A 5-Step Guide on How to File for Divorce in Texas

Before you can file for divorce in Texas, you or your spouse must have lived in Texas for at least 6 months have lived in the county in which you are filing for at least 90 days.

In Texas, a divorce is handled as a lawsuit, which means that you must file a petition with the court to begin the process. You can find the divorce paperwork online or get a divorce packet from the clerk at your local court. You must fill them out correctly and then file them with the court clerk and pay the fee.

After they are filed with the court, divorce papers must be served to the spouse by a recognized process server or the sheriff, unless service is formally waived. Then, the spouse must file a response or "answer" on or before 10:00 am on the first Monday following 20 days after service.

At the start of the divorce process, both parties must make detailed disclosures describing their finances, income, and assets, and these disclosures include and should be backed up with financial documentation. This is known as "discovery."

Mediation is often the best option to resolve a divorce, but if it's impossible to reach a settlement out-of-court, then your divorce may proceed to trial.