Austin Divorce Records
Divorce records for Austin residents are held by the Travis County District Clerk, which serves as the official custodian of all family law case files in the county. If you need to search for a divorce case, get a certified copy of a Final Decree of Divorce, or confirm the status of a filing, that office is where you start. Austin is the state capital and the county seat of Travis County. The District Clerk offers online case lookup through the Travis County court records portal and also takes in-person requests at the Civil Courthouse on Guadalupe Street in downtown Austin.
Austin Overview
Where Austin Divorce Records Are Kept
Austin divorce records are maintained by the Travis County District Clerk. The District Clerk is a constitutional office created under Texas Constitution Article V, Section 9. It serves as the recorder and custodian of all pleadings, instruments, and papers filed in district courts. That includes family law cases, which is where divorce proceedings are handled in Texas.
The Travis County District Clerk's office has two key locations. Record requests and certified copies go through the Civil Courthouse. The District Clerk is Velva L. Price, who is elected every four years. Her office indexes all court records, collects filing fees, and processes certified document requests for divorce decrees and related case materials.
| Office | Travis County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Records Address | P.O. Box 679003 1000 Guadalupe Street, Room 103 Austin, TX |
| Phone | (512) 854-9457 |
| Website | traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk |
| Civil Courthouse | 1700 Guadalupe St., 4th Floor, Austin, TX 78701 |
Travis County also has a County Clerk office, headed by Dyana Limon-Mercado, at 5501 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751, phone (512) 854-9188. That office handles marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, and property records. It does NOT maintain divorce records. You always go to the District Clerk for divorce case files and decrees.
Search Austin Divorce Records Online
The Travis County District Clerk provides free online access to court records. You can search for divorce cases filed in Travis County from 2006 to present through the online case records portal at traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk. The portal lets you look up cases by party name, cause number, or case type. You can view docket entries, case status, and hearing dates. Physical copies must still be requested from the clerk's office.
For older records, in-person visits work best. Staff at the clerk's office can search the index and pull files going back many years. Bring the names of both parties and an approximate year if you don't have a case number. The statewide re:SearchTX portal also includes Travis County cases and lets you search across counties from one place.
The office is integrated with the Texas eFile system at efile.txcourts.gov, which attorneys and self-represented parties use to file documents electronically. If a case was filed through eFile, you can often find the case number there before going to the District Clerk for a full copy.
To get a certified copy of a divorce decree or other case document, submit a Certified Court Documents Request. The District Clerk lists this as one of its popular services. You can request original petition copies, final judgment copies, and certificates of divorce or name change. Call (512) 854-9457 for current turnaround times and fees.
The City of Austin's official website at austintexas.gov lists all city departments, but none of them handle divorce records. City services like the Austin Municipal Court only deal with traffic citations and city ordinance violations.
The City of Austin site is a good starting point for city services, but for divorce records you need to contact Travis County District Clerk directly.
Filing for Divorce in Austin
Austin residents follow Texas state law when filing for divorce. The rules are set out in Texas Family Code Chapter 6. You file at Travis County District Court. Each document you file becomes part of the official divorce record and stays on file permanently with the District Clerk.
Before you can file, you must meet the residency requirement. Under Texas Family Code § 6.301, at least one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in Travis County for at least 90 days before filing. If you or your spouse just moved to Austin, you may need to wait before you can file here. The case goes where you lived, not where you work or where the marriage took place.
Texas offers both no-fault and fault-based divorce. The no-fault ground under Texas Family Code § 6.001 is called insupportability. You do not have to prove any wrongdoing. If the marriage has broken down due to conflict or discord and there is no real chance of reconciliation, that satisfies the insupportability standard. Fault grounds include cruelty under § 6.002, adultery under § 6.003, felony conviction under § 6.004, abandonment for at least one year under § 6.005, living apart for three years under § 6.006, and mental hospital confinement under § 6.007.
The process starts when one spouse files an Original Petition for Divorce. The other spouse is then served with the petition and a citation. If both parties agree on all terms, they can file an agreed decree and move through the process faster. Contested cases can take longer and may require mediation or a trial. Texas requires a 60-day waiting period between the date of filing and the date a divorce can be finalized under any circumstances.
Travis County has a self-help center with resources for people filing on their own. The Travis County District Clerk website also has a section on divorce filing information with links to required forms.
The Travis County District Clerk's website at traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk provides divorce filing information, records request services, and online case access for Travis County court records.
The District Clerk page covers popular services including certified document requests, passport applications, and jury duty services in addition to divorce filings.
Austin Divorce Fees and Costs
Divorce filing fees in Travis County run roughly $350 for cases without children and slightly more for cases with children. These amounts can change, so verify current fees with the District Clerk before you file. The Travis County District Clerk's office at (512) 854-9457 can confirm the current filing fee schedule.
Beyond the initial filing fee, you should budget for additional costs. Process servers or constable fees for serving the other party run from $75 to $125. Certified copies of the final decree cost $1 per page plus a $5 certification fee per document. If there are children involved, Travis County may require both parents to complete a parenting class, which typically runs $30 to $60.
If you cannot afford the fees, Texas law allows you to ask for a waiver. File a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145. If you receive public benefits or earn below 125% of the federal poverty guideline, you generally qualify. You can find forms at txcourts.gov. The clerk cannot give legal advice but can tell you which form to use.
The Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics Section at dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics charges $20 for a divorce verification letter, which confirms whether a divorce was recorded in Texas since 1968. This is a simpler document than a full certified decree and is often enough for insurance or name change purposes.
Note: Fees set by Travis County may differ from other counties. Always confirm the current fee schedule before submitting payment.Legal Help for Austin Divorce Cases
Several organizations in Austin offer legal help for divorce. Some provide free services based on income. Others offer limited scope or reduced-fee help. These resources are worth checking if you are not sure how to proceed or can't afford a full-service attorney.
Lone Star Legal Aid serves the Austin area and handles family law cases for qualifying low-income individuals. Their website at lonestarlegal.org lists services and income guidelines. You can also call their main line to ask about eligibility. Austin has several other legal aid and volunteer lawyer programs that operate clinics and offer brief consultations.
The State Bar of Texas runs a lawyer referral service you can reach at (800) 252-9690. Their online directory at texasbar.com lets you search for family law attorneys by city and county. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has step-by-step guides and self-help resources for people handling their own divorce. Official court forms are available for free at txcourts.gov.
Filing Without a Lawyer in Austin
Many Austin residents file for divorce without an attorney. This works best when both spouses agree on all terms and there are no complex issues involving children or significant property. The court can't give you legal advice, but there are several tools to help you navigate the process on your own.
All official forms are on the Texas Courts website at txcourts.gov/rules-forms/forms. You will find the Original Petition for Divorce, citation, waiver of service, financial disclosures, and the final decree. TexasLawHelp also has packet guides that walk you through the full process with instructions for each form. The Travis County self-help center can point you to the right forms if you visit in person.
Cases with children are more involved. Texas requires a conservatorship order that spells out custody, visitation, and parental rights. Child support is calculated using the guidelines in Texas Family Code Chapter 154, which ties the amount to the paying parent's net monthly resources and the number of children. Both parents in Travis County may be required to complete a parenting course before the judge will sign a final decree.
Travis County Divorce Records
Austin is in Travis County, and all divorce filings for city residents go through the Travis County District Court. The county handles cases for Austin and surrounding areas including Round Rock and Cedar Park. For full details on the county court system, fees, and search options, see the Travis County divorce records page.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities near Austin with their own divorce records pages include:
- Round Rock (Williamson County)
- Waco (McLennan County)