Family Intake

According to The Supreme Court of Texas, an order was signed adopting Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21c and Amendments to Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 4, 21, 21a, and 502.1, Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 6 and 9, and the Supreme Court Order Directing the Form of the Appellate Record in Civil Cases to be effective January 1, 2014 for Harris County. This order mandates electronic filing in all Civil Courts and restricts us from accepting paper filing from any filer other than Pro Se filers. Please, click on the following link to learn more about electronic filing www.efiletexas.gov. We will also be unable to accept any other type of electronic filing other than through EFileTexas.gov which include any type of Fax Filing.

Protective Orders (Family Violence)

Matters concerning family violence are handled by the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The Family Violence Unit of the DA's office is temporarily located at 2221 West Loop South, 1st Floor, Houston, 77027. They can be reached at (713) 274-0212. If you wish to file the paperwork yourself, visit the Office of the Attorney General's Web Site to retrieve the packet of information needed for filing.

In-Coming Transfers

In-coming transfers happend when another county transfers a case (cause) to the Harris County court system. An order is signed transferring the case (cause) to Harris County. The process generally takes a month for the transfer to complete. Once our office receives the out-of-county transfer electronically when from a county that has electronic capabilities or by paper for those who do not:

  • A $45 fee is due to our office for the filing.
  • Notification will be mailed to the attorneys and/or filing parties for the incurred fees.
  • After payment, the case (cause) will be assigned a case (cause) number and a family court.

Legal Information

The District Clerk’s Office cannot dispense legal advice or carry forms to file a case (cause) in the Family District Courts. However, there are different options and alternatives you can use to seek legal advice:

  • The Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program provides services free of charge. See below for more information:
    • Located on the 17th floor of the Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline St.
    • Open Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    • Operates on a first-come, first-serve basis
  • The Harris County Domestic Relations Office provides legal representation for parents seeking to establish, enforce or terminate child support and/or visitation.
  • Office of the Attorney General provides parents with a full range of child support services at no cost.
  • Contact a private attorney. For assistance in locating an attorney, contact the State Bar of Texas.
  • The Harris County Law Library provides access to self-help legal information and forms, listings of community resources, and copy/print/scan services to support litigants in family courts.

Online Forms

Family forms are available on our Forms page.