How the result is produced
How this divorce cost estimator works
The result above applies the calculation described on this page to the figures entered. It cannot resolve disputed evidence, statutory eligibility, or a judge’s discretion. Read the limits below before using the number in a budget or discussion.
The calculation
Court costs+Professional time+Case expenses
The required district-court charges total $350. A county may add up to $51 when the divorce involves children. Citation, service, legal work, mediation, experts, and documents needed after the decree are separate.
Build the budget in layers
The filing fee is usually the smallest predictable part
What must be paid to the court or serving office?
Start with the correct new-suit charge, then add citation issuance, service, copies, and any card fee that actually applies.
How much professional time is likely?
Advice, drafting, negotiation, discovery, temporary orders, mediation, hearings, trial preparation, and implementation are usually billed by time or task.
Does a disputed issue need outside help?
Mediation, appraisal, business valuation, a custody-related professional, financial analysis, a transcript, or expert testimony should have its own budget line.
What still has to happen after the judge signs?
A deed, vehicle title, retirement order, account transfer, certified copy, refinance, or tax filing may be necessary to carry out the decree.
District-court filing charges
A new Texas divorce starts at $350 before citation and service
The Office of Court Administration schedule effective November 3, 2025 combines $213 in local consolidated charges and $137 in state consolidated charges. In a divorce involving children, an eligible county may add up to $36 for initial child-support service and up to $15 in another local child-case charge. That produces filing totals from $350 to $401 before citation, service, copies, or card charges.
| County | Without children | With children | Charge outside the filing total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | $350 | $365 | $8 citation; $85 constable service |
| Dallas | $350 | $401 | $80 county constable citation service |
| Tarrant | $350 | $401 | $8 citation; $90 county constable service |
| Bexar | $350 | $401 | Verify service with clerk |
| Travis | $350 | $365 | $8 citation; $90 constable service |
Attorney-time examples
Ten added hours usually matter more than a county fee difference
The examples below are simple multiplication, not Texas price averages. Replace both the hourly rate and expected hours with a lawyer’s quote or engagement terms when possible.
| Type of work budgeted | Rate × hours | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| A limited review and drafting project | $300 × 10 hours | $3,000 |
| Negotiation and preparation in an agreed or partly agreed case | $325 × 30 hours | $9,750 |
| Discovery, hearings, and intensive disputed work | $375 × 80 hours | $30,000 |
Where an early budget can miss
A new dispute usually adds time before it adds any other cost
The amount of paid professional time usually drives the budget. A temporary-orders hearing, disputed parenting plan, missing records, property tracing, a business valuation, experts, discovery, or trial can add substantial hours. A person who cannot afford court costs may use the process in Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145.
Amounts used in this tool
- The selected filing and service amounts
- An editable hourly rate and number of hours
- An editable mediation amount
- A complexity adjustment applied only to attorney time
Enter or budget elsewhere when needed
- Appraisal, tracing, valuation, or expert work
- A custody evaluation or other child-related professional
- Depositions, transcripts, travel, and records
- Deeds, retirement orders, titles, and other post-decree work
- Tax advice or later enforcement
Use paid time deliberately
Organized records make advice easier to give and easier to use
- Prepare one inventory showing each asset, debt, source of income, and recurring monthly expense.
- Name and sort statements, deeds, titles, tax returns, and existing court orders so another person can follow them.
- Separate what is agreed, what is genuinely disputed, and what presents an immediate safety concern.
- Group nonurgent questions for a scheduled review instead of sending them one at a time.
- Ask for a quote or range for likely outside work such as mediation, appraisal, or a retirement-plan order.
Questions about this calculation
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Texas?
The statewide required district-court charges total $350. A divorce involving children can also carry up to $51 in locally adopted Family Protection and Domestic Relations Office charges, and citation or service is extra. Check the county clerk’s current schedule before filing.
What usually drives the total cost of a Texas divorce?
Paid professional time usually matters far more than the filing fee. A temporary-orders hearing, disputed parenting plan, missing financial records, property tracing, an appraisal, expert work, or trial preparation can each add hours and outside expenses.
Is an uncontested divorce always inexpensive?
No. Full agreement often keeps legal work down, but the filing fee still applies and the decree still has to deal correctly with property, debt, children, and support. Service, legal review, deeds, and retirement orders may still cost extra.
Can Texas divorce filing fees be excused if I cannot pay?
Rule 145 allows a person who cannot afford court costs to file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. Court costs are not due unless the court later orders payment after following the rule’s notice and hearing process.
Is mediation required in every Texas divorce?
No. A judge can refer a divorce to mediation, and some courts make it part of their usual scheduling order, but there is no statewide rule requiring it in every divorce. Texas law provides an objection process when family violence affects whether mediation is appropriate.
What costs can continue after the judge signs the decree?
A signed decree may still need a deed, vehicle-title documents, a retirement-plan order, certified copies, account transfers, or refinancing. Tax advice and later enforcement are also separate from the cost of getting the decree signed.
Texas material cited on this page
Statutes and agency schedules
- Texas Judicial Branch — civil filing fees
The November 3, 2025 schedules show the $350 required total and the optional county charges that may be added in a case involving children.