This research guide links you to resources where you may find commonly used legal forms for free. These are usually created by legal aid organizations, nonprofit groups, or may be offered by county or district clerks' offices. You will not always find a downloadable, fill-in-the-blank form for your situation. If you cannot find a form online, you may need to look at legal practice guides either at a law library in person or via our Digital Collection. If you still cannot find a form, one may not exist and you or your attorney may need to create a custom form.
The library cannot advise you on how to use a form or whether a form is appropriate for your situation. An attorney or a legal aid organization could advise you on how to use a form, what to include, or help you determine which form is appropriate.
The state publishes very few legal forms for use in legal proceedings. Because each lawsuit is different, it is difficult to create standard fill-in-the-blank forms. Instead, many private publishers create drafting guides or templates that are commonly referred to as "legal forms." Depending on the specifics of your situation, a drafting guide may need to be customized for your specific set of facts.
The library can help you determine if a form by a specific name is located online or in a library resource. We may also point you to library resources or other websites that discuss a specific legal topic and may contain drafting guides or templates. We cannot help you determine what form you need or assist you in filling out a form. We cannot tell you if a form is appropriate for your situation.
Municipal and county justice of the peace courts allow for alternative forms of payment on Class C misdemeanor citations for those who cannot afford to pay their fines. If you were in jail or prison for another offense when the citation was issued, you can request the court use this imprisoned time as a way in which to pay for the fine. This is often referred to as a "motion for time served" or a "motion for jail time credit." Requests are not guaranteed and are at the judge's discretion. It is also important to note that this form of alternative payment may not be accepted by all courts.
There is no standardized form for this type of request. Most courts who accept this form of alternative payment have a request form available on their website. See the link below for a list of the forms we've been able to locate online. Note: This is not a comprehensive list. If your court is not listed below, you will need to contact them for more information.
If there is no form available for your court, see the resource below for a sample letter you can submit to the judge.
Information from the Texas Fair Defense Project and Texas Appleseed on how you can request jail credit for unpaid fines.
