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Family & children
Legal help in Texas
An existing plan may help you understand an order, review an agreement, or prepare for a conversation with a family lawyer. That is different from taking a contested case to court. Start with the problem you need to solve and confirm the specific work before relying on coverage.
Compare Texas divorce rules with another state
Custody, support-agency, and protective-order routes checked October 15, 2026. Existing divorce-law research keeps its October 10 review date. Selected statewide starting points, not a complete family-law procedure; county requirements and individual facts still matter.
All family & children situations · All Texas topics
Texas · Family & children
I am considering divorce
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Texas legal procedure.
What to do first
Identify what must be resolved now: safety, parenting, housing, access to money, and existing court orders.
Deadlines and urgent risks
Do not confuse a minimum waiting period with a completion date. Filing, service, responses, and temporary orders have separate requirements.
Steps to take
Make a list of agreed and disputed issues. Compare mediation, collaborative work, lawyer negotiation, and court; do not treat negotiation as the default if you feel unsafe or controlled.
Divorce & safety resources
Divorce information in Texas
Divorce law details and state comparison
Divorce law details
Texas: the important distinctions
Reviewed October 10, 2026. General information; exceptions and jurisdiction questions require individual review.
Where you can file
Ordinary filing rule: 6 months domiciled in Texas and 90 days in the county.Either spouse can meet the rule. Separate provisions address a nonresident filing against a Texas spouse and military/service residence. Residence is not the only jurisdiction question.
Texas Family Code 6.301-6.304Grounds & separation
No-fault insupportability is available; fault grounds also exist.Living apart for three years is an alternative statutory ground, not a required separation period for every no-fault divorce.
Texas Family Code 6.001-6.007Timing: what starts the clock
Generally no divorce before the 60th day after the petition is filed.Certain family-violence exceptions involve a qualifying conviction/deferred adjudication or an active protective/emergency order. They are not a general waiver for every allegation. The case can take longer.
Texas Family Code 6.702Property & debts
Community property does not mean a mandatory 50/50 division.The court divides the marital estate in a just-and-right manner. Separate property is treated differently. Identify debts and ownership carefully before signing an agreement.
Texas Family Code 7.001Spousal support
Court-ordered maintenance has specific eligibility requirements.Insufficient property to meet minimum reasonable needs must be paired with a qualifying path, such as certain family-violence offenses, disability, care of a disabled child, or a marriage of at least ten years with insufficient earning ability. Ten years alone does not qualify someone.
Texas Family Code 8.051-8.055Parenting & child support
Custody is called conservatorship; possession schedules and support are separate issues.The child's best interests guide decisions. A divorce involving children includes custody, visitation, child support, and medical-support orders; sharing decision-making does not itself promise equal time.
Texas Law Help: conservatorshipAgreed & simpler processes
Agreed divorce forms can help when their scope fits your circumstances.Use the correct packet for children and existing orders. A packet is not suitable for every property, maintenance, or jurisdiction issue, and agreement does not remove the required court steps.
Texas Law Help: agreed divorce with childrenHelp while a case is pending
Temporary orders can address children and property while the case is pending.Temporary restraining orders and family-violence protective orders are different tools. Ask about the correct procedure, hearing, and safety protections before using forms.
Texas Law Help: temporary ordersMinimum legal periods are not completion estimates. See the timing explanation above before planning around a date.
Compare Texas with another researched state · Local divorce and safety resources
What may happen next
You may need temporary orders before a final agreement. An agreed process still needs valid documents and court approval where required.
Documents to gather
Existing orders, marriage records, financial statements, debts, housing costs, and parenting arrangements.
Do not enter documents or private case details into this site's search.
Which rules apply?
Statewide law, local court procedure, and federal or agency rules are different checks. Where a local rule matters, use the county and court identified on your documents.
Read the full prepaid-focused guide
Where prepaid help may fit
Is advice or review included? Does my exact product cover an uncontested divorce, and who handles it?
What it may not cover
Contested representation, negotiations, court appearances, waiting periods, existing matters, and conflicts between covered spouses need separate confirmation.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Can I buy a plan now for this problem?
Ask about effective dates, waiting periods, and existing-matter exclusions before paying. Do not assume a new subscription covers an issue that has already started.
Does a consultation mean I have a lawyer for the next step?
No. Confirm the scope, who will handle any filing or appearance, responsibility for deadlines, and additional fees. Get a separate engagement if required.
All family & children situations · All Texas topics
Texas · Family & children
I need help with parenting or support
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Texas legal procedure.
What to do first
Locate the current order, if any, and identify the change or immediate problem you need help with.
Deadlines and urgent risks
An informal agreement may not change an existing court order. Safety concerns and time-sensitive hearings need individual help.
First order, changed order, or enforcement?
- No order yet: Texas calls a custody case a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR). The parent-filed SAPCR guide has conditions about parentage, marriage, and existing orders. It is not the right packet for everyone, including every unresolved-paternity case.
- An order already exists: bring the complete order, including an Attorney General support order. The modification guide concerns changing an order; asking someone to comply with an existing order is a different task.
