How long does a divorce take in Dallas County, and what does it cost to file?

At minimum, a Dallas County divorce takes 60 days from the date the petition is filed — Texas law mandates this waiting period (Tex. Fam. Code §6.702) regardless of how agreed the parties are. In practice, even straightforward agreed divorces commonly take three to five months once the petition is filed, final documents are prepared, and a hearing date is obtained in the family courts. Contested cases — involving disputed property division, business valuation, custody disputes, or domestic violence issues — routinely take one to two years in Dallas County's busy family docket. To file, at least one spouse must have resided in Texas for the preceding six months and in Dallas County for the preceding 90 days (Tex. Fam. Code §6.301). Filing fees in Dallas County's District Courts vary but typically run several hundred dollars for the initial petition. A Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (indigency affidavit) is available for those who qualify financially — this waives the filing fee. For residents who cannot afford a private attorney, the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP; 214-243-2243; dvaponline.org) assists income-qualifying residents with uncontested divorces and some contested family matters through a pro bono panel. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277) also handles some family law matters. Contested divorces involving disputed assets, children, or domestic violence allegations — particularly in a county with Dallas's asset complexity — benefit from private counsel even at additional cost, because the consequences of an unfavorable divorce decree (especially on property and conservatorship) are long-lasting.

How is community property divided in a Dallas County divorce, especially when a business is involved?

Texas is a community property state, which means property and debt accumulated during the marriage belongs to both spouses equally as a legal matter, to be divided "just and right" by the court (Tex. Fam. Code §7.001). The court need not split everything 50/50 — it can consider fault in the breakup, age and health of the parties, education and earning capacity, custody of children, and other equitable factors. Separate property — owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance during it — stays with the owning spouse, but must be traced by clear and convincing evidence. Business interests are among the most contested assets in Dallas County divorces, where the entrepreneurial and corporate environment produces many cases involving small businesses, professional practices, and startup equity. If a business was founded during the marriage, its current value (minus any separate-property contribution) is generally community property. Valuing a closely held business requires a forensic accountant using standard business-valuation approaches (income, market, and asset-based methods). The spouses often hire competing experts, and the court weighs the testimony. Cash flow from a business that has been diverted to avoid appearing as income or assets is another contested issue in cases where one spouse controls the records. For employees of publicly traded Dallas companies with equity compensation (AT&T, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, others), RSUs and stock options that were granted and/or vested during the marriage are generally community property to the extent attributable to the marriage period — calculated by formula. Retirement accounts (401(k), pension, deferred compensation) require Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) to divide without tax consequences. Both spouses benefit from independent financial advisors in high-asset cases.

How does conservatorship and child support work in Dallas County?

Texas law replaces "custody" with "conservatorship." In most Dallas County cases, parents are appointed joint managing conservators (JMC), sharing many parental rights and duties, with one parent holding the exclusive right to designate the primary residence — often limited to Dallas County and contiguous counties (Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, Kaufman, and Ellis). In cases involving documented family violence or other serious concerns about a parent's fitness, one parent may be named sole managing conservator. The Standard Possession Order (SPO) under Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 153 is the default parenting-time framework: the non-primary parent gets the first, third, and fifth weekends of each month, Thursdays during the school year (or Thursday through Sunday under the Expanded SPO), alternating holidays, and 30 days of extended summer time. Parents can agree on a different schedule, and courts approve agreed parenting plans that serve the child's best interest. Dallas County family courts commonly order mediation before a contested custody hearing, and the courts can appoint an amicus attorney or guardian ad litem to represent the child's interests in contested cases. Child support under Texas guidelines (Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 154) uses the paying parent's "net resources": 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five or more — applied to net resources after tax, health insurance for the child, and other deductions, up to a statutory cap. The Texas AG's Child Support Division (Dallas office: 214-688-3900) can establish and enforce orders administratively without private counsel, which is particularly valuable for Dallas County's working-class and low-income families who cannot afford attorney fees.

I need a protective order in Dallas County for family violence. How do I get one?

Texas protective orders for family violence are available under Title 4 of the Texas Family Code and can be pursued through two main paths in Dallas County: Through the Dallas County District Attorney's Domestic Violence Unit: The DA's office actively assists family violence victims in applying for protective orders, and this path involves the DA's attorneys handling the presentation to the court. The DA's Family Violence Unit (Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd., Dallas TX 75207; 214-653-3600) can move quickly for emergency ex parte orders. Through the family courts directly: You can also file a petition for a protective order at the Family Law Center (2101 Singleton Blvd., Dallas TX 75212) without DA involvement, either with or without an attorney. A temporary ex parte protective order can be issued the same day you apply — without the respondent being present — if you demonstrate a clear and present danger of family violence. A contested hearing is then set within approximately 14 days for a final protective order, which can last up to two years (or indefinitely in cases of serious or repeated family violence). The order can require the respondent to leave the shared residence, prohibit all contact, address temporary custody of children, prohibit firearm possession (under both state and federal law), and more. The Family Place (24-hour crisis line: 214-941-1991; thefamilyplace.org) and Genesis Women's Shelter (214-946-4357; genesisws.org; 4411 Lemmon Ave.) provide emergency shelter, advocates who accompany survivors to court, and legal consultations at no cost. Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277) handles protective order matters for income-qualifying residents.

My spouse moved to another state (or country) with our child. What can I do in Dallas County?

