Procedures for Remote Hearings for more details.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Trials are set to begin on Monday of each week. The motion docket typically begins on Wednesdays. Check the 67th's motion and trial docket on the court’s website.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

You must email all exhibits you intend to submit during the hearing to all parties and the Court Reporter Monica Ritchie no later than 4 p.m. the day before the hearing. The court reporter’s email is MARitchie@tarrantcounty.com.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Elaine M. Langford at (817) 884-1452 or emlangford@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable J. Patrick Gallagher

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fourth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 96th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Tracey J. Laffoon at (817) 884-2685 or tjlaffoon@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable John P. Chupp

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Third Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 141st District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

Yes. If the judge believes it would be better for the hearing to be conducted in person, the parties will be notified. All parties attending virtually must have a good connection with working audio and video. Contact the court coordinator to request a virtual hearing.

All evidence must be e-filed through the District Clerk’s Office before the hearing to be considered at the hearing. The court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including more instructions on how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Cori James at (817) 884-1992 or 141stJDC@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable Susan Heygood McCoy

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Third Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 153rd District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

Read the Policies and Procedures and Trial Guidelines from the 153rd District Court.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including more instructions on how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Patricia Cannon at (817) 884-2691 or PAGaeta-Cannon@TarrantCounty.com.

Honorable Tom Lowe

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fifth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 236th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

Read the Policies and Procedures and Trial Guidelines from the 153rd District Court.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including more instructions on how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Rhonda Young at (817) 884-1709 or rfyoung@TarrantCounty.com.

Honorable Kimberly Fitzpatrick

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fifth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 342nd District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Email or call the court coordinator to request a hearing. Read the court’s Notice of Hearing handout for information on how to request a hearing.

Yes. Hearings without witnesses being called that are scheduled for 30 minutes or less will be virtual. Read the court’s Notice of Hearing handout for information on how to request a virtual hearing.

All evidence and documents must be filed or emailed to the court by 12 p.m. the day before the hearing. All evidence with “sensitive data” must be emailed to the court. No new evidence may be presented during the hearing.

Read the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 21c or the Notice Concerning Sensitive Data in File Documents from the County Clerk to learn what is considered sensitive data.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Joe Henderson at (817) 884-2710 or jahenderson@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable Megan Fahey

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Third Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 348th District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

All proposed orders must be submitted in Word format by email to 348DC@tarrantcounty.com.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Court staff will contact you after your hearing is set with instructions for the hearing, including more instructions on how evidence is submitted and presented to the court.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Nancy Bentley at (817) 884-2715 or 348DC@tarrantcounty.com.

Honorable Josh Burgess

Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
100 North Calhoun Street
Fourth Floor
Fort Worth, Texas 76196

Phone: (817) 884-2730
Fax: (817) 884-2384

This information is current as of March 1, 2023.

Checklist Steps

You can visit the 352nd District Court's webpage for the most up-to-date information. Also read the 352nd District Court’s Remote Hearing Procedures to prepare for your hearing.

All documents you want to file with the court must be filed with the District Clerk’s Office through e-filing, in person, fax, or by mail. Contact the District Clerk’s office with any questions at (817) 884-1574 or dclerk@tarrantcounty.com.

All motions must include a Certificate of Conference stating you made an effort to resolve the motion with all other parties and lawyers before filing.

Upon request of any party or at the Court’s own decision, a hearing can be set to help the case move forward. Contact the court to set a hearing in your case.

Possibly. Depending on the complexity of the matter, type of hearing, and the situation, the court will use its discretion to permit virtual hearings. Contact the court if you would like to request a virtual hearing.

Email all your exhibits to all parties, the court coordinator, and court reporter no later than 4 p.m. the day before the hearing. The subject of the email should contain the full cause number and an indication of “Plaintiff’s Exhibits” or “Defendant’s Exhibits.” All documents must be in PDF format.

The Court Reporter, Michelle Escobar, can be emailed at MFEscobar@tarrantcounty.com. The Court Coordinator, Kay Stewart, can be emailed at KLStewart@tarrantcounty.com. Read the 352nd District Court’s Remote Hearing Procedures for more information.

No. All jury trials are held in person only.

I am a survivor of family violence and I'm scared to testify in person. Can I testify remotely? Expand Collapse

Possibly. Contact the court coordinator if you have concerns.

If you have any questions, contact the Court Coordinator Kay Stewart at (817) 884-2730 or klstewart@tarrantcounty.com.