If I wanted to get a divorce from my wife of 3 years, what steps would I need to take?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I wanted to get a divorce from my wife of 3 years, what steps would I need to take?
Asked on March 1, 2012 under Family Law, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Every divorce in Texas begins with an Original Petition for Divorce. It is a document which tells the court that the marriage no longer works, and advises the court of any child or property issues. Once you prepare a petition, you must take it to the district clerk in the county where you have resided for the last 90 days and pay a filing fee. Filing fees usually run around $300.00, but an additional $45 or so dollars for having your wife served. Once the petition is filed, you must wait a couple of months before finalizing the divorce. However, during this waiting period, many couples try to work out the details that need to be contained in a final decree of divorce. Items would include a custody arrangement, a division of debts, and a division of property. Once the waiting period has passed, you can appear before the court and do what is called a "prove up", which is a short hearing in front of the judge where you ask him to approve and sign the final decree of divorce. After this judgment is signed, then you will officially be divorced from your wife.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.