Microsoft word - frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions
How may I obtain a copy of a divorce decree or other documents from a case file?
The record request form is located on the District Clerk Website at
the District Clerks office.
The form must be completed in its entirety including the cause no., the name of the parties
involved, the date(s) of the document(s) and the name(s) of the document(s). If you do not
know this information you can do a public record search at
http://justice1.dentoncounty.com/PublicAccess/default.aspx ; all documents which have been
filed are listed on the case and updated as soon as the document is entered on the case
management system.
When will the Judge hear my case?
Most of the Judges are available to hear uncontested matters Monday through Friday from
8:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.; please keep in mind this is on a first come, first serve basis. Some
judges will hear uncontested matters at other times, if they are not in trial. If a hearing is
required, you must contact the court coordinator for the court your case has been assigned
and arrange a hearing date. Please make sure you provide the decree or judgment for the
Judge to sign and bring at least two (2) additional copies.
What are the filing fees?
Filing fees are dependent on what type of case is being filed and whether you are
requesting any documents to be issued. A list of filing fees are located at the following
website: http://dentoncounty.com/dept/District_Clerk/Acrobat/Filing_Fees.pdf
When may I file documents for a case?
The District Clerks office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from 8:00-5:00
and Wednesday from 8:00 to 4:30. Papers may be filed anytime during these hours. The
District Clerk also accepts e-filed documents and filing may be done through the mail. Please
make sure if you file a document through the mail, you include the correct payment amount
and keep in mind the District Clerks office does not accept personal checks. Payment on tax
cases must be made by credit card, cashier’s check or money order, only. The mailing
address is P O Box 2146, Denton TX 76202.
Where is the District Clerks office located?
The District Clerks office is located in the Denton County Courts Building at 1450 E
McKinney, Ste 1200, Denton, TX 76209 approximately 1 mile east of the downtown square.

I’m not sure if my case was filed in Denton County; is there a way for me to check?
For cases from 1990 to present, you may perform a search on the public web access at
http://justice1.dentoncounty.com/PublicAccess/default.aspx . If you do not have internet
access, you may send in a written request including any information which will help us to
search for your case: name of the parties, year the case was filed, the type of case etc…, or
you may request a search by completing the request form. There is a $5 fee for each search
requested. Please remember if you are requesting the information through the mail, we do
not accept personal checks and please do not send cash.
I was served with a citation and I’m not sure what I am supposed to do?
Please remember the District Clerk does not employ any attorneys in the office, and the
clerks are prohibited by law from providing legal advice. You should read the citation and
follow the instructions. For most cases, your answer is to be filed in the District Clerks office
no later than 10:00 am on the first Monday, 20 days after you are served. If that Monday is a
holiday, your answer would be due on the next business day by 10:00 am. You may contact
an attorney; research how to file an answer in the law library located on the 2nd floor of the
Courts Building, or research how to file an answer on the web. District Clerk employees are
not allowed to recommend attorneys.
How do I update my address and/or phone number with your office?
All changes must be in writing and will only be accepted by the individual whose
information is to be changed. When making any changes, please make sure to include your
cause number, your current information, the new information and when the change takes
effect. You may hand deliver your document, or send it through the mail to P O Box 2146,
Denton, TX 76202.
I need a copy of my child support payments, where may I obtain the copy?
All payments are sent to the Texas State Disbursement Unit (SDU). You should contact
the SDU and request a copy. The website for the SDU is
https://childsupport.oag.state.tx.us/wps/portal/csi/Faqs . For custodial and noncustodial
parent inquiries: TXSDU Call Center Phone: 800-252-8014. The District Clerks office is able
to print a copy of the payments for you, but we are not able to certify the document.
Where do I find the paperwork to file for divorce/child custody?
The District Clerks office does not provide any paperwork for filing a case. If you are
representing yourself, as your own attorney, you are required to know the rules of the court,
administrative rules and the rules for filing your documents as an attorney would. You can
find most rules on the internet by searching for Texas Statutes or you may do your research
in the law library located in the Courts Building on the 2nd floor. Please remember all
documents filed within a case are of public record and if you include personal information you
should restrict the information to what is required by law.
How do I schedule or re-schedule a hearing for my case?
Hearings are scheduled with the court coordinator for the court your case has been
assigned. You may locate the information by going to http://www.dentoncounty.com/ and use
the drop down box on the right hand side to find the department for which you are searching.
We do not have any information on the hearing and we are not able to reschedule a hearing
for you. If you have questions regarding a hearing, whether it is for a civil, family or criminal
case, you must speak to the court coordinator. If the hearing involves child support filed with
the Attorney General, you will need to contact the Attorney General’s office at 469-241-6500
or the court coordinator for the Associate Judge at 940-349-2280. The District Clerks office
cannot schedule or reschedule a hearing for any courts.

What do you do with a document after I hand it to you?
If you are filing a new suit, we will pull the next file, file mark your document with the date
and time of filing and assign your case a cause number. We will receipt your payment and
return any copies to you. If you are requesting issuance, you would need to provide us with
enough copies for each party to be served. If you are filing a document in your case, we will
make sure you have included the cause number and we will file mark the document with the
date and time of filing. If you have copies, we will file mark your copies and return them to
you. If you hand us an order, we will not file mark it until it has been signed by a Judge. If a
payment is due, then we will receipt your payment. The document will be entered on the
case management system in your case, scanned and then filed in the case file. Again,
please remember all documents filed in the case file are of public record, which makes them
available to any person. Please read the rules and include only the information required by
law.
I am the attorney of record on a case, is there a way to be notified when a document
has been filed or a hearing has been set in a case?
Please notify the clerk you would like to be notified when document(s) are filed in your
cases and provide us with a valid e-mail address and the system should notify you any time
something occurs within any of your cases. Please make sure you keep the clerk notified in
writing of any change in address, phone numbers or e-mail addresses.
Why do you only provide blue ink pens?
Blue ink makes it easier to identify the original document from a copy.

Do I need to bring copies of documents?
Yes, if you would like a copy for yourself. Copies must be an exact duplicate of the
original. If you do not bring copies, we will make copies for you but the cost is $1 per page.
Should I staple the original documents together?
Since we scanned all documents filed, we would prefer the original document NOT be
stapled but paper clipped together. We do request you make sure you have signed your
documents and have your documents in order before you hand them to the clerk, because
we are not allowed to change any document after it has been filed stamped. We will staple
the original after it has been entered and scanned on the case management system. You
may staple your copies.
Where do I find the forms?
We have many forms located on our website at
http://dentoncounty.com/dept/main.asp?Dept=26&Link=704 . The available forms are for
requesting issuance, providing information, credit card payments and state required forms.
We do not provide any forms for filing a suit or documents to be filed within a case.
May I make a payment without coming in to your office?

Yes, the District Clerk’s office now accepts payments on-line and also by telephone. All credit card payments are subject to a 2.75% fee (minimum fee of $1) which is collected and retained by the credit card company.  On-line payments: Please go to the following website and follow the instructions http://dentoncounty.com/dept/main.asp?Dept=26&Link=1301 1-866-549-1010. You will need to know your cause number  Payment drop-box: located in the front entrance to the parking lot where you can drop off money orders; please do not ever leave cash. Please make sure you include your cause number on any payments.  By fax for copy requests: The copy request form includes an option for paying by credit card. The copy request form is located on our website at: http://dentoncounty.com/dept/main.asp?Dept=26 There is a link to the form in the middle of the page. Please print, complete and fax to 940-349-2201. If you do not know the cause number a $5 search fee will also be charged.

Source: http://www.dentoncounty.us/dept/District_Clerk/Acrobat/Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf