Wise County, Texas: CPS Courts, Court Records, DFPS Offices and Free Legal Help

This page is for families in Wise County, Texas. The county's District Clerk and County Court at Law No. 1 are in Decatur, and County Court at Law No. 2 holds court in Bridgeport Wise County, Texas, District Clerk Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 1 Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2. It gives you official local contacts for CPS cases: the courts, the clerk who keeps court records, the DFPS office, and free or low-cost legal help. This is legal information, not legal advice.

The short answer

In Wise County, three courts can hear family law cases: the 271st District Court, County Court at Law No. 1 and County Court at Law No. 2 Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Family Law FAQs. State law makes the District Clerk the clerk for family law cases in the County Courts at Law, too Tex. Gov't Code §§25.2511–25.2512, and the District Clerk's phone number is 940-627-5535 Wise County, Texas, District Clerk. DFPS (the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Texas DFPS, Contact Us, the state agency whose programs include Child Protective Services Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs) lists Wise County in its Region 3 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. It has a Decatur office at 2000 W. Bus. 380, (940) 627-2188 Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Wise County

State law says the 271st Judicial District is made up of Jack and Wise counties Tex. Gov't Code §24.448. Wise County also has two County Courts at Law (county-level courts set up by state law), No. 1 and No. 2 Tex. Gov't Code §§25.2511–25.2512. State law says they share jurisdiction with the district court in family law cases Tex. Gov't Code §§25.2511–25.2512. Jurisdiction means the kinds of cases a court has the power to decide.

The county puts it this way: the district court judge and both County Court at Law judges have concurrent (shared) jurisdiction to hear family law cases, including juvenile cases Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Family Law FAQs. County Court at Law No. 2 began hearing family and other civil cases on October 1, 2011 Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2.

Who sets hearing dates? The coordinator of the court where the case was filed Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Family Law FAQs. The county lists these coordinator numbers for getting a setting Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Family Law FAQs:

• 271st District Court: 940-627-3200
• County Court at Law No. 1: 940-627-5005
• County Court at Law No. 2: 940-683-0268

Where the County Courts at Law are (as the county publishes them):

• County Court at Law No. 1: 306 West Main Street, Decatur, TX 76234. Mailing address: P.O. Box 901, Decatur, TX 76234. Phone: 940-627-5005 Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 1.
• County Court at Law No. 2: The courtroom is in the Wise County Annex Building, 1007 13th Street, Suite 109, Bridgeport, TX 76426, unless the court tells you otherwise. Phone: 940-683-0268. Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2.

Before you go:

• The judge's office for County Court at Law No. 2 does not accept papers for filing. File them with the right clerk's office instead Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2.
• That court's rules say weapons of all types are not allowed on courthouse property or in the courtroom, unless you are law enforcement on duty Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Courtroom Decorum. They strongly recommend leaving your cell phone in your vehicle. If you can't, it must be on silent Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Courtroom Decorum.
• The court's office cannot give legal advice. It can help with questions about settings, but not about the facts of your case. For legal questions, the county says to talk with a lawyer Wise County, Texas, County Court at Law No. 2 Family Law FAQs.

Getting court records

In Wise County, the District Clerk is the clerk for family law cases in all three courts. The District Clerk keeps the papers in every district court case Wise County, Texas, District Clerk, and state law makes the District Clerk the clerk of the County Courts at Law for family law cases Tex. Gov't Code §§25.2511–25.2512. A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case.

Wise County District Clerk

• Address: 101 North Trinity Street, Decatur, TX 76234. Mailing address: P. O. Box 308, Decatur, TX 76234 Wise County, Texas, District Clerk. The clerk's page also says the office has moved to 101 N. Trinity St., Ste 107, in the historic courthouse Wise County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Phone: 940-627-5535. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wise County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Filing: All pleadings for the district courts can be filed in the District Clerk's Office in the Wise County Courthouse Wise County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.
• Payment: The District Clerk accepts cash or money order Wise County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.
• Looking up a case: The District Clerk's page links to the Wise County Courts/Sheriff Department Public Records search Wise County, Texas, District Clerk.
• The District Clerk's staff are not attorneys and do not provide forms Wise County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.

Court records are different from DFPS's own case records. To ask DFPS for its records, see How to Get Your CPS Case Records in Texas.

DFPS in Wise County

DFPS lists Wise County in DFPS Region 3 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. The Region 3 headquarters is at 1200 E. Copeland Road, Arlington, TX 76011 Texas DFPS, Region 3.

