Lubbock County, Texas (District Courts and County Courts at Law): Standing Order Regardin…
Judges Douglas H. Freitag (140th, Local Administrative Judge), John Grace (72nd), Phillip Hays (99th), John (Trey) McClendon, III (137th), Les Hatch (237th), William R. Eichman, II (364th), Mark Hocker (County Court at Law No. 1), Tom Brummett (No. 2) and Ben Webb (No. 3) · District Courts and County Courts at Law of Lubbock County, Texas
Verified October 1, 2026
- Citation
- Standing Order Regarding Children, Property, and Conduct of the Parties, Section 9 (Use of Artificial Intelligence) (Lubbock County District Courts and County Courts at Law)
- Order date
- January 13, 2026
Summary
Section 9.1, 'Liability': 'All attorneys and self-represented litigants are responsible for the accuracy of their filings. Reliance on AI-generated information that results in the submission of fabricated, misleading, or non-existent citations or facts may result in sanctions under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the inherent power of this Court.'
What does the order require?
- Section 9.1, 'Liability': 'All attorneys and self-represented litigants are responsible for the accuracy of their filings. Reliance on AI-generated information that results in the submission of fabricated, misleading, or non-existent citations or facts may result in sanctions under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the inherent power of this Court.'
- The standing order 'applies in every divorce suit and every suit affecting the parent-child relationship, including a suit for modification or enforcement of a prior order.'
- The petitioner must attach a copy of the order to the original petition; it 'is effective upon the filing of the original petition'.
Practice areas: state family
What the order requires
The judges of the District Courts and County Courts at Law of Lubbock County adopted a Standing Order Regarding Children, Property, and Conduct of the Parties (Lubbock Cnty. Dist. Cts. & Cnty. Cts. at Law Jan. 13, 2026). It “applies in every divorce suit and every suit affecting the parent-child relationship, including a suit for modification or enforcement of a prior order.”
Section 9, “Use of Artificial Intelligence,” contains one provision, 9.1, “Liability”:
All attorneys and self-represented litigants are responsible for the accuracy of their filings. Reliance on AI-generated information that results in the submission of fabricated, misleading, or non-existent citations or facts may result in sanctions under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the inherent power of this Court.
The section requires no disclosure or certification of AI use.
Scope and effect
The petitioner must attach a copy of the order to the original petition. The order “is effective upon the filing of the original petition” and remains in force as a temporary restraining order for fourteen days after service, and then, if no party contests it, as a temporary injunction. It states that it is binding on the parties, their agents, and their attorneys and is enforceable by contempt.
It is signed by Judge Douglas H. Freitag (140th District Court and Local Administrative Judge), Judges John Grace (72nd), Phillip Hays (99th), John (Trey) McClendon, III (137th), Les Hatch (237th) and William R. Eichman, II (364th), and Judges Mark Hocker, Tom Brummett and Ben Webb of County Courts at Law Nos. 1, 2 and 3.
Posting
Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 3a(c), “To be effective, local rules, forms, and standing orders must be published on the Office of Court Administration’s website.” The OCA local-rules portal lists the order as posted January 22, 2026.