Texas Divorce Forms: Which Set You Need and Where to Get Them Free

Here's something the $159 "online divorce" websites hope you never learn: Texas gives away its official divorce forms for free. The Texas Supreme Court has approved standardized form sets, and TexasLawHelp.org hosts all of them. The real question isn't where to find the forms — it's which set applies to your situation, what each document actually does, and in what order they move through the court. Pick the wrong packet or file them out of sequence and the clerk or judge sends you back to the start.

The Three Official Form Sets

TexasLawHelp.org organizes the Supreme Court-approved divorce forms into sets based on your marriage and children:

• Set A — divorce for opposite-sex spouses with no minor children together
• Set B — divorce for opposite-sex spouses with minor children (under 18)
• Set D — divorce for same-sex spouses without children

"Minor children" means children you and your spouse had together who are still under 18. If your spouse has children from another relationship that you never adopted, those don't push you into Set B. Pregnant? Texas courts generally won't finalize a divorce until the baby is born, so expect to use the with-children track.

Each set comes in agreed, default, and contested variations — the agreed packets are the ones pro se filers use when both spouses will sign.

The Documents Inside a Set

A typical uncontested filing uses five core documents:

1. Original Petition for Divorce — opens the case. States the grounds (almost always insupportability), the residency basis, and what you're asking the court to order.
2. Information on Suit Affecting the Family Relationship — the "Austin form," a vital-statistics sheet the clerk forwards to the state. Every family case needs one.
3. Waiver of Service Only (Specific Waiver) — your spouse's notarized agreement to skip formal service, under Family Code § 6.4035. It must be signed after you file the petition — an early signature voids it.
4. Final Decree of Divorce — the document the judge signs at the end. It divides property and debt, sets conservatorship, possession, and child support if you have children, and can restore a former name.
5. Prove-up materials — depending on the court, either a script of the sworn questions you'll answer at the uncontested docket or a notarized prove-up affidavit.

With children, add the parenting class certificates (the 4–12 hour Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course required by § 105.009) and, in many counties, an Income Withholding Order for support.

What the Free Forms Deliberately Don't Include

The state forms are built for simple estates, and they say so. There is no form for:

• QDROs — dividing a 401(k) or pension requires a custom Qualified Domestic Relations Order approved by the plan administrator. Skip it and the non-employee spouse can permanently lose their share.
• Real estate transfers — a decree alone doesn't move title. You need a Special Warranty Deed and usually a Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption, drafted for your property.
• Custom spousal maintenance terms beyond the basics.

If you have a house or retirement accounts, the free forms still work for the lawsuit itself — but the property documents need professional drafting.

Where to Actually Download Them

• TexasLawHelp.org — the official library, with guided "I need a divorce" interviews for with-children and without-children cases. Free.
• Your county District Clerk's website — many counties post local add-ons: standing orders, local cover sheets, county-specific prove-up instructions.
• eFileTexas.gov — the filing portal, not a forms library. You upload completed PDFs here.

A warning about lookalike sites: several commercial services rank for "Texas divorce forms," charge $159 or more up front plus a $34.99 monthly subscription buried in the terms, and deliver the same free PDFs you just read about — or generic templates that don't match Texas's approved sets. If a site charges you to download blank forms, close the tab.

The Gap the Forms Leave Behind

The forms tell you what to fill in. They don't tell you that your county attaches a standing order the moment you file (Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Collin, Denton) or doesn't (Harris, Tarrant), that the waiver is invalid if signed before filing, that the answer deadline is 10:00 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days, or what the judge will actually ask at your prove-up. That procedural layer — sequence, timing, county rules — is where pro se cases get rejected or delayed.

The Texas Divorce Filing Process Guide is built to fill exactly that gap: zero blank forms (you already have those free), 100% process maps, county-rule checklists, and fillable worksheets that walk each form from download to judge's signature.

Common Questions

Are TexasLawHelp forms legally valid? Yes — they're the Supreme Court-approved forms Texas courts expect pro se litigants to use. Some counties add local requirements on top, so check your District Clerk's site too.

Can I use Set A if we have children who are over 18? Yes. Adult children aren't part of the divorce case. Set B is only required when you have minor children together.

Do I need a lawyer to fill out Texas divorce forms? No — for a fully agreed divorce with simple assets, the forms are designed for self-represented filers. Court clerks can't help you complete them (that's legal advice), which is why process guidance matters more than the forms themselves.

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