Texas Family Law Lawyers

Few legal problems cut closer than a family law case — your marriage, your children, your home, and your future are all on the table at once. The decisions made in a Texas family court follow you and your kids for years, and they are very hard to undo later. An experienced family law attorney can protect your rights, your relationship with your children, and your share of what you have built — whether your case is a divorce, a custody fight, a support dispute, or an adoption. Most family law attorneys offer a free initial consultation, so you can understand exactly where you stand before you make a single decision.

What Does a Texas Family Law Attorney Handle?

Family law covers every legal matter that runs through your household: divorce, child custody (called conservatorship in Texas), child support, visitation (possession and access), paternity, and adoption — plus protective orders, property division, and the modification or enforcement of orders already in place. Nearly all of it is governed by the Texas Family Code and decided in state district courts. Because each of these matters has its own rules, we keep a dedicated page for each one:

How Does Divorce Work in Texas?

Texas is a no-fault divorce state: a marriage can be dissolved for “insupportability” without proving anyone did anything wrong, though fault grounds like adultery and cruelty still exist and can affect how property is divided. One spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in the county of filing for 90 days, and the law imposes a 60-day waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. Texas is also a community-property state — property acquired during the marriage is divided in a “just and right” manner, which is not always 50/50. Grounds, property division, spousal maintenance, and the contested-versus-uncontested question are covered in depth on our divorce lawyers page.

How Do Texas Courts Decide Child Custody?

Texas decides custody under the “best interest of the child” standard, and courts presume both parents should be named joint managing conservators — meaning shared decision-making rights, not necessarily equal time. Conservatorship determines who decides where the child lives, goes to school, and gets medical care; the actual time schedule is set separately in a possession order. The factors courts weigh, the difference between joint and sole managing conservatorship, and how orders get modified are explained on our child custody attorneys page.

How Is Child Support Set in Texas?

Texas sets child support by guideline percentages of the paying parent's net resources — generally 20% for one child and 25% for two — applied to net monthly resources up to a legal cap of $11,700 as of September 1, 2025. The state also runs a massive enforcement system through the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division: wage withholding, license suspension, liens, and contempt. How the math works, what counts as net resources, and how support gets enforced or modified are covered on our child support lawyers page.

What Visitation Rights Do Parents Have?

Texas law presumes the Standard Possession Order — first, third, and fifth weekends, a weekly school-year visit, alternating holidays, and 30 days each summer — serves the best interest of a child age three or older. Parents can agree to anything that works better, and an expanded schedule can add significant time. When a parent is denied court-ordered time, the order can be enforced with make-up time and contempt. The schedules, the 100-mile rules, supervised visitation, and enforcement are all detailed on our child visitation lawyers page.

What Rights Do Fathers Have in Texas?

Under the Texas Family Code, courts may not favor one parent over the other because of sex or marital status — a father who establishes paternity stands on equal legal footing with the mother. For unmarried dads that first step matters: until paternity is established by an Acknowledgment of Paternity or court order, a father has no enforceable rights to his child. Paternity, equal standing, and protecting a dad's time and decision-making are covered on our fathers’ rights attorneys page.

How Does Adoption Work in Texas?

Adoption permanently makes a child legally yours — but it first requires that the parental rights of the child's existing legal parents be terminated, and it runs through home studies, required reports, and a court finalization. Texas recognizes stepparent, agency, private, kinship, and adult adoptions, each with its own path under the Family Code and oversight from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services where the state is involved. The types, the process, and the timeline are explained on our adoption lawyers page.

Can You Change or Enforce a Family Court Order?

Yes — custody, support, and possession orders can be modified when circumstances materially change, and every family court order can be enforced when the other side ignores it. Modification requires proof, not just frustration: the law looks for a material and substantial change since the last order, and for child support, a review is also available after three years if the guideline amount would shift by 20% or $100. Enforcement runs from wage withholding for unpaid support to contempt findings — which can carry jail time — for violated possession orders. According to the Texas State Law Library, these are among the most common family law proceedings in the state, and they are won with documentation and procedure — exactly what a lawyer brings.

How the Right Family Law Attorney Protects What Matters Most

A skilled family law attorney controls the two things that decide these cases: the record and the strategy. That means securing temporary orders early so the status quo doesn't harden against you, gathering the financial records that show what the community estate really holds, documenting the parenting facts a court will care about, and knowing when to settle through mediation and when to try the case. It also means keeping you from the unforced errors — the angry text message, the missed exchange, the social media post — that show up as exhibits later. Family cases are won by preparation long before the hearing date, and the spouse or parent who gets a lawyer first usually frames the case the other side has to answer.