- Someone disagrees: the nonprofit's do-it-yourself SAPCR and modification instructions are for agreed or default cases, not a substitute for contested representation. Ask a lawyer to check whether the packet fits before using it.
What a useful plan consultation could accomplish
For example, a new work schedule may make the current pickup arrangement impractical. A lawyer could review the order, identify whether a proposed agreement needs court approval, and explain the next task. Drafting and filing a modification or arguing over the change may be separate paid work.
Texas uses conservatorship for custody rights and possession and access for parenting time. Sharing decision-making does not itself mean equal time or no support.
TexasLawHelp: custody terminology and limited-scope help.
Bring the problem, not just a form
- The signed order, cause number, court, and any new hearing or service papers.
- The specific change or missed obligation, with a dated record.
- A realistic parenting calendar and relevant financial and care records.
Share identifying information privately with counsel, not this site's search.
County and case details still matter
Check filing and hearing requirements with the court named in the case. Another state's order, a recent move, disputed parentage, or a contested request needs individual jurisdiction and procedure advice.
Explore prepaid help for family matters
If safety is part of the problem
Do not treat agreement or mediation as the default when someone feels intimidated or controlled. Tell your lawyer and the support agency about safety concerns and ask about safe contact and nondisclosure procedures.
OAG: child support and family violence.
Where prepaid help may fit
Can an eligible family-law lawyer explain my order and review a proposed agreement?
What it may not cover
A consultation is not an agreement to handle a custody dispute or enforce an order. Family litigation may be excluded or separately billed.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Will the plan file a modification or enforce my order?
Ask about those tasks explicitly. Consultation, form review, drafting, service, and court representation are different services. Confirm eligibility, deadlines, the assigned lawyer, and fees for anything outside the benefit.
Can I buy coverage after the disagreement starts?
Do not assume it will cover an existing dispute. Ask about effective dates, waiting periods, existing-matter rules, and conflicts when another covered family member is involved. Keep meeting court deadlines while checking.
All family & children situations · All Texas topics
Texas · Family & children
I need immediate safety help
Practical starting guidance, not a complete Texas legal procedure.
Deadlines and urgent risks
Do not wait for a subscription to activate or a routine appointment when immediate safety is at risk. This website cannot dispatch emergency help.
Find the protective-order route
- Start with safety support. An advocate can help you consider safe contact, shelter, and local legal assistance. Do not wait for membership approval to seek that help.
- Ask which order fits. Family-violence protective orders, emergency orders after an arrest, and a restraining order in a family case are not interchangeable. Tell the lawyer about every existing case or order.
- Use current application guidance. The Texas judiciary's domestic-violence resource page links to the Protective Order Kit. Ask a local advocate, legal aid, or the responsible county or district attorney's office about application help, safe service, and the hearing.
A plan purchase is not a filing requirement
Texas Family Code 81.002 bars specified public officials from charging the applicant for filing, serving, or entering a protective order and related listed services. That protection does not promise free private-lawyer representation. Ask about available public or legal-aid assistance and any separate attorney fee.
Texas Family Code 81.002 and 81.007: applicant fees and prosecuting-attorney responsibilities. Checked October 15, 2026.
Support proceedings need a safety check too
The OAG allows safety concerns to be reported at any time. Ask about its Family Violence Indicator, the Request for Nondisclosure, and how the case will proceed without unsafe direct negotiations. Complete the requested steps; do not assume a general warning automatically resolves every disclosure issue.
OAG: safety procedures for child-support cases. These are agency safeguards, not emergency dispatch or a guarantee of safety.
Gather only what is safe
Existing orders, hearing notices, and relevant incident records may help. Do not put yourself in danger to obtain evidence or share a location or sensitive documents through this site's search.
Ask the existing plan
Can a Texas family-law attorney advise promptly? Does the benefit include preparing a protective-order request or attending the hearing, or only advice and referral? A consultation is not confirmation of representation.
If papers were served on you
Read any temporary orders, hearing date, and response instructions and seek prompt individual advice. This page cannot assess the allegations or determine what order should be entered.
Where prepaid help may fit
Can my existing plan connect me promptly to advice about protection orders or related family issues?
What it may not cover
A legal plan is not emergency response or confidential safety planning. Do not assume it includes representation at an urgent hearing.
Ask for the written coverage terms · Compare the actual extra costs
Common questions
Should I wait for the plan to arrange an appointment?
Not when immediate safety or a court deadline is at risk. Use emergency services, an advocate, or local legal assistance as appropriate while separately checking the existing benefit.
Does finding an order in a registry file my application?
No. A protective-order registry is not an application or legal engagement. Use the application process and local filing instructions with appropriate help; confirm service and hearing requirements from the actual court papers.
Official contacts and more help
Texas family-law routes
County or court details: Use the court named on your papers. Ask about local forms, filing, service, fees, response dates, and hearings. A statewide form may need local additions.
Find local civil legal aid. Eligibility, scope, and availability vary; applying does not establish representation or stop a deadline.
Federal and national resources
These agencies and directories serve different purposes. Court staff explain procedure, not individualized advice. Civil legal aid is not the usual source of criminal defense.
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