If you live in Sugar Land, Missouri City, Rosenberg, Richmond, South Katy, or anywhere in Fort Bend County, TX then any new family law or divorce law matter you want to file will probably be filed with the Fort Bend County District Clerk located in Richmond, Texas. As of September, 2009, Fort Bend County, Texas has two primary family law and divorce Courts. They are the 328th Judicial District Court and the 387th Judicial District Court. The physical location of these Courts is 401 Jackson St., Richmond, Texas 77469, on the second and third floor. The 434th Judicial District Court also handles some family law cases, and it is located across the street on the first floor of 301 Jackson St., Richmond, Texas 77469. The IV-D Courts, which are used by the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division, are located at a separate location, which is 210 Houston St., Richmond, Texas in the O.J. "Mac" McDowell Jury Assembly Building. Generally, cases filed in the IV-D Courts are originally assigned to the either the 328th or the 387th Judicial District Court. If an appropriate objection is made to the IV-D Court Judge your case will be referred back the the original Court of jurisdiction (i.e. the 328th or 387th Judicial District Court).
For more information regarding the family, divorce, civil, and criminal Courts in Fort Bend County, Texas you can visit the Fort Bend County website at http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/.
When an attorney or lawyer files a divorce matter or other family law matter in Fort Bend County, Texas it is randomly assigned to one of the family law courts mentioned above. Once the case has been assigned to a Court that Court will be the Court of continuing jurisdiction for all future case issues in Fort Bend County. If you file your divorce or family law matter and don't like the Court where your case is assigned it will do no good to dismiss the case and refile in hopes of being assigned to another Court. As stated, once your case has been assigned to a Court that is the Court that will handle your case, and your case will be reassigned to that Court upon refiling and for future modifications or other issues where the Court has continuing jurisdiction.
It is important for you to know what county you live in when you meet with your Attorney or Lawyer. It is not uncommon for persons who live in South Katy, where Harris and Fort Bend County meet, to get confused about where their case should be filed. The same holds true for persons who live on the borders of Harris and Fort Bend County, and other similar borders such as the border of Waller County and Harris County, and Montgomery County and Harris County. Generally, Attorneys rely on what you tell them about where you live to choose the proper County to file the case. So, be sure you supply your lawyer with the proper filing information.
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