What a Family Law Attorney Costs in Texas

Family law is a paid legal service: most Texas family law attorneys charge a retainer up front and bill hourly against it, and the total depends mostly on how much the two sides fight. Agreed, uncontested matters are often handled for a modest flat fee; heavily contested custody or property cases cost more. Family law is not contingency work — no reputable lawyer takes a percentage of a custody outcome. What you are paying for is protection for the things you can't replace: your children, your home, your retirement, your rights. Our referral is free, and most family law attorneys offer a free initial consultation, so you can learn what your case involves and what it will cost before you spend anything. Resources like TexasLawHelp exist for those who must self-represent — but a bad order is far more expensive to fix later than to get right the first time.

Related Help

Go deeper on the specific issue you're facing:

• Divorce lawyers — grounds, property division, spousal maintenance, and the divorce process.
• Child custody attorneys — conservatorship, decision-making rights, and the best-interest standard.
• Child support lawyers — guideline amounts, enforcement, and modification.
• Child visitation lawyers — the Standard Possession Order and enforcing your time.
• Fathers’ rights attorneys — paternity and a dad's equal standing in court.
• Adoption lawyers — stepparent, private, agency, kinship, and adult adoptions.
• All practice areas — browse every kind of lawyer we can connect you with in Texas.

Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Family Law Lawyers

What does a family law attorney do in Texas?

A family law attorney handles the legal matters that involve your family: divorce, child custody (called conservatorship in Texas), child support, visitation (possession and access), paternity, adoption, protective orders, and modification or enforcement of existing orders. Nearly all of these matters are governed by the Texas Family Code and decided in state district courts. A lawyer's job is to protect your rights, your children, and your property at every step, whether the case settles by agreement or goes to a judge.

What is the difference between a divorce lawyer and a family law attorney?

A divorce lawyer is a family law attorney whose case happens to be a divorce. Family law is the broader practice area covering divorce, custody, support, visitation, paternity, and adoption. Most experienced Texas family law attorneys handle all of these, because the issues overlap: a divorce with children includes conservatorship, possession, and child support orders in the same decree.

How long does a divorce take in Texas?

Texas law imposes a 60-day waiting period after the petition is filed before a divorce can be finalized, with narrow exceptions involving family violence. An agreed, uncontested divorce can finish shortly after the waiting period ends. A contested divorce involving property disputes or custody can take many months or longer, depending on the county and the issues. An attorney can usually tell you early which track your case is on.

What does conservatorship mean in Texas?

Conservatorship is the Texas legal term for what most people call custody: the rights and duties each parent has to make decisions for a child, such as where the child lives and decisions about education and medical care. Texas courts presume that naming both parents joint managing conservators is in the child's best interest, but joint conservatorship does not automatically mean equal time. The schedule itself is set in a separate possession order.

How much child support will I pay or receive in Texas?

Texas uses guideline percentages of the paying parent's net resources: generally 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more, applied to net monthly resources up to a cap set by law, which is $11,700 as of September 1, 2025. Courts can adjust the number based on the child's proven needs and other factors. A lawyer can calculate the figure for your situation and fight for an accurate income picture.

What visitation schedule do Texas courts usually order?

Texas courts presume the Standard Possession Order is in the best interest of a child age three or older. For parents who live within 100 miles of each other, it generally gives the non-primary parent the first, third, and fifth weekends of each month, a weekly visit during the school year, alternating holidays, and 30 days in the summer. Parents can agree to any schedule that works better, and an expanded version can add overnights.

Can a family court order be changed later?

Yes. Custody, support, and visitation orders can be modified when there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances, and child support can also be reviewed when three years have passed and the guideline amount would change by 20% or $100. Property division in a divorce decree, by contrast, is generally final. Modification is a court process, and the parent asking for the change has the burden of proving it is justified.

What happens if the other parent ignores a court order?

Family court orders are enforceable. A parent who is denied court-ordered possession can file a motion to enforce and ask for make-up time and a contempt finding, and unpaid child support can be collected through wage withholding, license suspension, liens, and contempt, which can include jail time. Careful documentation of each violation matters, and an attorney can choose the enforcement tool that fits.

Do unmarried fathers have rights in Texas?

Yes, but they generally must establish legal paternity first, either by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity or through a court order, often with DNA testing. Once paternity is established, Texas law gives fathers the same standing as mothers; the Texas Family Code prohibits courts from preferring one parent because of sex or marital status. A father can then seek conservatorship, a possession schedule, and a fair support order.

How much does a family law attorney cost in Texas?

Family law is a paid legal service. Most Texas family law attorneys charge a retainer up front and bill hourly against it, with the total depending on how contested the case becomes; some flat-fee arrangements exist for uncontested matters like agreed divorces or stepparent adoptions. Family law cases are not contingency cases. Our referral is free and most attorneys offer a free initial consultation, so you can learn what your case involves and what it will cost before you commit.

How do I get a Texas family law attorney right now?

Call or text 512-872-4400 any time, day or night. You will be connected with an experienced family law attorney serving your area anywhere in Texas. The referral is free, and most attorneys offer a free initial consultation so you can understand your rights and options before you spend anything.