(a) A court that determines that a person has signed a pleading or motion in violation of § 10.001 may impose a sanction on the person, a party represented by the person, or both.
(b) The sanction must be limited to what is sufficient to deter repetition of the conduct or comparable conduct by others similarly situated.

Terms Used In Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 10.004

  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Signed: includes any symbol executed or adopted by a person with present intention to authenticate a writing. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(c) A sanction may include any of the following:
(1) a directive to the violator to perform, or refrain from performing, an act;
(2) an order to pay a penalty into court; and
(3) an order to pay to the other party the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred by the other party because of the filing of the pleading or motion, including reasonable attorney’s fees.
(d) The court may not award monetary sanctions against a represented party for a violation of § 10.001(2).
(e) The court may not award monetary sanctions on its own initiative unless the court issues its order to show cause before a voluntary dismissal or settlement of the claims made by or against the party or the party’s attorney who is to be sanctioned.
(f) The filing of a general denial under Rule 92, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, shall not be deemed a violation of this chapter.

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