Texas Bankruptcy Courts - Northern District

The Texas Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District is comprised of eight divisions. The district accounted for approximately 54% of state wide filings. The 2003 case volume, divided by chapter, was as follows:

Jurisdiction / Coverage:

Abilene Division Counties - Callahan, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Mitchell, Nolan, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, and Throckmorton County. Amarillo Division Counties - Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, and Wheeler County. Dallas Division Counties - Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall County. Fort Worth Division Counties - Comanche, Erath, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise County. Lubbock Division Counties - Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Kent, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Scurry, Yoakum, and Terry County. San Angelo Division Counties - Brown Coke Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Glasscock, Irion, Menard, Mills, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, and Tom Green County. Wichita Falls Division Counties - Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, King, Knox, Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young County.

The Northern District provides copies of records, local rules, schedules and official filing instructions. The instructions provided are general, and are not a substitutive for legal advice. For instance, the information provided does not adequately explain the benefits and burdens of each chapter for debtors or the long term effect of filing. The Code is specific: judges, clerks and personnel are prohibited from providing what may be construed as legal advice. This rule of law applies equally to debtors, creditors and parties in interest. With new laws looming on the horizon, now, more than ever before, qualified legal advice is a necessity before initiating any suit. County bar associations all typically provide referrals to local attorneys.

Because the law constantly evolves to further clarify the rights of debtors and creditors, Texas bankruptcy courts incorporate new practices almost daily. Court procedures, local rules, and even unofficial policies affecting discharge and/or confirmation of plans may all change dramatically over a relatively short period of time. In the most basic sense, the success of debtors navigating through the Texas bankruptcy courts system is determined before filing, so that when entering the court for the first time, all current laws and procedures may be used proactively to gain the greatest advantage.

Contact Information: Texas Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District. Back to Texas Bankruptcy Courts directory.