A petitioner may change their Petition by amending it. Prior to the Response being filed by the other party, they may do so freely. After a Response is filed, they must get leave of Court to amend their Petition.
If you decide to change your petition during the last seven days before trial, you must ask the judge for permission to amend your pleading. To ask for permission, use a Motion to Amend Pleading. (See Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 63 through 65.)
A response and brief to an opposed motion must be filed within 21 days from the date the motion is filed. Time for Reply Briefs. Unless otherwise directed by the presiding judge, a party who has filed an opposed motion may file a reply brief within 14 days from the date the response is filed.
If you want to file a motion, the process is generally something like this: You write your motion. You file your motion with the court clerk. The court clerk inserts the date and time your motion will be heard by the judge. You “serve” (mail) your motion to the other side.
In Texas, you can amend your original divorce petition up to 7 days before trial. A motion requesting permission is generally NOT needed under Texas Law. As in all cases of this type, you would be highly advised to sit down with a lawyer and discuss the issues in your case. Good luck!
Rule 502.7 - Amending and Clarifying Pleadings (a)Amending Pleadings. A party may withdraw something from or add something to a pleading, as long as the amended pleading is filed and served as provided by Rule 501.4 not less than 7 days before trial.
1.08. The attorneys of record for the parties in any case within the categories of Local Rule 1.07 must notify the Judges of the respective Courts in which the earlier and later cases are assigned of the pendency of the later case.
If you decide to change your petition during the last seven days before trial, you must ask the judge for permission to amend your pleading. To ask for permission, use a Motion to Amend Pleading. (See Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 63 through 65.)
If you want to file a motion, the process is generally something like this: You write your motion. You file your motion with the court clerk. The court clerk inserts the date and time your motion will be heard by the judge. You “serve” (mail) your motion to the other side.
If you see a potential for a motion to dismiss, this is an opportunity to inform the client how much legal expertise is necessary for such a filing. In other words, they will be facing a daunting challenge trying to represent themselves and will likely need an attorney more than ever.