Rule 297.Time to Send Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law .

Last amended May 28, 2024 · Last verified June 28, 2026

In one sentenceRule 297 gives the court 20 days to send findings of fact and conclusions of law after a timely request, and lets a party file a notice of past-due findings that extends the deadline to 40 days.

Full Text of Rule 297

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Within twenty days after a timely request is filed, the court must send its findings of fact and conclusions of law to the parties as provided in Rule 21(f)(10). If the court fails to send timely findings of fact and conclusions of law, the party making the request must, within thirty days after filing the original request, file with the clerk and serve on all other parties in accordance with Rule 21a a “Notice of Past Due Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law” which must be immediately called to the attention of the court by the clerk. Such notice must state the date the original request was filed and the date the findings and conclusions were due. Upon filing this notice, the time for the court to send findings of fact and conclusions of law is extended to forty days from the date the original request was filed.

End

Notes and Comments

Comment to 1990 change: To revise the practice and times for findings of fact and conclusion of law. See also Rules 296 and 298.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 297 sets the court's deadline. After a timely Rule 296 request, the court must send its findings of fact and conclusions of law to the parties within 20 days. If the court does not, the requesting party must, within 30 days after filing the original request, file a "Notice of Past Due Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," stating when the request was filed and when the findings were due; the clerk immediately calls it to the court's attention. Filing that notice extends the court's deadline to 40 days from the original request.

Filing the past-due notice is a prerequisite to complaining on appeal about missing findings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the judge does not file findings of fact on time in Texas?

Under Rule 297, the requesting party must file a "Notice of Past Due Findings" within 30 days of the original request. That extends the court's deadline to 40 days and preserves the complaint for appeal.

What must a notice of past-due findings say in Texas?

Rule 297 requires the notice to state the date the original request for findings was filed and the date the findings and conclusions were due.

How does a Texas court send its findings of fact to the parties?

Rule 297 requires the court to send its findings to the parties under Rule 21(f)(10), the rule that governs how the court delivers documents to the parties.

Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 297), published by the Texas Judicial Branch (txcourts.gov). Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas. The plain-English summary is original and draws on official sources. Last verified June 28, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: time to send findingsnotice of past due findingstwenty daysforty daysTRCP 297