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Can I File For Divorce In Texas?

Most people have no idea where to begin when they contemplate filing for a divorce. It is a stressful time for all, but there are essential requirements you should be informed about if you are looking to obtain your divorce in Texas.

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE

To begin, there are specific “grounds” or reasons that you are required to prove to get a divorce in some states. Luckily, Texas is considered a “no-fault” state, this meaning that one person does not need to have a reason to want a divorce from another like adultery. This is known as insupportability, simply meaning the parties do not wish to be together anymore.

Fault Grounds

Apart from the supportability grounds, there are six “at fault” grounds. If you wish to plead the marriage has come to an end due to fault on the other party, it is essential to know it will impact your divorce case since they will need to be proven.

The six “at fault” grounds are:

  1. We were living apart: living in separate physical residences for at least three years.
  2. Confinement in a mental hospital
  3. Cruelty: treatment so extreme it makes it impossible for the parties to live together. Cruelty can be both physical or emotional, and evidence comes about in support of a cruelty claim.
  4. Abandonment: one spouse has left the marital home with no intention to return, and the spouse claiming abandonment must prove the other has been gone for at least a year with no contact with the spouse still in the marital home.
  5. Conviction of a felony
  6. Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse with someone you are not married to, proven by direct or circumstantial evidence.

If you are questioning whether to file for divorce alleging fault or not, it is essential to seek help from your attorney about what grounds to plead for and for your attorney to let you know their impact on your case.

Common-Law Marriage

Another common question is whether people are eligible for divorce if they never got married legally/ceremonially. They are referring to the “common law marriage” that the state of Texas does recognize. However, there are a few statutory requirements to deem yourself as common law married. To be married in Texas, three criteria must be met simultaneously. These include: (1) two adults [18 and over] must consent to be married to one another, (2) they agree to be married and live together as a married couple, and (3) they represent to each other they are married.

Doing things like buying a home together, filing taxes, even presenting yourself to friends and family as married will qualify you as being common law married. However, there is no such thing as a common-law divorce in Texas, and if you are common law married, you will go through a regular divorce.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

When contemplating divorce, most people wonder if they must file for divorce in the same state they married in, but this is a common myth. If you would like to point in Texas, you should remember that you will have to meet specific residency requirements first.

The general rule is that if you are looking to file for divorce in Texas, one of the spouses must be domiciled in Texas for a least six months and be a resident of the county they seek the divorce in for 90 days before a divorce can be filed. Just because you are a domiciliary of Texas does not mean you will be eligible to file in any county you desire.

If you or your spouse live out of the state or country, if one spouse meets the six months and 90-day requirement, they will still be eligible for a divorce in Texas. Keep in mind that if you are contemplating a divorce that filing first may have an impact if you believe your spouse, living in another state, might try to file there first if they meet the residency requirements there.

Child Residency

There are also residency requirements for a state to have jurisdiction over a child in a divorce proceeding. This jurisdiction over child custody is established under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) and will only govern minors under 18.

In Texas, to have jurisdiction, the child will need to have lived here for the most recent six months (this is known as “home jurisdiction”; or if Texas has the most significant connection with the child and on the person; or the child is presently in Texas and requires protection because of abandonment, or no other state can assert jurisdiction, and it is in the best interest of the child for Texas to assume jurisdiction.

ANNULMENT

Besides having a valid divorce that ends a marriage, there is also an annulment, a procedure under the law that cancels a wedding. An annulment treats a marriage as being completely erased like it never happened or was never valid. You were never married in the first place.

Annulments are more complicated to get than a divorce because there are stricter statutory grounds that must be met to be eligible, and these include:

  1. Married under the age of 14;
  2. Marriage under the age of 18;
  3. If you married while under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
  4. If your spouse deceived you because of fraud or coercion;
  5. Impotence;
  6. Mental incapacity; or
  7. Concealment – a spouse hides something that would not have led you to marry them.

If you fall in any of the categories above, you may be eligible for an annulment rather than a divorce.

CONCLUSION

Beginning a divorce case in Texas means understanding precisely the reason why you wish to get a divorce. Knowing what grounds you can file on and their impact is essential to shape your case. Even more important is knowing if Texas has jurisdiction over the parties and children. You should also see if you can move forward with an annulment rather than a divorce and the different legal effects that the two have.

If you have any further questions about being eligible to file for divorce in the state of Texas or about the requirements to file for divorce, call our office! We offer FREE 30-minute consultations with an attorney who can give you expert advice about what path will fit your unique set of circumstances. I appreciate your attention to today’s blog, and we look forward to helping you with your legal matters.

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Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC | Spring Divorce Lawyers

The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, routinely handles matters that affect children and families. If you have questions regarding divorce, it’s important to speak with one of our Spring, TX Divorce Lawyers right away to protect your rights.

Our divorce lawyers in Spring, TX, are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and developing a strategy to meet those goals. Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online form. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, handles Divorce cases in Spring, TexasCypressSpringKleinHumble, KingwoodTomballThe Woodlands, the FM 1960 area, or surrounding areas, including Harris CountyMontgomery CountyLiberty County, Chambers CountyGalveston CountyBrazoria CountyFort Bend County, and Waller County.

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At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, the firm wants to get to know your case before they commit to work with you. They offer all potential clients a no-obligation, free consultation where you can discuss your case under the client-attorney privilege. This means that everything you say will be kept private and the firm will respectfully advise you at no charge. You can learn more about Texas divorce law and get a good idea of how you want to proceed with your case.

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