Irving, home to Las Colinas and about 258,060 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate, lies entirely within Dallas County. That simplifies one question for anyone sued over a credit card, personal loan or collection account: your case will be in a Dallas County court. But it raises another. None of Dallas County's justice courts is located in Irving, so your case is probably being heard in another city.

This page walks through what happens after you are served, what you need to do and when, and where Irving residents can find free help.

Free Case Evaluation(214) 945-0000

Step 1: Figure out which court you're in

Look at the top of the citation the process server or constable handed you. It will name one of two kinds of court.

A justice court ("Justice of the Peace, Precinct _, Place _"). These courts hear claims up to $20,000, which covers most credit card suits. The Dallas County justice court page lists ten courts (five precincts, two places each) at government centers in Dallas, Garland, Mesquite and Grand Prairie. To see which precinct covers your Irving address, use the county's precinct lookup page.

A County Court at Law or district court. These handle larger claims and some smaller ones. Dallas County's five County Courts at Law and thirteen civil district courts are in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building in downtown Dallas, according to the courts' pages on dallascounty.org.

Step 2: Put your answer deadline on the calendar

This is the step that decides most cases. Count from the day you were served, not the day the suit was filed:

Justice court: your answer is due by the end of the 14th day after service (Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.5).
County Court at Law or district court: your answer is due by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days have passed (Rule 99(b)).

Our answer deadline calculator gives you the exact date. If nothing is filed by then, the plaintiff can request a default judgment, and the court can grant it without hearing your side.

Step 3: Read the petition for weak spots

The petition tells you who is suing and what they claim. Things we check in every Irving case:

The plaintiff's name. If it is not the bank you borrowed from, it is probably a debt buyer, which has to prove it acquired your specific account.
The dates. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a debt (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004). A debt buyer can't sue on a consumer debt after that (Fin. Code § 392.307).
The amount. Interest and fees must be supported by the account agreement.
The attachments. A generic affidavit and a one-page summary are not the same as account records.

Step 4: Decide how to respond

You can file an answer yourself, get free help if you qualify, or hire a lawyer. If you hire Texas Debt Law, we file the answer, take over communication with the plaintiff's attorneys, and push the plaintiff to prove its case. If settlement makes sense, we negotiate it; if the plaintiff can't prove the claim, we work toward dismissal. If you are in county or district court and a motion for summary judgment is filed, we respond within the 21 days the rules allow for motions filed on or after March 1, 2026 (Rule 166a).

Because there is no justice court in Irving, the convenience of remote representation matters. We file electronically and appear at most settings, so you are not driving to Grand Prairie or downtown Dallas for routine hearings.

Flat fees, set by the size of the lawsuit

Fees start at $400, and payment plans are available.

Amount of the Lawsuit	Our Flat Legal Fee	Payment Plan
Less than $1,000	$400	Up to 2 months
$1,001 – $3,000	$500	Up to 2 months
$3,001 – $5,000	$750	Up to 3 months
$5,001 – $7,500	$1,000	Up to 4 months
$7,501 – $10,000	$1,250	Up to 6 months
$10,001 – $12,500	$1,500	Up to 6 months
$12,501 – $15,000	$1,750	Up to 6 months
$15,001 – $20,000	$2,000	Up to 6 months
Over $20,000	Call for Pricing

If the collector broke the rules

Debt collectors in Texas can't threaten arrest, misstate what you owe, or harass you with calls. If that happened before or during the lawsuit, you may have a claim under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more on our FDCPA page.

Free help for Irving residents

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Its Dallas office lists Dallas County, which includes all of Irving, as its service area. Eligibility depends on household income.
Dallas County Law Library. The county law library in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building is open to the general public.
Online. Check a Dallas County case on the courts portal, find self-help guides on TexasLawHelp.org, and file through eFileTexas.

We are not affiliated with these organizations.

Irving debt lawsuit FAQs

There's no justice court in Irving. Will I have to drive to my hearing?

If you represent yourself, possibly, since the court named on your citation may be in Grand Prairie, Dallas or another city. If we represent you, we handle most settings without you. If the judge requires you in person, we'll tell you in advance.

A law firm sent me a letter, but no one served me. Have I been sued?

A demand letter is not a lawsuit. You are sued when a petition is filed with a court, and your answer clock starts when you are formally served. You can search for a case on the Dallas County courts portal, or we can check for you.

My Irving apartment complex says I owe money after I moved out. Is that the same as a credit card case?

It is still a debt claim, often filed in justice court, and the same answer deadlines apply. The plaintiff must prove the lease terms and the charges. We review those cases the same way.

Can they take money from my paycheck?

Not for a consumer debt. Current wages are protected from garnishment by the Texas Constitution (art. XVI, § 28). Your homestead and personal property up to $50,000 (single) or $100,000 (family) are also exempt under Property Code chapters 41 and 42. If a judgment already exists, see post-judgment debt settlement.

Send us your papers

Texas Debt Law has had hundreds of debt lawsuits dismissed. Call or text (214) 945-0000, or request a free case evaluation online. You can also browse our debt lawsuit questions, or see our pages for Dallas and Carrollton.

Helpful guides

General information, not legal advice for your case.