Kingsville is a small county seat with a short list of courts. The city has about 24,884 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 estimate), all in Kleberg County, and the county's courts are few enough to name on one hand: four justices of the peace, one County Court at Law and one district court. If you live in Kingsville and a bank or debt buyer has sued you, your case is almost certainly in one of them.

Texas Debt Law defends Kingsville residents, including students, military families and long-time residents, against credit card and debt buyer lawsuits. We charge flat fees, answer the phones 7 days a week and handle most cases by phone, email and electronic filing.

Free Case Evaluation(214) 945-0000

Kleberg County's Courts, as the County Lists Them

Justices of the peace

The county's Justice of the Peace page lists four precincts. Three have Kingsville addresses: Precinct 1 on E. Kenedy Ave., Precinct 2 on N. Third Street and Precinct 4 on N. 14th Street. Precinct 3 is listed in Riviera, in the southern part of the county. Justice courts hear debt claims up to $20,000 (Gov't Code § 27.031), which is where most credit card suits land.

County Court at Law

Kleberg County has a single County Court at Law, listed at 700 E. Kleberg Ave. in Kingsville. A creditor suing for more than the justice court limit may file here, and justice court cases that are appealed come here too.

District court

The county's District Court page lists the 105th District Court, and the District Clerk keeps its files. Large claims, such as some auto loan deficiencies, may be filed there.

Because there is only one County Court at Law and one district court, a Kingsville case above the justice court level is easy to locate. In justice court, check the precinct number on your citation; with three precincts in town, it's easy to send an answer to the wrong office.

How Long You Have

Justice court: your answer is due by the end of the 14th day after you were served (Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.5).
County Court at Law or the 105th District Court: your answer is due by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days from service (Tex. R. Civ. P. 99(b)).
Summary judgment: in those higher courts, a response to a motion filed on or after March 1, 2026 is due 21 days after the motion is filed (Rule 166a).

Try our answer deadline calculator for an estimate, and call us to confirm.

If You Serve in the Military

Naval Air Station Kingsville is next to the city, so some people sued in Kleberg County are on active duty. Federal law gives servicemembers an extra layer of protection against default judgments. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, before a court enters a default judgment the plaintiff must file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service (50 U.S.C. § 3931), and the court has added duties if the defendant is. Those protections don't replace an answer, but they matter if a creditor tried to rush a default. Tell us about your service status when you call.

If You're a Student

Texas A&M University–Kingsville brings students to town from across Texas, and some carry credit card or private loan balances. If you were served in Kingsville but your permanent home is elsewhere, or you were sued back home while living here, venue can be worth a look. A consumer debt suit in justice court can generally be filed where the defendant lives or where the contract was signed. Whatever county it is in, the deadline still runs from the day you were served.

What Your Defense Involves

Once your answer is filed, we make the plaintiff prove three things it often can't prove cleanly: that it owns the debt, that the amount is right, and that it sued in time.

Ownership: debt buyers must document each transfer of your account from the original lender.
Amount: we compare the claimed balance with statements and the account agreement.
Timing: Texas generally allows 4 years to sue on a debt (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on time-barred consumer debt (Fin. Code § 392.307).

If a collector harassed you or misrepresented the debt, you may have claims under the FDCPA or the Texas Debt Collection Act. Those claims are a separate service from debt defense; see our FDCPA page. And if settling is the better option, we negotiate the terms and get them in writing.

Pricing

Flat fees, based on the amount of the lawsuit, start at $400. Payment plans are available.

Amount of the Lawsuit	Our Flat Legal Fee	Payment Plan
Less than $1,000	$400	Up to 2 months
$1,001 – $3,000	$500	Up to 2 months
$3,001 – $5,000	$750	Up to 3 months
$5,001 – $7,500	$1,000	Up to 4 months
$7,501 – $10,000	$1,250	Up to 6 months
$10,001 – $12,500	$1,500	Up to 6 months
$12,501 – $15,000	$1,750	Up to 6 months
$15,001 – $20,000	$2,000	Up to 6 months
Over $20,000	Call for Pricing

Free Help for Kleberg County Residents

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid lists Kleberg County among the counties it serves. It doesn't list a Kingsville office; its nearest offices are in Corpus Christi, including one inside the Nueces County Courthouse. Applications are taken at (956) 996-8752. trla.org.
Texas State Law Library offers free legal research help and online resources statewide. sll.texas.gov.
TexasLawHelp.org publishes free guides for people facing debt lawsuits. texaslawhelp.org.

These are independent resources, listed for your information.

Kingsville FAQs

My citation says "Precinct 3." Do I have to go to Riviera?

The county lists the Precinct 3 justice of the peace in Riviera. Your answer must go to the court named on your citation, but we file it for you, and many cases never require you to appear in person.

I'm being transferred or graduating soon. What happens to my case if I leave Kingsville?

The case stays in the court where it was filed. Moving doesn't stop the deadline or end the lawsuit. Because we work remotely, we can keep defending the case after you move.

Is there anything a creditor can't take?

Yes. Current wages can't be garnished for consumer debt (Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28). Your homestead is protected, and personal property is exempt up to $50,000 for a single adult or $100,000 for a family (Property Code chs. 41 and 42). If you already have a judgment, read about post-judgment debt settlement, which uses the same flat fees as debt defense.

Get Help Before the Deadline

Call or text us, or start a free case evaluation. More answers are in our debt lawsuit Q&A. We also defend clients in nearby Corpus Christi and Victoria. Se habla español.

Helpful guides

General information, not legal advice for your case.