The Texas Supreme Court enacted amendments to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure effective January 1 that will have a big impact on family law attorneys.  We all will need to calendar deadlines differently and our pleadings and orders are going to look different.  Service by e-mail is now allowed and service by delivery services is now recognized.   These big changes in rules include:   1.  Mandatory Electronic Filing.   New Rule 21(f) requires attorneys in civil cases to electronically file court documents "in courts where electronic filing has been mandated." E-filing is mandatory in Harris and Fort Bend Counties and permissive in Galveston, Brazoria, Montgomery and Chambers Counties.  Electronic filing will be mandatory in all Texas counties by 2016.   2.  E-filed documents must be in searchable PDF format.  Electronically filed documents are required to be in text-searchable PDF format (most documents scanned at the copier are not in this format) per Rule ... Read More >