Not necessarily, but mediation is highly recommended. Why? Because most cases will settle if they mediateA form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for resolving legal disputes without going to trial, by the use of a trained and impartial third party who attempts to bring the parties together in mutual agreement.. That doesn't mean that mediation is always required.  However, if a party requests the court to order the parties to mediation, courts will order the mediation. So, if you or your spouse wants to mediate, there's a good chance the court is going to order you to mediate. read more »

In order to file for divorce in Texas, at least one spouse has to have been living in Texas for the past 6 months. The spouse will also need to have been living in the county you'll be filing for divorce in for the past 90 days.

So for example, if the husband is living in Colorado and the wife has been living in Texas for at least the last 6 months and in Travis county for the last 90 days, the couple can file for divorce in Travis county.

I've been a divorce lawyer here in Austin for several years and I've done hundreds of divorces (probably more.) Periodically, I run across someone that is determined to have a divorce from hell.

If you think that's something you're interested in, I thought I'd give you some tips that I've learned from some of these people. read more »

No, in fact most divorces settle out of court and don't go to trialFormal legal process during which evidence and testimony is presented to the court (Judge or a jury) so that a decision can be reached in a dispute between two parties. at all. Out of court settlements can be accomplished either through settlement conferences, mediationA form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for resolving legal disputes without going to trial, by the use of a trained and impartial third party who attempts to bring the parties together in mutual agreement., or collaborative law. Some situations may ultimately require you to go to court, but it's often preferable for you and your spouse to decide how to divide your assets or determine visitation instead of having a Judge do it for you.

Despite how most people feel about their pets, the law views them as personal property. That means that they will be treated just like any other property in the case. Our judges typically don't like to deal with pets, so we encourage our clients to reach an agreement about them without involving the courts.

No. A divorce can't be finalized while the wife is pregnant.
However, the divorce process can be started while the wife is
pregnant. It just can't be completed until the wife is no
longer pregnant.