Legal Help in Denton and Denton County
Fact-checked against primary sources
A money dispute, a deposit fight or an eviction in the city of Denton starts in one of six Denton County justice of the peace courts. The county does not publish a list matching cities to those courts. It points residents to a precinct search instead, so the address involved decides which court hears the case.
Denton appears on Denton County's list of cities and communities. This page covers the county's courts, its two mediation options, the legal aid office for the area, the law library and how lawyer referral works here. The other counties are in the North Texas city and county guides.
The six justice courts and the precinct search
Denton County has six justice of the peace precincts. To find yours, the county's precinct search page sends you to its Landmark map site (gis.dentoncounty.gov), then the Search Menu, then Precincts Search. Each precinct's own page also links a 2022 precinct map in PDF form.
Only one court describes its territory in words. Precinct 5 says it "serves the citizens of the northern part of Denton County from the western county line to the northern county line."
| Precinct | Judge | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Wheeler | 1 Courthouse Drive, Suite 1100, Denton, TX 76208 | 940-349-3170 |
| 2 | James R. DePiazza | Frisco Government Center, 5533 FM 423, Suite 901, Frisco, TX 75036-8975 | 972-434-7200 |
| 3 | James Kerbow | 400 N Valley Parkway, Suite 2012, Lewisville, TX 75067-3530 | 972-434-4750 |
| 4 | Harris Hughey | 6200 Canyon Falls Drive, Suite 101, Flower Mound, TX 76226 | 972-434-3910 |
| 5 | Mike Oglesby | Steven E. Copeland Government Center, 1400 FM 424, Suite 124, Cross Roads, TX 76227-7284 | 940-349-3460 |
| 6 | Blanca Oliver | Sandy Jacobs Government Center, 1029 W Rosemeade Parkway, Carrollton, TX 75007-6251 | 972-434-7100 |
Filing a small claim, debt claim or eviction
Justice courts in Texas hear civil matters where the amount in controversy is no more than $20,000, not counting interest, under Government Code section 27.031. They also hear eviction cases. How a small claim moves from filing to judgment is covered in the small claims guide.
Filing in Denton County runs mostly through E-File Texas. The county says its justices of the peace accept cases through that system and that "All filing costs are paid through a credit or debit card." For people without a lawyer, the county describes E-File Texas Self-Help, which asks a series of questions and fills the answers into a form that can be filed online or printed and filed at the court window. The county says small claims and evictions are the cases most often filed this way.
E-filing rules differ by precinct
The courts have not adopted one countywide rule, and each posts its own notice:
- Precinct 1: from December 1, 2025, it no longer accepts paper filings for civil and criminal cases.
- Precinct 3: since September 1, 2022, all civil filings, motions and requests, including evictions, small claims and debt claims, go through e-file.
- Precinct 4: from September 1, 2026, filings by attorneys and by apartment and property management companies must go through E-File Texas. The court says this "does not apply to self-represented individuals."
- Precinct 5: since April 1, 2024, civil filings, motions and requests must be made through eFile.
- Precinct 6: since December 1, 2023, civil filings, motions and requests must be made through eFile.
Fees posted by Precinct 4
The Precinct 4 fee page, marked effective January 1, 2026, lists a $54.00 filing fee for a debt claim or small claim and $54.00 for an eviction. It lists $80.00 for Denton County citation service, $64.00 for an appeal, $22.00 for a jury and $5.00 for issuing a writ. Fee pages for the other five precincts were not checked for this guide.
Online dispute resolution in justice court
Denton County runs an Online Resolution Center for justice court civil cases. It begins when the judge assigns a case to mediation, and from then on both sides are required to take part. A party with a legitimate reason not to can ask the judge, by motion, to lift that requirement.
The county says the program "is funded by court costs and does not cost the litigants anything additional." The negotiation itself is confidential, but a final agreement is public record like any other judgment. If the parties agree, the system produces an agreed judgment that both sign electronically and the judge reviews. If they do not settle within 30 days, the case is set for trial. The mediation guide explains how a mediated agreement works in general.
DCAP, the county ADR program
Only the state's directory confirms this program. The Texas Judicial Branch's 2025 list of dispute resolution centers names the "Denton County Alternative Dispute Resolution Program (DCAP)/Denton County Bar Association (DCBA)." It gives Rosa Castelar as executive director, an address of 1504 E McKinney Street, Denton, Texas 76209, and a phone number of (940) 320-1500.
When this guide was researched, no page describing DCAP could be found on the bar association's website. Its services, who it serves and what it charges could not be found or verified, so none are stated here. Fees for mediation in general are covered in what mediation costs.
Legal aid for Denton County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists Denton among the five counties served by its Denton office at 2220 San Jacinto Blvd., Ste. 205, Denton, TX 76205 (940-383-1406). The other four are Cooke, Jack, Montague and Wise. The office takes applications by phone Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Requirements include a low income and a civil matter; the organization says it cannot take criminal or personal injury cases. The complete list of requirements is on the free legal help directory. The Denton office also lists a monthly general legal clinic at Christian Community Action in Lewisville, held the first Monday of the month from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with no clinic in September or December.
Lawyer referral in Denton County
The State Bar of Texas publishes a list of certified lawyer referral services. The Denton County Bar Association is not on it. The list does include a statewide service, the Texas Lawyer Referral Service.
Denton County Law Library
The Denton County Law Library is at 121 N Woodrow Lane, Suite 160, Denton, TX 76205, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (940-349-2130). It offers public computers for legal research, books for use inside the library, Wi-Fi, tables and scanners. Printing, copying and faxing carry a fee. There are no public phones and no notary. Staff can point patrons to materials but do not give legal advice or help prepare legal documents.
Where to start with a Denton problem
Pick the guide closest to the problem in front of you:
- A landlord kept a deposit: security deposit rules.
- An eviction notice or suit: the eviction process.
- Repairs a landlord will not make: repair rights.
- A collector calling about a debt: debt collection rules.
- Pay an employer owes you: unpaid wages.
- A car crash: car accident claims and the deadline to sue.
- Asking for payment before suing: demand letters.
The topic hubs gather the rest: injury and accident settlements, mediation and small claims and tenant, worker and consumer rights. Every other topic is collected in the full guide library.
Other North Texas cities
- Fort WorthTarrant County
- ArlingtonTarrant County
- DallasDallas County
- PlanoCollin County
- All six countiesFree and low-cost help
Sources
- Denton County, Justice of the Peace Precincts
- Denton County, Electronic Filing of Justice Court Civil Cases
- Denton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Fees
- Denton County, Online Dispute Resolution
- Denton County, Law Library
- Texas Government Code section 27.031
- Texas Judicial Branch, Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers of Texas (2025)
- State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral Services