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Texas Divorce Forms

Texas courts run on forms. Each document you fill out tells the courts more about who you are, what you have, and what you want after your divorce is final. 

After you decide to break up, forms also help you and your ex split assets and make decisions like who will have primary custody of the children. Each document you complete together helps you decide who keeps what.

This article explores the most common forms people need for a Texas divorce. Note that all of them are free to download, and you can print out multiple copies to use as rough drafts.

But know that once you fill out a form and give it to the clerk, it’s stamped and considered legal. Keep those versions safe, as they prove that your divorce is progressing as it should. 

What forms do you need to start a divorce in Texas?

Your divorce begins with paperwork one person (the petitioner) fills out and submits to the clerk in your Texas county. These forms fall into the two following groups. 

Start a divorce or separation

An Original Petition for Divorce starts your divorce, and several versions exist, including the following:

You must also fill out two more forms to start the process, including the following:

Share financial information

Texas law requires you to discuss finances with your ex within 30 days of filing divorce paperwork. Use the Required Initial Disclosures in Dissolution of Marriage form and give it to your spouse. 

What forms will I need to respond to a divorce?

Once the person who filed for a divorce (the petitioner) gives the forms to you (the respondent), you must make a formal statement. 

Two options are available, including the following:

If you choose the Waiver of Service Only form, you must sign it before a notary at least one day after your spouse files the petition. The other form has no such requirement.

Typically, the petitioner provides the right response form when giving you the original divorce paperwork. But you can always download a form and use the one you printed instead. 

You must also share financial data using the same Required Initial Disclosures in Dissolution of Marriage form your spouse gave you. 

Divide property and debt 

Items you collected as a couple should be split fairly when you divorce in keeping with Texas' community property principle of asset division. As part of the process, you must both outline what your estate is made of and who will get what part of it. This involves detailed lists, and sometimes, it can be difficult to determine who gets what.

People must discuss difficult items, including the following:

  • Primary property, including homes, farms, and apartments 
  • Rental property 
  • Vehicles, including cars, boats, and motorcycles 
  • Checking account balances
  • Saving account balances
  • Credit card debts
  • Home improvement loans 
  • Retirement funds

People in Texas can hold discussions about property and debt as they fill out final divorce documents. Multiple versions exist, including the following:

You must also determine spousal support payments. When you've decided how much one person will pay the other, you'll record those arrangements in an Income Withholding Order for Support instructing an employer to withhold payments from an employee's pay. 

 

Determine childcare and support 

Families with children have several decisions to make together. They should settle where the children will live, when they will visit the other parent, and what should be shared in terms of child support. Forms facilitate those discussions.

Three forms are involved, including the following:

Finalizing your divorce

Completing your divorce doesn’t entail filling out more forms. Instead, it involves taking the forms you have to a courtroom for a judge to stamp and sign.

When all of the documents have been approved, you can take them to the clerk to file. At this point, you have taken the final step to end your marriage. 

Additional forms you should know about

Some people need a few other forms we haven't yet mentioned. Those forms include the following:

References

I Need a Divorce. We Do Not Have Minor Children. (October 2022). Texas Law Help.
I Need a Divorce. We Have Children Under 18. (January 2023). Texas Law Help.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Divorce Specialists
Divorce Strategy, Divorce Preparation, Divorce Process, Divorce and Home Equity, Property and Assets
After spending years in toxic and broken family law courts, and seeing that no one wins when “lawyer up,” we knew there was an opportunity to do and be better. We created Hello Divorce to the divorce process easier, affordable, and completely online. Our guiding principles are to make sure both spouses feel heard, supported, and set up for success as they move into their next chapter in life.