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Monthly support
Texas child support
Enter monthly resources and the deductions allowed by §154.062. The result uses the 20%–40% standard schedule or the lower schedule for net resources below $1,000.
Open calculatorTexas divorce planning · TX
Texas divorce costs, calculators, and legal guides
Estimate support or case costs, then check the Texas rule behind the number. The guides cover the court process, filing fees, property, parenting orders, and spousal maintenance, with local fee information for five large counties.
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2026Links to Texas statutes and court schedulesCalculators work without signing in
Texas calculators
Run the number, then read what the number leaves out
Change the income, fee, or time assumptions to compare scenarios. Each result page explains the calculation and identifies the cases that need a different method.
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Statutory maintenance
Maintenance limits
Calculate the lesser of $5,000 or 20% of monthly gross income. Eligibility under Chapter 8 is a separate question.
Open calculator03
Total case planning
Texas divorce cost
Build a working budget from the filing fee, service, attorney time, mediation, and an editable complexity setting.
Open calculatorBefore you use the calculators
Six Texas rules worth knowing before you estimate anything
Texas uses its own support formula, property standard, and court terminology. These points prevent the most common mistakes in an early budget or proposed agreement.
How the rules enter our models →Child support starts with one parent’s net resources
The base percentage does not combine both incomes or subtract a fixed amount for each overnight.
A maintenance ceiling does not establish eligibility
A spouse must satisfy §8.051 before the lesser-of-$5,000-or-20% limit becomes relevant.
Community property does not guarantee an equal split
Separate character must be proved, and the judge divides the community estate under the just-and-right standard.
Joint managing conservators may have unequal time
The order separately assigns rights, residence, possession, and child support.
The 60-day wait is only the earliest threshold
Unless a §6.702 family-violence exception applies, the judge waits at least 60 days; the rest of the case may take longer.
A child case can add up to $51 at filing
The required charges total $350, while local child-case fees, citation, and service depend on the county.
From petition to decree
Where the work happens in a Texas divorce
- 1
Check where to file
Confirm Texas and county residency and, when children have moved, UCCJEA jurisdiction.
- 2
Open the case
File the petition with the correct fee or a current Rule 145 inability-to-pay statement.
- 3
Complete legal notice
Use formal service, a valid waiver signed after filing, or another method the court authorizes.
- 4
Handle the months in between
Standing or temporary orders may govern bills, property, parenting time, and support.
- 5
Exchange records
Identify income, property, debt, and the facts needed for parenting decisions.
- 6
Settle or try the dispute
Agreed terms go into final papers; unresolved issues go to a hearing or trial.
- 7
Carry out the decree
Complete any deed, title transfer, retirement order, withholding order, or account change.
Texas divorce guides
Read the law that applies to the decision in front of you
Start with the process guide if the case has not been filed. The issue guides go deeper on fees, property, child support, conservatorship, and maintenance.
Texas divorce guide
How the Texas divorce process works, from filing to final decree
Learn what happens in a Texas divorce after the petition is filed, including service, the 60-day wait, temporary orders, settlement, trial, and the final decree.
Read 14-minute guide →Texas court cost guideTexas divorce filing fees, service costs, and county add-ons
See the 2026 cost to open a Texas divorce, why a case with children can cost more, what citation and service add, and how to file under Rule 145 if you cannot pay.
Read 10-minute guide →Texas property guideHow Texas community property is identified and divided in divorce
Find out what Texas treats as community or separate property, why title is not decisive, how tracing works, and what a just-and-right divorce division can include.
Read 16-minute guide →Texas support guideTexas child support guidelines: net resources, rates, and the 2026 cap
See how Texas calculates child support from net resources, when the 15% low-income rate applies, how the $11,700 cap works, and what changes for other children.
Read 15-minute guide →Texas parenting guideTexas child custody: conservatorship, parenting time, and residence
Learn what conservatorship means in Texas, why joint managing conservators do not necessarily share time equally, and how courts decide residence and possession.
Read 15-minute guide →Texas maintenance guideTexas spousal maintenance: who may qualify, amount limits, and duration
Learn who may qualify for court-ordered maintenance in Texas, why a 10-year marriage is not enough by itself, and how the $5,000-or-20% ceiling works.
Read 13-minute guide →Local court context
Use the statewide law with the filing details for your county
Chapter 154 does not change at a county line. The court assignment, child-case filing charge, citation and service costs, standing orders, and local filing instructions can. Check the county page, then confirm the amount due with the clerk before filing.
Texas statutes and court schedules
Read the source behind a rate, cap, fee, or deadline
The Family Code supplies the legal rules. The Texas Register sets the current $11,700 guideline net-resource cap, the Attorney General publishes the annual tax chart, and the Office of Court Administration and county clerks publish filing charges.
How legal sources are selected →- Texas Family Code, Chapter 154 ↗
Sections 154.062 and 154.125 define net resources and the percentage schedules; the chapter also covers deviations, medical support, and children in more than one household.
- Texas Register — 2025 guideline cap adjustment ↗
The Attorney General’s notice sets the guideline net-resource cap at $11,700 per month for orders governed by the September 1, 2025 adjustment.
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 8 ↗
Sections 8.051 through 8.056 address who may qualify, how much a court may order, and how long an order may last.
- Texas OAG — 2026 tax charts ↗
The employed and self-employed charts apply the tax assumptions required by §154.061 for 2026 calculations.
- 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.
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 6 ↗
Chapter 6 covers grounds, residency, venue, waivers of service, temporary orders, and the limited exceptions to the 60-day waiting period.
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 3 ↗
Chapter 3 defines community and separate property and the clear-and-convincing proof rule.
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 7 ↗
Chapter 7 directs the court to make a just-and-right division of the community estate.
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 153 ↗
Chapter 153 governs the child’s best interest, conservatorship, possession and access, parenting plans, and family-violence findings.
- Texas Judicial Branch — Rule 145 and current forms ↗
Rule 145 and the Supreme Court-approved form explain how to file when court costs are unaffordable and how the claim may be reviewed.
Common Texas questions
Texas divorce planning questions
These answers cover the statewide rule in brief. Open the full guide before using one in a filing, settlement, or budget.
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas starts with the paying parent’s monthly net resources and the number of children before the court. The standard one-child rate is 20%; if net resources are less than $1,000, the low-income rate is 15%. The percentage applies to no more than $11,700 under the adjustment effective September 1, 2025.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Texas?
The required district-court charges total $350. A county may add up to $51 in child-case fees when the divorce involves children. Citation, service, copies, card charges, and legal work cost extra.
Does Texas always divide property 50/50?
No. Property held by either spouse at divorce is presumed community unless a separate-property claim is proved by clear and convincing evidence. The court divides the community estate in a way it considers just and right, which may or may not be equal.
Can a Texas divorce calculator predict a court order?
No. The child-support tool can apply the published percentages, and the maintenance tool can show the statutory ceiling. Neither can resolve disputed income, decide maintenance eligibility, determine a child’s best interest, or choose a just-and-right property division.
How long does a Texas divorce take?
Most divorces cannot be granted before the 60th day after filing. Section 6.702 removes the wait only after a court makes one of its specified findings involving a qualifying family-violence conviction, deferred adjudication, or active protection order. Even after the wait, notice, complete papers, unresolved issues, and the court calendar determine the finish date.