Parental relocation and international parental abduction are serious matters with different legal frameworks depending on whether the child has been taken to another U.S. state or to another country. If your child has been taken to another state without a court order: the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), adopted in Texas as Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 152, governs jurisdictional disputes between states. If Dallas County was your child's "home state" (the child lived there for at least six months immediately before the proceeding, or since birth if younger), Texas courts generally have jurisdiction to make custody determinations, and the other state must enforce a valid Texas order. You can file an emergency SAPCR in Dallas County family court and request an ex parte temporary restraining order preventing the other parent from leaving with the child while the case is pending. If your child has been taken to another country: the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction provides a treaty mechanism for the return of wrongfully removed or retained children to their country of habitual residence. The U.S. Central Authority for Hague applications is the U.S. Department of State, Office of Children's Issues (1-888-407-4747). Texas has adopted the Hague Convention through the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA). Filing both under the Hague Convention with the State Department and in Dallas County district court simultaneously is the recommended approach. For either situation, consult a Dallas County family law attorney immediately — time is critical in parental abduction cases because delay can affect jurisdictional determinations and make the child harder to locate.

Family Law & Divorce in Dallas County, Texas

Family law cases in Dallas County are filed in the dedicated Family District Courts at the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building (600 Commerce St., Dallas TX 75202) and the Family Law Center (2101 Singleton Blvd., Dallas TX 75212), with filings handled by the Dallas County District Clerk (214-653-7420). Dallas County has several courts designated exclusively for family law matters — covering divorce, conservatorship, child support, and protective orders — with experienced family court judges and a substantial support infrastructure including family services, custody evaluators, and mediation programs. To file for divorce in Dallas County, at least one spouse must have lived in Texas for the preceding six months and in Dallas County for the preceding 90 days (Tex. Fam. Code §6.301). Texas imposes a mandatory 60-day waiting period after filing before the divorce can be finalized (Tex. Fam. Code §6.702), with narrow exceptions for family-violence situations. Even an agreed, uncontested divorce cannot close faster than 60 days, and contested cases involving property division, business interests, or child custody often take considerably longer.

Texas is a community property state: property and debt acquired during marriage are generally community property, divided "just and right" by the court (Tex. Fam. Code §7.001) — not necessarily equally, but equitably considering the full picture. Separate property — owned before marriage, or received by gift or inheritance — stays with the owning spouse if properly traced by clear and convincing evidence. Dallas County's economic diversity creates wide variation in divorce complexity: cases range from straightforward dissolution of modest marital estates to complex high-asset divorces involving business interests, commercial real estate in Dallas's booming development market, investment portfolios, corporate equity awards and deferred compensation, and professional practices. Business valuation in Dallas's entrepreneurial economy — the city ranks among the top five metros in the U.S. for startup activity — is frequently a major contested issue. Both spouses in these cases benefit from retaining their own financial advisors and attorneys rather than relying on a shared accountant or mediator to ensure their respective interests are protected.

Texas uses distinctive terminology for what other states call custody. Courts appoint "conservators" rather than granting "custody": in most cases, parents are named joint managing conservators (JMC) with one parent holding the exclusive right to designate the child's primary residence, typically restricted to Dallas County and contiguous counties. The parenting time schedule (called "possession and access") commonly follows the Standard Possession Order (Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 153): the non-primary parent receives the first, third, and fifth weekends, Thursday evening during the school year (or Thursday through Sunday under the Expanded Standard Order), alternating holidays, and extended summer possession. Any case involving children — within a divorce or as a standalone proceeding for unmarried parents — is a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR). Dallas County's family courts are busy, mediation is frequently ordered before a contested hearing, and the "best interest of the child" standard governs all conservatorship decisions.

Child support follows Texas's statutory guidelines based on the paying parent's "net resources" (Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 154): 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, 40% for five or more — applied to net resources after specified deductions, up to a statutory income cap. For Dallas County's mix of corporate employees, small business owners, gig workers, and informal-economy earners, calculating "net resources" accurately can require subpoenas for financial records or forensic accountant analysis. The Texas Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division (Dallas location; 214-688-3900; texasattorneygeneral.gov) administers the state program that establishes, enforces, and modifies support orders through administrative processes without requiring private attorneys — a critical resource for Dallas County's large working-class and low-income population. International child support issues arise with some frequency given Dallas County's large immigrant population, and the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance provides mechanisms for cross-border enforcement.

Domestic violence is a major public health issue in Dallas County. The City of Dallas and Dallas County prosecute family violence cases aggressively, and protective orders under Title 4 of the Texas Family Code are available through the Dallas County District Attorney's Domestic Violence Unit and through the family courts. The Family Place (214-941-1991; thefamilyplace.org; P.O. Box 7999, Dallas TX 75209) operates Dallas County's primary domestic violence shelter and crisis hotline, with 24-hour emergency services and legal advocacy. Genesis Women's Shelter and Support (214-946-4357; genesisws.org; 4411 Lemmon Ave., Dallas TX 75219) serves women and their children escaping domestic violence and provides on-site legal consultation. The Dallas Bar Association's Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP; 214-243-2243) and Legal Aid of Northwest Texas (888-529-5277) assist income-qualifying survivors with protective orders and divorce matters. Emergency ex parte protective orders can be issued the same day upon a showing of immediate danger, with a contested hearing scheduled within approximately 14 days.

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