Major Rule Changes Are Coming In 2021 That Will Affect All Texas Cases

The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure ("TRCP"), the governing procedural rules for all civil cases in Texas state courts, help provide consistency throughout the life of a case allowing cases to run more smoothly from inception to resolution. Many of the rules pertain to different aspects of the discovery process, including information that must be disclosed or produced and timelines for requests and responses. While the rules normally undergo only minor changes in any given year, the Texas Legislature and Texas Supreme Court occasionally make major overhauls to the TRCP, resulting in significant changes to the progression of a case, such that clients should be aware of the changes. Three such changes were made this year, all of which will take effect on January 1, 2021, and will greater align the TRCP with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.