Court Basics

Below are some resources to help pro se litigants navigate the court system.

What does "pro se" mean?

“Pro se litigant” means you are representing yourself in a court case and don’t have a lawyer. As a pro se litigant, you are acting as your own attorney. Like any attorney, you will be expected to know and follow the law and court rules.

Before you go to Court (pre-trial)

First: Researching Your Claim

Preparing a legal claim means figuring out if your case can be heard by a judge, understanding what laws apply to your situation, knowing which facts are important, and deciding what kind of outcome you want from the court. This is called legal research.

Learn more about legal research by seeing our Basics of Legal Research guide. This guide won’t teach you everything about legal research, analysis, and writing. Lawyers spend years learning these skills in law school. However, it includes links to resources where you can learn more.

Research tips

Who else can I contact for legal research help?

Second: Filing the Lawsuit

Based on your legal research, look up what information you need to include in your petition. A petition is a document that you ask the court to make a specific decision. To file it, bring your completed petition and additional copies to the Clerk of the Court. The clerk will stamp them to show your request is officially being made.

Different courts handle different types of cases, and your legal research will tell you where you need to file your petition. When you hand in your petition, you’ll need to pay a filing fee. If you can’t afford the fee, you can fill out a Statement of Inability to Pay Court Costs asking the court to waive it.

Remember: The court won’t contact you about your next steps, court date, or decision.

Additional resources

Third: Giving the Other Side Notice

After you file your petition with the court, you must let the people, businesses, or organizations that might be affected by your case know that you’ve filed. This is called giving legal notice.

Your legal research will tell you who you need to notify based on your case. The person who files the petition is called the Petitioner or Plaintiff. The other side is usually called the Respondent, but sometimes they are called the Defendant.

To give legal notice, ask the court clerk to issue a citation and arrange for a process server to deliver it to the person or business you're suing. You cannot serve the citation yourself.

After Notice, the Response

Discovery, Responding to Discovery, and Gathering Evidence

Court Basics & E-filing in Texas

Access to Language Interpreters and Translators

Map of Harris County Courts & Local Services

Find Harris County courthouses, facilities, aid organizations, and more with this interactive Google map.