The Family Law Courts
One of the keys to a successful court experience is the knowledge and understanding of when and where you should be, how you get there, and what you can reasonably expect to happen. The Houston central courthouse complex is located in downtown Houston at 201 Caroline St., Houston, Texas 77002. A map is provided above.
Most courts “call” their uncontested docket at 8:30 a.m. Most courts “call” their hearing and trial docket at 9:00 a.m., while others start at 9:30 a.m., or 10:00 a.m. At that time, the courts arrange all of their cases scheduled for that day. The Court expects the parties and their attorneys to be present when the “docket is called.” Plan on traffic and leave early. There are judges that will start without you, or pass your case to a more convenient time.
Court Parking
Many times the parties are accompanied by family members, friends, or witnesses. Plan on them making you late. You should plan to be early in order to secure a parking place. If you are not familiar with the freeway system during rush hour or downtown Houston congestion, do a practice run in advance of your hearing date. Also, plan on being in downtown no later than one hour before your scheduled court appearance. You should be in the courthouse 30 minutes before court begins.
Don’t expect to find nearby, metered parking on the street. It is available very early, and then later it may be found several blocks away. Parking garages are limited, but available early. A surface parking lot may be your best bet, if you don’t Uber or taxi.
