Divorce, State by State

Plain-English guides to divorce in each state, built from the statutes, court rules and official court forms that govern it, with every fee, deadline and dollar limit cited to its source. We are adding states in order of population.

California

• Divorce in California: How It Works, Step by Step (2026 Guide)The whole process from residency to final judgment, with the key numbers, the three paths, and the 2024–2027 changes.
• Uncontested divorce in CaliforniaThe new joint petition, summary dissolution's limits, and default divorce, compared side by side, with a path checker.
• How long it takes in CaliforniaThe six-month rule, what starts the clock, an earliest-date calculator, and the 2027 law letting judges shorten the wait.
• Cost and filing fees in CaliforniaEvery official court fee for 2026, the path-by-path minimum, fee waivers, and what actually drives the total.
• Divorce forms in CaliforniaWhich Judicial Council forms you need at each stage, from FL-100 to FL-180, including the new joint petition.
• Property and debts in CaliforniaCommunity vs. separate property, the equal-division rule, the house, retirement, debts, pets and hidden assets.
• Spousal support in CaliforniaTemporary vs. long-term support, the § 4320 factors, the 10-year rule, cohabitation, and California's 2026 tax change.
• Child support in CaliforniaThe § 4055 formula explained with a worked example, the 2026 low-income threshold, add-on costs and when support ends.
• Child custody in CaliforniaLegal vs. physical custody, the best-interest test, no 50/50 presumption, mediation, age 14, domestic violence and moving away.
• Divorce records in CaliforniaGetting a certified copy of your judgment from the county court, and what the state's $18 certificate is (and isn't).

Texas

• Divorce in Texas: How It Works, Step by Step (2026 Guide)The whole Texas process from residency to final decree, with the key numbers, county differences and the 2023–2025 changes.
• Uncontested divorce in TexasThe agreed divorce with a waiver, default when a spouse won't respond, the prove-up hearing, and binding mediated agreements.
• How long it takes in TexasThe 60-day wait from filing, its family-violence exception, the 31-day remarriage rule, and a date calculator.
• Cost and filing fees in TexasFiling fees in ten large counties from the clerks' own schedules, service costs, the fee waiver, and what drives the total.
• Divorce forms in TexasThe free form sets for agreed divorces, what each form does, and the filing extras courts expect.
• Property and debts in TexasSeparate vs. community property, the "just and right" division, reimbursement, retirement, hidden assets and pets.
• Spousal maintenance in TexasWho qualifies for court-ordered maintenance, the $5,000 or 20% cap, the duration limits, and contractual alimony.
• Child support in TexasThe percentage guidelines, the $11,700 cap in effect since September 2025, the low-income table, medical and dental support.
• Child custody in TexasJoint managing conservatorship, the standard possession order, the 50-mile rule, age 12, family violence and relocation.
• Divorce records in TexasCertified decrees from the district clerk, the state's $20 verification letter, and name-change certificates.