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Texas Debt Law

Courts, hearings and trial

What is a motion for summary judgment?

Short answer

A request that the judge decide the case without a trial because the plaintiff says the evidence is undisputed. For motions filed since March 1, 2026, your written response and evidence are due 21 days after the motion is filed, not based on the hearing date. Debt buyers often use these motions.

Under the rewritten Rule 166a, the court can't hear the motion sooner than 35 days after filing and generally must set it within 60 days. Missing the 21-day response deadline can mean losing the case without a trial.

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Updated November 2026. General information about Texas law, not legal advice for your case. Laws and court rules change; we review these answers regularly.

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