Travis County Emergency Lawyer

A Travis County emergency lawyer handles the urgent matters that come up in Austin and the surrounding Travis County jurisdiction: fresh criminal arrests, emergency family-law issues, serious injury cases, and civil filings with short deadlines. RRK Law takes calls on these matters from people who need a real conversation with a lawyer before the next 24 to 72 hours close important options.

Most urgent Travis County calls fall into a small set of patterns. A DWI or assault arrest after a stop in Austin. A drug-possession charge with bond conditions set at the magistrate's office. A protective order filed in a Travis County District Court. A serious crash on I-35, MoPac, or US-183 with insurance adjusters already calling. A judgment, garnishment, or turnover order served on a person who has only days to respond. Each of these has Texas deadlines that close quickly.

Nothing on this page is legal advice for a specific case. Talking with RRK Law about your situation is free and confidential. The point of the call is to figure out what is urgent, what can wait, and what the right next step is.

The most common Travis County emergencies

Criminal arrests in Travis County typically move through the Travis County Sheriff's Office or Austin Police Department booking, then through the magistrate at the Travis County Criminal Justice Center for an Article 15.17 magistration. Bond, conditions, and the first court setting are usually decided within hours of the arrest. Early counsel can affect the conditions imposed and prevent statements that later become evidence.

Family-law emergencies in Travis County include emergency protective orders under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 17.292, temporary restraining orders and ex parte temporary orders in divorce or SAPCR cases, and motions for emergency custody where there is an allegation of immediate danger to a child. These usually move through the Travis County District Courts that hear family matters.

Civil emergencies include post-judgment proceedings, turnover orders, garnishments, and show-cause hearings for contempt. Personal injury emergencies include fatal or serious-injury crashes, commercial-vehicle cases, and any case where critical evidence will be lost without immediate preservation. RRK Law handles each of these categories.

First steps after a Travis County arrest

Stay silent about the facts of the case. The right to remain silent and the right to counsel apply at the scene, in the patrol car, and in the booking area at the Travis County jail. Politely state that you want a lawyer before any questions and then stop discussing the incident. Officers may continue making conversation; the rule does not change.

Do not consent to searches of the car, the house, or the phone. Officers will sometimes ask in a way that implies refusal will create a problem. Saying "I do not consent to a search" preserves later challenges to what officers find. Whether a search was lawful is a question a judge can later decide on a motion to suppress.

After magistration, the focus is bond, conditions, and the first court setting. Travis County District Courts handle felonies; County Courts at Law handle misdemeanors. Getting counsel before the next setting matters because the State will have already begun building the case file with police narratives, body camera review, and any statements made at the scene.

Family-law emergencies in Travis County

An emergency protective order can be issued after an arrest for family violence, assault, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking offenses under Code of Criminal Procedure Article 17.292. The order can restrict contact, possession of firearms, and proximity to the protected person, residence, school, or workplace. Violations are themselves criminal offenses.

In a divorce or SAPCR (Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship), a party can apply for a temporary restraining order under Texas Family Code Chapter 6 (divorce) or Chapter 105 (SAPCR). Common forms include orders preserving the status quo on bank accounts and property, restraining one party from harassing the other, and addressing immediate custody of children.

Where there is an allegation of immediate danger to a child, a court can issue an emergency temporary order. The factual showing is fact-specific and the procedural rules under the Texas Family Code and Texas Rules of Civil Procedure must be followed. Mistakes in the procedure can result in orders being set aside on review.

Civil and post-judgment emergencies

A Texas judgment is enforceable through a range of post-judgment tools, including writs of execution, abstracts of judgment that create liens on real property, garnishment of bank accounts and wages where permitted, and turnover orders under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 31. Each tool has its own procedural rules and its own response window.

Civil contempt for failure to comply with a court order moves quickly. A show-cause hearing can be set within days of an alleged violation. Texas case law distinguishes civil contempt (designed to coerce compliance) from criminal contempt (designed to punish), and the procedural protections differ. Notice, opportunity to be heard, and an opportunity to purge are central in any contempt proceeding.

Many statutory deadlines for post-judgment proceedings are short — sometimes 10, 14, or 30 days from service. Properly raising exemptions, jurisdictional objections, or due-process challenges requires fast action.

How to reach RRK Law on an emergency

Call (512) 436-2779. The firm takes urgent intake calls during business hours and returns after-hours calls as quickly as the situation allows. For fresh arrests, leave the booking facility and inmate name so the firm can begin checking the docket and the magistrate's order.

Be ready to share the basics. For criminal matters: charging document, magistrate's order, and any inventory of seized property. For family matters: petition, any temporary orders, and the current custody arrangement. For civil matters: the judgment, the post-judgment filing, and proof of service. For injury matters: crash report, photos, medical records if you have them, and any insurance correspondence already received.

The first conversation will usually identify the one or two next moves that matter most — request an ALR hearing, respond to a temporary order, send a preservation letter, contest a garnishment — so work can start the same day.

Where do Travis County emergency court hearings happen?

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

Can RRK Law appear at a same-week emergency hearing?

Same-week and same-day appearances are common for urgent matters. The firm prioritizes scheduling around protective-order hearings, emergency custody hearings, magistration appearances, bond modifications, and post-judgment show-cause settings. Whether a specific appearance is possible depends on conflicts with existing matters.

What if the emergency happened in Travis County but I live somewhere else?

RRK Law handles matters that originate in Travis County regardless of where the client lives. Texas jurisdiction usually follows the location of the event or the location of the court, not the residence of the person involved. If the case touches both Travis County and another county, the firm handles the cross-county coordination.

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

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