Texas Divorce Cost Estimator

Estimate your total cost of divorce in Texas. Filing fees, attorney rates, child support, and alimony, all in one place.

Last updated: Texas cost figures are our own estimates, not independently verified

Texas divorces typically cost 21% less than the national average of $12,900.

Divorce in Texas

Property system, in our record
Community property
Filing fee
$250 - $350
Waiting period
60 days
Residency requirement
180 days
Uncontested cost range
$2,000 - $5,500
Attorney hourly rate
$250/hr - $500/hr

Divorce Cost Estimator in Texas: What You Should Know

Texas divorces cost significantly more when fault grounds are alleged or when business interests are involved. The 60-day mandatory waiting period applies from the date the petition is filed, not from service. This is a small but important distinction for planning. Texas allows both fault and no-fault divorce, and pursuing fault grounds adds attorney time for investigation, discovery, and litigation of the fault issue itself. Texas's community property rules mean that all income and debt accumulated during the marriage is presumed jointly owned. Disputes about what is and is not community property are a common source of added cost in Texas divorces.

What this section says about Texas's divorce grounds and property system is a characterisation this site carries rather than a finding. That is our own record rather than Texas's own law.

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Where will you file, and what type of divorce are you expecting?

Locked to Texas on this page.

Divorce type

Divorce Cost in Texas - Frequently Asked Questions

How much does divorce cost in Texas?

An uncontested divorce in Texas typically runs $2,000 - $5,500, while a contested divorce ranges from $15,000 - $50,000. Your actual cost depends on whether you and your spouse agree on the major terms, how complex your assets are, and whether children are involved. The calculator on this page gives you a personalized estimate based on your situation.

What is the filing fee for divorce in Texas?

The court filing fee for divorce in Texas is $250 - $350. Add about $75 for serving papers on your spouse, plus a typical county clerk surcharge of around $25. Filing fees vary by county, so check with your local court for the exact amount. Fee waivers are available if you cannot afford to pay.

How long does divorce take in Texas?

An uncontested divorce in Texas usually takes about 3 months from filing to final judgment, while contested cases average around 14 months. Texas requires a mandatory waiting period of 60 days after filing before a divorce can be finalized. You also need to meet a residency requirement of 180 days before filing.

Do I need a lawyer to file for divorce in Texas?

No, Texas allows you to file for divorce without a lawyer (called pro se filing). For uncontested divorces with no children and few shared assets, many people file successfully on their own. If your case involves children, retirement accounts, real estate, a business, or any disagreement, hiring an attorney is strongly worth considering. Texas attorneys typically charge $250/hr - $500/hr.

How is property divided in a Texas divorce?

Our record has Texas following community property, meaning marital assets are generally split 50/50. That is our own record rather than Texas's own property division law. Marital property generally includes assets and debts acquired during the marriage, while separate property (assets owned before marriage or received as gifts or inheritance) usually stays with the original owner. Retirement accounts, real estate, business interests, and pensions often need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide, which typically costs $600 to $2,000 in Texas.

This estimate is for planning purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult a licensed family law attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.

How we calculate this estimate

The estimate starts with your state's court filing fee and the cost of serving papers, both drawn from our state data table. Attorney fees are the largest variable, so those are modeled as an hours range for your divorce path (uncontested, mediated, collaborative, or contested) priced at the hourly rate range we hold for your state. That subtotal then shifts with asset complexity, length of marriage, and combined household income, because all three change how many hours a case really takes. Mediation fees and costs tied to children or a shared home are added on top.

What the estimate assumes for Texas

  • Attorney hours reflect full representation. Limited-scope help or filing on your own costs less.
  • The hourly rates, the service fee, and the average case totals are our own estimates rather than measured figures. They came into our data when the site was built and no survey stands behind any of them. The filing fee is the one figure in that set anybody has gone back to, on some states but not all, and the freshness line under the heading on this page says which case your state is in. None of this is knowingly wrong. None of it is a state average either.
  • Filing fees use the midpoint of the range we hold for your state, since counties inside one state often charge different amounts.
  • Higher combined income and a more complex marital estate raise the hours multiplier, because discovery and valuation work grow along with both.
  • The figure is a total for the case itself. It does not include child support or alimony you may pay after the divorce is final.

Where the estimate stops

This is a planning estimate, not a quote. Your real total depends on your attorney's rate, your county, and how much of the case ends up contested. Ask a licensed family law attorney in your state for a fee estimate built around your own facts.

Read the full methodology for how every calculator on the site is built.

Sources

Texas courts and statutes

Where to read more

Background reading, not where the figures above came from. No number on this page is taken from any of these.

About this page

Barron Hansen

Written by Barron Hansen

I am an app developer who is dedicated to building the highest-value, most accurate web apps possible, that people want to use every day.