A Practice Note explaining how to prepare, file, and serve a citation, petition, and other case-initiating documents for a civil suit in Texas district or county court. This Note describes how to properly file an action electronically or in paper format. It also discusses the steps necessary to serve process on an individual or corporate defendant, including personal, alternative, or substitute service, how to prove proper service of process, how to serve defendants located in other US states and in foreign countries, and how to request a waiver of service.