Uncontested vs Contested Divorce in North Texas
Divorce in North Texas, like any other area within the state, falls into two main categories: contested and uncontested. The main difference lies in whether the couple can agree on all issues. If they cannot agree, they have to battle them out in court.
Issues regarding child custody, retirement accounts, and property division can sometimes be difficult for some couples to resolve on their own. If agreement cannot be reached, the divorce is contested. To achieve resolution, the couple should seek outside help. They can use mediation or arbitration. Additionally, they may consider a trial.
Unsurprisingly, a contested divorce almost always takes a much longer time than an uncontested one.
Areas We Serve in North Texas
We provide uncontested divorce services in:
- Dallas County – Includes Dallas, Irving, Garland, Mesquite
- Denton County – Covers Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound
- Tarrant County – Serving Fort Worth, Arlington, North Richland Hills
- Collin County, Wise County, and more – Reach out to confirm your location
Uncontested Divorce in North Texas
In contrast to contested divorce, an uncontested divorce occurs when both spouses agree on all terms of the divorce. It is generally an amicable process. Sometimes it is referred to as an “agreed” or “mutual” divorce.
Texas law allows citizens to file for an uncontested divorce based on the grounds of a No-Fault divorce. This is commonly referred to as “insupportability” and indicates irreconcilable differences or a conflict of personalities. When a couple cannot get along or does not want to prove fault, a No-Fault, uncontested divorce can be initiated.
If you file for an uncontested divorce, it can save you time and money due to fewer legal fees. Additionally, you can prepare the required documents online.
In an uncontested divorce, the Respondent signs a Waiver permitting the case to be finished without his/her participation. The Petitioner and their attorney (if involved) go to court for a hearing. There, the judge goes through a list of standard questions and may approve the divorce on the spot.
Grounds for Divorce in North Texas
Choosing the appropriate type of divorce begins with identifying the root causes of it. One must know the differences between Fault and No-Fault divorces.
Texas is a “mixed state”, which means that a divorce can be granted either with or without proof that a spouse is at fault.
State law indicates one ground for a No-Fault divorce and six grounds for a Fault divorce.
No-Fault Divorce
The only ground for a No-Fault divorce is when there are irreconcilable differences between the two spouses.
Given their simplicity and affordable costs, No-Fault divorces have been gaining popularity. Furthermore, there is no defense to a petition for divorce based on insupportability. Essentially, if at least one spouse wants a divorce, it will be considered. Texas law does not force an unhappy spouse to stay married just because the other spouse is satisfied with the marriage.
Fault Divorce
Fault divorces are not as common nowadays as they were before. In fact, some states no longer even recognize them. Texas, however, retains the distinction between Fault and No-Fault divorces.
A fault divorce implies that one of the spouses is requesting for a divorce based on the fact that the other spouse has done something wrong.
There are six grounds for a fault divorce in North Texas:
- cruelty (either physical or mental abuse and any other unreasonable acts of cruelty).
- adultery.
- separation (if the spouses have lived apart for more than three years).
- abandonment.
- felony conviction (for at least a year).
- confinement to a mental hospital (for at least three years, with signs the spouse’s condition will not improve, or the probability of relapse is high).
It is important to note that in a majority of No-Fault divorces, the court splits joint property evenly down the line. In a fault divorce, the party who is at fault for the divorce is subject to an unequal distribution. The division is of the marital estate. This decision is made in a manner that is determined to be just and right by the judge.
Texas Residency Requirements to File for Divorce
A central requirement for all divorces is residency within the applicable state for a certain time period.
One of the spouses must be a resident of within either North, South, East, West, Central, or Coastal Texas for 6 months to be eligible to file for a divorce in the state. Additionally, the petitioner must be a resident of any county within Texas where the case will be heard for at least 90 days.
The divorce itself is usually filed in the county where the filing spouse resides.
Common FAQ’s
Below are most frequently asked questions:
You can file for divorce in North Texas if you or your spouse has lived in Texas for at least the last 6 months, and in the county where you file for divorce for at least the last 90 days.
If you happen to be serving in the military or other government service outside of Texas, you may still file for divorce in Texas if:
Texas has been the home state of either you or your spouse for at least 6 months and the county where you plan to file the divorce has been the home county of either spouse for at least 90 days.
In principle on all cases, you must wait at least 60 days before finishing your divorce.
When counting the 60 days, find the day you filed your Original Petition for Divorce on a calendar, and then count out 60 more days (including weekends and holidays). If the 60th day falls on a weekend or holiday, go to the next business day.
✅ Note: The 60 day waiting period begins the day after filing the Original Petition for Divorce.
There are two exceptions to the 60 day waiting period.
If your spouse has been convicted of or received deferred adjudication for a crime involving family violence against you or a member of your household, the 60 day waiting period is waived.
If you have an active protective order or an active magistrate’s order for emergency protection against your spouse because of family violence during your marriage, the 60 day waiting period is waived. See Texas Family Code Section 6.702 for more details on the waiting period.
Becoming a Default Divorce
If you are unable to locate your spouse to provide them with the required paperwork, you may have to request the court for an official publication. Approval usually depends on how hard you have searched for them: you should submit proof of your search to the court If the judge grants your request, publish notice of your petition for divorce in the newspaper.
If the respondent still fails to file a response, the petitioner can request the court to grant divorce by default. However, you can only make this request if it has been at least 30 days since the publication. The court must then approve and sign a statement of the evidence presented at the default hearing.
If your spouse finally responds to the divorce, you will have to go to trial to resolve the contested issues, which might take up to a year or more.
Default divorce can be defined as a separate subset of an uncontested divorce. Default divorce occurs when the Respondent is notified of the divorce action. However, they fail or refuse to respond within 20 days. Thus, a person who does not show up loses by default.
It is important to note that if the spouse is missing and cannot be located, a default divorce also requires that a Notice of Service be made through publication (Citation by Publication) in a newspaper.
If you are the respondent who fails to respond to the divorce action, remember that you are giving up your right to have any say in the separation process. Therefore, make sure you read and understand all the documents that your spouse files. Those documents will determine what the court orders in the end.
Additional Resources:
Marital Property Division in Texas
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We know the divorce process can be emotional and confusing. Our goal is to make it easier for North Texas residents to move forward without unnecessary stress or legal expense.
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