The County Clerk serves as the Clerk of the Court for the Civil County Courts at Law. The Clerk’s responsibilities include receiving the filings for civil cases, preparing notices and citations, and maintaining records associated with the cases filed before these courts.

Civil cases usually deal with disputes between parties. A civil case can be defined as a personal action instituted by one party (the plaintiff) to require payment or the performance of an act by the other party (the defendant).

Travis County has two civil courts that primarily hear civil cases in which the amount in controversy is between $500.00 and $250,000.00. The Civil County Courts at Law also hear appeals from Justice of the Peace Courts, Municipal Courts, and State Agency administrative hearings.

If your claim is $20,000 or less, you may opt to file a case with a Justice of the Peace Court. An attorney may not be needed in cases before a JP Court. Please contact the JP Courts for more information.

If you have matters before the Civil Courts, you may find it useful to review information such as Rules of Civil Procedure or the County Courts Quick Reference Guide. These documents and others are located on the Travis County Court Forms and Documents page.