“A failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” That saying applies to lawyers in Travis County district courts who attempt to use the emergency docket, which is called the duty docket, and are sometimes turned away. The duty docket can be an attorney’s saving grace, or it can be riddled with pitfalls. Understanding the duty docket can be an attorney’s greatest asset in an emergency.
Each week, a different judge is assigned to the duty docket, which handles emergency matters, such as temporary restraining orders, and routine matters, such as uncontested and agreed orders. An uncontested docket occurs twice daily for agreed orders, uncontested divorces and other matters upon which the parties have agreed that require a judge’s signature. The duty judge also handles motions for continuance on Thursday mornings on a first-come, first-served basis.
