Starting a case
Starting a divorce, custody, or support case in Texas is one of the most consequential things you'll do. I've guided clients through more of these than I can count. The work isn't guesswork — it's a sequence, and it starts with a plan.
If you have a court date coming, call now — (817) 382-8333.
You haven't filed anything yet — or you've just been served and you're staring at papers you don't fully understand. Either way, you're facing a process that has real deadlines, real consequences, and more moving parts than it looks like from the outside. That's a hard place to be. It's also exactly the situation where starting with a clear plan makes the biggest difference.
I've practiced Texas family law for 18 years. I've seen every version of this: contested divorces, agreed divorces that turned contested, custody fights, support cases started from scratch, and cases where someone jumped in without a plan and paid for it later. The law is specific. The strategy is specific. What I build for you will be specific — not a brochure about how family law works in general.
Your first step — $500 flat
Before any paperwork gets drafted or any filing gets made, I need to understand your situation completely. That's what the Case Review is for — and it produces something you keep regardless of what you decide to do next.
Not a sales pitch — a strategy document. You keep it whether you hire me or not. If I think you don't need a lawyer, the plan will say so.
Every case is different — your Plan of Action will map your specific path. But for a new Texas filing, here's how the road usually runs:
This is the Case Review & Plan of Action — understanding your facts, your goals, the landscape, and building a written plan with flat-fee quotes for each step that follows.
The original petition (and answer, if you've been served). These establish the court's jurisdiction and set out what you're asking for. Texas requires certain language and disclosures — getting them right from the start matters.
The petition is filed with the court; the other party is formally served. Texas has a mandatory 60-day waiting period after filing before a divorce can be finalized — the clock starts here. If you've been served, your answer is generally due by 10:00 a.m. on the first Monday after 20 days from service. Don't miss it.
For cases involving children or shared property, temporary orders establish ground rules while the case is pending — who stays in the house, who has the kids when, and how expenses are handled. In contested cases, this is often the first hearing.
Most Texas family cases resolve by agreement — either through negotiation or mediation. If the parties can't agree, the case goes to trial. Your Plan of Action will tell you honestly which path is more likely given your facts, and what each path costs.
Pay-as-you-go: every step above gets a flat-fee quote in your Plan of Action. Quotes are due two weeks before services are rendered — 90 days before a final trial. No retainer to exhaust, no surprise invoices, no hourly meter.
Texas has a mandatory 60-day waiting period after the petition is filed — a divorce can't be finalized before that clock runs out, regardless of how quickly both parties agree. From there, it depends almost entirely on how much you and the other side disagree. Fully agreed divorces can often close shortly after the 60 days. Contested cases — especially those with custody fights, significant property, or business interests — can take a year or more. Your Plan of Action will give you a realistic timeline based on your specific facts.
An agreed divorce is still a legal proceeding — the court requires a proper final decree, and the paperwork has to be right. Errors in an agreed decree are expensive to fix after the fact. I'll draft everything correctly, make sure both parties understand what they're signing, and get it finalized efficiently. The $500 Case Review will confirm whether your situation is as straightforward as it looks — and your Plan of Action will show you exactly what the agreed path costs and how long it takes.
Don't wait. In Texas, your answer to a petition is generally due by 10:00 a.m. on the first Monday after 20 days from the date you were served. Miss that deadline and you risk a default judgment against you. Start online right now — your Plan of Action will make the deadline the first priority, and I'll be in the case before anything gets ahead of us. If a hearing has already been set, text or call (817) 382-8333 today.
Probably not more than once, if things go as planned. Most Texas family cases resolve by agreement or at mediation — and many agreed final decrees can be proved up with just one short hearing where only one party needs to appear. If the case is contested and goes to trial, yes, you'll be in court. Your Plan of Action will be honest about which outcome is more likely given your facts, and what we can do to improve the odds of an efficient resolution.
Start online any time — sign up, pay the $500, and put your strategy session on my calendar tonight if you want. You'll leave with a written Plan of Action and flat-fee quotes for every step that follows.
If you have a court date coming, call now — (817) 382-8333.