DFPS's office list shows one location in Wise County Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations:

• 2000 W. Bus. 380, Decatur, Texas 76234. Phone: (940) 627-2188. The programs listed here are APS, CCI, CCL, CPI and CPS Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services, CCI means Child Care Investigations, CCL means Child Care Licensing, CPI means Child Protective Investigations and CPS means Child Protective Services Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

If you have a question or complaint about your own case, DFPS says to contact its Office of Consumer Affairs Texas DFPS, Questions and Complaints. Its contact details are under "Statewide numbers" below.

Free and low-cost legal help

The District Clerk's FAQ points people who can't afford a lawyer to Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, 888-529-5277 Wise County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs. TexasLawHelp.org lists four free legal aid groups for Wise County under Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Wise County, Child Protective Services). Here are three of them:

• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas gives free civil legal help to people with low incomes TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Wise County, Child Protective Services). Call its Legal Aid Line at (888) 529-5277. TexasLawHelp.org lists CPS among its areas of work TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.
• Its Denton office lists Wise among the counties it serves. Address: 2220 San Jacinto Blvd., Ste. 205, Denton, TX 76205. Phone: 940-383-1406, toll-free 800-955-1407. To apply, call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Denton Office.
• Texas Foster Youth Justice Project gives free legal help to current and former foster youth in Texas. Phone: (877) 313-3688 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Wise County, Child Protective Services).
• Texas Free Legal Answers lets Texans with low or modest incomes work online with a volunteer lawyer for free TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Wise County, Child Protective Services).

Can the court give you a lawyer? In some CPS cases, yes. If DFPS sues to end your parental rights or to be named your child's conservator (the person or agency the court gives legal custody), the court must appoint a lawyer for a parent who is indigent (can't afford a lawyer) and who opposes the case Tex. Fam. Code §107.013(a). If you don't have a lawyer the first time you appear in court in that kind of case, the court must tell you about your right to a lawyer and, if you are indigent and oppose the case, your right to a court-appointed one Tex. Fam. Code §107.013(a-1). Learn more in Your Right to a Lawyer in a Texas CPS Case.

State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS): For Wise County, call (800) 252-9690 (toll free), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time. That number serves every county except Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Jefferson, Travis and Tarrant State Bar of Texas, Lawyer Referral & Information Service. A lawyer the LRIS refers you to will give you a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20. The LRIS has no lawyers who offer free or reduced-fee help State Bar of Texas, Lawyer Referral & Information Service.

Statewide numbers

• Emergency: DFPS says to call 9-1-1 Texas DFPS, Contact Us.
• Texas Abuse/Neglect Hotline: 1-800-252-5400, or report online at www.txabusehotline.org. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week Texas DFPS, Hotlines.
• DFPS Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA): (800) 720-7777, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. DFPS's hotline list gives the same hours in Central Time Texas DFPS, Hotlines. The OCA handles complaints about specific cases that involve DFPS program policy Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. You can also use its online question and complaint form, or write to OCA/DFPS, PO Box 149030, MC: Y946, Austin TX 78714-9030 Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs.
• The OCA also does formal reviews when a CPS investigation concludes that a person abused or neglected a child. DFPS used to call this the OCR review process Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. See How to Ask for an ARIF (Administrative Review of CPS Findings) in Texas and CPS Investigation Findings in Texas: Reason to Believe, Ruled Out and More.
• The OCA does not review what courts or law enforcement do or order Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs.
• Texas Parent Helpline: 1-833-680-0611. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Texas DFPS, Hotlines.
• DFPS Records Management Group (to ask for a DFPS record): 1-877-764-7230. Open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday Texas DFPS, Hotlines.

Guides that apply in Wise County

• The Texas CPS Investigation Process, Step by Step (Family Code §§261.301–261.302)
• Your Rights When Texas CPS Contacts You (Family Code §261.307)
• CPS Investigation Findings in Texas: Reason to Believe, Ruled Out and More
• Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) in Texas: What Families Should Know
• Court-Ordered Services in Texas CPS Cases (Family Code §264.203)
• CPS Drug Testing in Texas: What DFPS Policy Says
• Your Right to a Lawyer in a Texas CPS Case
• How to Get Your CPS Case Records in Texas

Information verified against official sources on 2026-10-02. Call ahead; hours and locations can change.