If you and your spouse have made the agreed decision to divorce and the two of you had no children born or adopted during the marriage and the two of you did not have any community property, then this article will be a step-by-step guide for you to be able to accomplish your divorce at minimal cost in Harris County, Texas.

IS YOUR DIVORCE CONTESTED OR UNCONTESTED?

A contested divorce is one where both parties cannot reach an agreement as to how the divorce should occur. That can mean one of many things: how property, assets, debts are to be divided; conservatorship or possession and access to the child; child support and medical support payments; or who gets to keep the family dog. The issues can be few or many, but costly either way as this usually leads to a more drawn out divorce process and can cost anywhere from $2500 to $10,000+ dollars in attorney’s fees and filing costs.

An uncontested divorce is one where both parties have reached an agreement as to how they are to divide ALL issues of concern within their marriage. This applies to property, assets, debts, conservatorship of the child, child support and medical support, and even the family dog. When both parties agree to all issues costs are greatly reduced. You can even find an attorney to handle your uncontested divorce for around $1250. This article is geared for uncontested divorce where no children or property is at play.

HOW MUCH WILL AN UNCONTESTED DIVORCE WITH NO CHILDREN NO PROPERTY COST ME IN HARRIS COUNTY, TX?

In Harris County, the filing fee for a divorce with no children is $283.00. That payment can be made at 201 Caroline Street, Houston, TX 77002 on the 2ⁿᵈ floor. Once you file your petition for divorce, the earliest date you can have your divorce finalized or proved-up is on the 61st day from the initial filing of your petition.

If you need to serve your spouse, meaning to give the party notice that a divorce has been filed, the range of cost depending on where your spouse resides can range from $75-$100.But if your divorce is uncontested then a “Waiver of Service” can replace the cost of service. A Waiver of Service will need to be completed by the spouse, notarized, and returned to the court prior to the prove-up/final trial date. Cost of notary can either be free (some banks provide this service to their account holders) to about $25.00.

Again, you can always hire an attorney for your uncontested divorce for around $1250.

WHAT DO THE HARRIS COUNTY, TX COURTS REQUIRE IN AN UNCONTESTED DIVORCE NO CHILDREN NO PROPERTY?

• Original Petition for Divorce
• Proof of Service (from process server) or Waiver of Service from Spouse
• Agreed Final Decree of Divorce
• Bureau of Vital Statistic (BVS) Form
• Petition for the Divorce has been filed for at least 61 days before prove-up/final trial

In order to make sure you have all your paperwork in order and it is compliant with the court’s requirements.