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How much does it cost to file for divorce in Texas?
Texas is one of the few states with a genuinely statewide answer: $350 in court filing fees, built from a $213 Local Consolidated Fee and a $137 State Consolidated Fee on the Judicial Branch (OCA) district court fee chart — before service, and before the children-related fees some counties add.
Texas divorce at a glance
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee (petitioner) | $350 statewide structure |
| Answer fee (respondent) | No separate answer fee appears on the statewide chart |
| Service of process | $50–$100 typical for a private process server; sheriff or constable service is usually less |
| Worked total to file, one respondent served | $400–$450 |
How the $350 is built
Since Texas consolidated its court fees, one line on the district clerk's chart covers the whole filing: the $213 Local Consolidated Fee and the $137 State Consolidated Fee, item I on the OCA district court fee chart (revised 11/03/2025). The same $350 structure covers a general civil case and a name change in district court. What the chart cannot flatten is the county layer for cases with children: counties that charge domestic-relations-office (DRO) and similar children-related fees run above $350, which is why two Texas filers with children in different counties can pay different totals for the same petition.
Divorce with children in Texas
A divorce with minor children is filed as a combined divorce-and-SAPCR case. The standalone custody case — filed when there is no divorce — is priced on the same chart at $350; see the child custody filing cost guide for the modification and enforcement fees ($80 under Tex. Fam. Code §110.002) that apply later.
How filing works in Texas
- Prepare the Original Petition for Divorce — Texas courts and the state law library publish the forms, and most counties require electronic filing through the court's e-filing system.
- File with the district clerk and pay the filing fee $350
- Arrange service on your spouse — citation by a sheriff, constable, or private process server $50–$100 typical
- Observe the 60-day waiting period Texas requires before a divorce can be finalized (with narrow exceptions).
- Submit the proposed Final Decree for the judge's signature, and order certified copies of it afterwards — see copy and certification fees.
Can't afford the fee?
Texas filers who cannot pay file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs instead of the fee — the fee waiver guide explains how waiver standards work. A granted statement covers the filing fee and service by a court officer; it does not cover a private process server.
The national picture
Texas sits in the upper-middle of the state range ($97–$435). The full comparison — including the thirteen county-set states where no honest single figure exists — is in the divorce filing cost guide, and every other Texas fee is in the Texas court costs guide.
Sources: Texas Judicial Branch (OCA) — District Court Fee Chart (rev. 11/03/2025) · Tex. Fam. Code chs. 45, 110 — Texas Statutes. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the district clerk.