Texas Pre-Divorce Guidance
How to Prepare for a Divorce in Texas
Whether it is mutual and amicable or contentious, a divorce can be a complex and challenging process. Filing for divorce can fill you with frustration, fear, and uncertainty. These emotions can often cloud your mind, preventing you from thinking strategically and rationally before acting.
At Goranson Bain Ausley, we can educate you on what to do before you file for divorce to help you understand the divorce process as a whole while providing a road map of what to expect along the way. Our attorneys can also guide you in preparing for a divorce with a detailed pre-divorce checklist to help you make informed, confident decisions. Most importantly, our lawyers will listen with compassion, walk you through your options, and help you make informed decisions to successfully move forward after divorce.
How an Attorney Can Help You Plan for Divorce
Although advice from divorced friends and family may be comforting, the divorce process is unique to every couple. Because divorce is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, when you’re considering a divorce, how to prepare for it should start with speaking with a skilled lawyer. An experienced divorce attorney will listen to your story, answer your questions, and give you guidance on your legal rights and responsibilities. We will also educate you about preparing for a divorce using a personalized pre-divorce checklist as well as your options for divorce, including litigation, negotiation, mediation, Collaborative Divorce, and flat-fee divorce, and help you find the best fit for your situation.
We understand that preparing for a divorce can feel overwhelming, but our family lawyers are committed to delivering peace of mind throughout the divorce process. Our attorneys are with you each step of the way to make a lasting difference for you and your family, both today and tomorrow.
How Long Do I Need to Be Separated Before I Can File for Divorce in Texas?
There is no separation requirement to file for divorce in Texas. As long as you meet residency and filing requirements, you can file for divorce at any time, whether your spouse is cooperative or not.
Create a Pre-Divorce Checklist
Divorce can be stressful, and seeing the road ahead can be intimidating. However, properly preparing for the process by having a pre-divorce checklist in place can make it that much smoother.
Here are a few things to consider before filing for divorce.
Come Up with a Financial Plan
Do you and your spouse have a joint bank account? What are your monthly expenses and income? These are questions you need to ask yourself before filing for divorce. You will need to be financially independent for a minimum of 90 days after you file for divorce, so you need to save money to bridge the financial gap between when you file for divorce and when you obtain court orders for support from your spouse.
Consider Where You Will Reside
Where do you plan on living after filing for divorce? Some couples continue to reside together in their marital home after a divorce is filed, especially if they have children together. However, depending on the circumstances surrounding your divorce, this may or may not be a feasible option for you. If not, think about where you could live or stay after filing for divorce.
Take Inventory of Property
Do you have documentation of the assets you own? It’s important to have photographs of everything in your marital home before filing for divorce, especially if you plan on residing elsewhere until the divorce is finalized. Having an updated pre-divorce checklist that includes an inventory of your assets can help protect your interests. It’s always a possibility that your spouse may remove, sell, or damage property during the divorce process, so collecting photographic evidence of its existence is an important part of your planning.
Gather Relevant Documents
When you go through a divorce, you will need to provide your attorney with financial documents during the discovery process. These documents include tax returns, credit card statements, medical records, and more. The sooner you gather these critical documents, the easier the divorce process will be, especially if your spouse has the original documents in hand. If your spouse has the information before you do, it can be expensive and time-consuming to obtain copies. Before filing for divorce, create copies and download digital copies of all of your paperwork to an external hard drive.
Please download our Divorce Guide and this PDF for a pre-divorce checklist.
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Work with Our Experienced Divorce Lawyers
Preparing for a divorce can be tough, but the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Midland, San Antonio, and Plano-based attorneys at Goranson Bain Ausley can guide you through every step of the way. Whether you’re contemplating divorce or are ready to file, a highly experienced lawyer will walk you through your options and give you all the information you need about how to prepare for a divorce in Texas. Please get in touch with us to schedule a pre-divorce guidance consultation.
Awards & Credentials
- Thomas P. Goranson 1997
- Thomas L. Ausley 1997
- Diana S. Friedman 1998
- Thomas A. Greenwald 2003
- Kathryn J. Murphy 2004
- Eric Robertson 2007
- Kelly Ausley-Flores 2009
- Cindy V. Tisdale 2010
- Kristal Thomson 2014
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2015
- Kristen A. Algert 2017
- P. Lindley Bain 2020
- Ryan R. Bauerle 2022
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2023
- Charla Davies 2024
- John J. Kappel 2024
- Angeline Lindley Bain 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2008
- Hayley Collins Blair 2021 2018
- Kevin Davidson 2025
- Jeff Domen 2025
- Esther R. Donald 2025
- Diana S. Friedman 2017 2016 2015 2013
- Thomas P. Goranson 2011 2009 2008
- Thomas A. Greenwald 2022 2018 2012 2011 2009 2008
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2025 2024 2020 2019 2017
- Beth E. Maultsby 2010
- Kathryn J. Murphy 2024 2023 2020 2019 2018 2017 2010 2009 2008
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021
- Katie Flowers Samler 2020 2019 2018
- Thomas L. Ausley 1980
- Gary L. Nickelson 1984
- Kathryn J. Murphy 1995
- Diana S. Friedman 1996
- Kristen A. Algert 1997
- Thomas A. Greenwald 1997
- Eric Robertson 1997
- Kelly Ausley-Flores 2000
- Curtis W. Harrison 2002
- Cindy V. Tisdale 2003
- Jeff Shore 2006
- Clint Westhoff 2006
- Jeff Domen 2009
- Kristal Thomson 2009
- Angel J. Berbarie 2010
- P. Lindley Bain 2012
- Aimee Pingenot Key 2012
- Kevin Davidson 2017
- Charla Davies 2017
- Rob Frazer 2018
- Ryan R. Bauerle 2018
- Hayley Collins Blair 2019
- Lindsey Obenhaus 2019
- Katie Flowers Samler 2019
- Jonathan James 2020
- John J. Kappel 2020
- Chris Nickelson 2021
- Chandler Rice Winslow 2023
- Kristiana Butler 2024
- Cassidy Pearson 2024
- Angelica Rolong Cormier 2024
- Mona Hosseiny Tovar 2026
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