Austin Emergency Lawyer

If you need an Austin emergency lawyer right now, RRK Law takes urgent calls for criminal arrests, family-law emergencies, serious car and trucking accidents, and civil matters that move on tight deadlines. The first hours and days after an arrest, a crash, an emergency protective order, or a served process can decide bond, evidence preservation, custody, license status, and insurance posture. Talking to a lawyer before talking to police, insurance adjusters, or opposing counsel protects what you can still protect.

RRK Law serves clients in Austin, Travis County, and the Williamson County cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander. Common urgent calls include a fresh DWI or assault arrest in downtown Austin or off I-35, a drug possession charge in a Travis or Williamson County jail, a serious injury from a crash on MoPac, US-183, or I-35, a divorce or custody flashpoint requiring an emergency order, and a judgment, contempt threat, or turnover-order proceeding that demands an answer within days.

This page explains what to do in the first 24 to 72 hours, which Texas deadlines and procedures matter most, and when calling counsel directly will save the most time and risk. None of this is legal advice for a specific case. Every situation requires a real review of the facts, the charging or filing documents, and the controlling Texas rules.

What counts as a legal emergency in Texas

A legal emergency is any situation where waiting will make the outcome materially worse. Criminal emergencies include an arrest, a search warrant being executed, police asking for a recorded statement, a detective request to come in for an interview, a service of process for a protective order, a notice of indictment, or a bond revocation. Family-law emergencies include a sudden custody dispute involving immediate child safety, an emergency protective order, an alleged violation of an existing order, or a spouse moving money or property in anticipation of divorce.

Civil emergencies include service of a judgment for which short post-judgment deadlines are already running, a turnover order under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 31, a show-cause hearing for civil contempt, a garnishment, or a writ of execution. Personal injury emergencies include a serious crash, a fatality, a commercial-vehicle case where evidence such as ECM data, dashcam, and scene videos will be overwritten or lost without immediate preservation requests, and a critical-injury hospital admission where insurance adjusters are already calling family members.

Not every urgent feeling is a legal emergency, and not every legal emergency feels urgent. A polite letter from opposing counsel can carry a hard 14-day or 30-day deadline. A misdemeanor citation can quietly become a missed court date and a warrant. When in doubt, call.

What to do in the first hours

If you have been arrested or are being questioned, use the right to remain silent and the right to counsel. Politely tell the officer that you want to speak with a lawyer before answering questions and stop discussing the incident. Do not consent to searches of your car, home, or phone. Do not call alleged victims or witnesses. Do not post anything on social media. These first decisions are the ones that most often decide what evidence the State or another party gets to use later.

If you have been in a serious crash, get medical attention first, then preserve evidence. Photograph the scene if it is safe to do so. Identify witnesses. Save the vehicles, helmets, or other physical evidence. Do not give recorded statements to insurance adjusters before talking to a lawyer. Adjusters often call within hours of a crash specifically because injured people are tired, medicated, and likely to minimize their injuries on tape.

If you have been served with a family-law petition, protective order, judgment, garnishment, contempt notice, or turnover order, read the document carefully and write down the date and time of service. Many Texas civil deadlines run from service. Save the document and any envelope. Do not contact the other party or post about the case. Bring everything to counsel.

Texas courts and counties RRK serves

Travis County criminal cases are handled in the Travis County Criminal Justice Center in downtown Austin. Felonies move through the District Courts; misdemeanors move through the County Courts at Law. Family-law cases sit in the Travis County District Courts that hear family matters at the Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse. Civil matters are likewise filed in District or County Courts at Law depending on amount in controversy and subject matter.

Williamson County matters are handled at the Williamson County Courthouse and Justice Center in Georgetown. Cases originating in Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, and other Williamson cities are usually filed at the county seat in Georgetown. RRK Law appears in Williamson County matters on the same kinds of urgent issues handled in Travis County.

Some matters cross both counties, including civil cases involving defendants in different counties, family matters where one spouse moves to a new county, and judgment-collection proceedings where assets sit in a different county from the original judgment. RRK Law handles the cross-county coordination so the client is not running between two courthouses on short notice.

Texas deadlines that bite first

Bond and conditions. After an arrest, conditions of release can be set quickly and can include no-contact orders, GPS monitoring, alcohol monitoring, and travel restrictions. Modifying conditions after they are entered is harder than getting them right at the magistrate setting. The first 24 to 72 hours matter.

DWI license suspension. After a DWI arrest involving a refused or failed breath or blood test, the driver generally has only 15 days from notice to request an administrative license revocation (ALR) hearing under the Texas Transportation Code. Missing the request means automatic suspension without a hearing.

Civil deadlines. Many post-judgment proceedings move on 10-day, 14-day, or 30-day clocks. A turnover order or show-cause hearing can be set within days of service. A garnishment can freeze accounts before the judgment debtor even gets a chance to respond. The window to assert exemptions and due-process objections is short.

Personal injury preservation. Surveillance video can be overwritten in days. Commercial-vehicle ECM data can be overwritten when the truck is returned to service. Cell-tower data, dashcam footage from rideshare or municipal vehicles, and 911 audio all have retention schedules that may purge within weeks. Preservation letters need to go out fast.

How RRK Law handles urgent intakes

Phone first. The fastest path to a real lawyer is calling (512) 436-2779. Calls placed during business hours generally reach the firm directly. After-hours calls are returned as quickly as the situation allows; if the situation is a fresh arrest, leave the jail name and booking information so a lawyer can begin checking the docket.

Bring the documents. For criminal matters, charging documents, the magistrate's bond order, and the inventory of seized property. For family matters, the petition, any temporary or emergency orders, and any current custody schedule. For civil matters, the judgment, any post-judgment filings, and proof of service. For injury matters, the crash report, photos, and any insurance correspondence.

Short engagement letter, fast scope. Urgent matters usually begin with a narrowly scoped engagement focused on the immediate need (bond, ALR hearing, emergency hearing response, preservation letters) so work can start the same day. Longer-term scope is set after the immediate fire is out.

When should I call an Austin emergency lawyer instead of waiting?

Call right away if you have been arrested, served with a protective order or judgment, contacted by a detective, involved in a serious crash with injuries, or received any document with a deadline measured in days rather than weeks. Waiting often closes options like ALR hearings, evidence preservation, and challenges to bond conditions or temporary orders. A 10-minute call usually clarifies whether the matter is actually urgent.

Does RRK Law handle both Travis County and Williamson County emergencies?

Yes. RRK Law represents clients on urgent criminal, family, civil, and injury matters in both Travis County (Austin) and Williamson County (Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander). Some cases involve courts in both counties, and the firm handles the cross-county coordination so the client does not have to track two dockets.

What if I cannot afford a lawyer right now but the case is moving fast?

Call anyway. Initial consultations are free, and discussing the situation does not commit anyone to representation. If the matter qualifies for a court-appointed lawyer or a fee structure that fits the situation (flat fee, contingency on injury cases, limited-scope engagement), counsel can explain the options. Doing nothing while the clock runs is usually the worst choice.

What information should I have ready when I call?

If a person is in jail, the jail location, booking number if known, and the charge listed on the magistrate paperwork. If a document was served, the title of the document, the case number, the court, and the date and time of service. If a crash occurred, the crash report number if given, the date and location, and any photos. If a hearing is set, the date, time, court, and judge if known.

Are these calls confidential even if I do not hire the firm?

Yes. Communications with a lawyer for the purpose of obtaining legal advice are protected by the attorney-client privilege under Texas Rule of Evidence 503, and that protection generally applies to initial consultations whether or not the client retains the firm. Do not include third parties in the call (other than co-clients) because the presence of an outsider can waive the privilege.

Related RRK Law resources

• Travis County Emergency Lawyer
• Williamson County Emergency Lawyer
• Austin criminal defense law firm guide