Texas
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Texas — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Texas
Texas's official statewide self-help resource is TexasLawHelp (funded by the State Bar of Texas), with step-by-step divorce guides and free forms. Start there before anything else.
TexasLawHelp — Divorce Guides
The official starting point: divorce guides with and without minor children, free forms, and instructions.
texaslawhelp.org — divorce guides →Find a divorce lawyer
State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral & Information Service
Serving 246 Texas counties. Call 1-800-252-9690 (Mon–Fri, 8:30–4:30 CT) — up to $20 for a 30-minute consultation.
texasbar.com — lawyer referral →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
Texas Law Help
Free, reliable legal information for Texans, with guides, forms, and a legal-aid directory.
texaslawhelp.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call the Texas abuse hotline at 1-800-252-5400 for urgent reports, or report non-urgent cases online. Note: Texas no longer accepts anonymous child-abuse reports — your name and phone number are required.
txabusehotline.org →TSAHC — Foreclosure Prevention
Foreclosure intervention and prevention resources, counseling options, and a counselor locator. Call 877-508-4611.
tsahc.org — foreclosure prevention →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in Texas
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Texas.
Where to go
Texas Workforce Commission
Time limit to file
180 days
What the floor is
federal $7.25 applies
Changing your name in Texas
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Texas.
How it works
petition the district court in your county
Typical court fee
~$150–$300, varies by county
Newspaper notice required?
sometimes — varies by county
Small claims court in Texas
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Texas.
Maximum claim
$20,000
Filing fee
varies by county, typically $35–$60 filing (service extra)
Can you bring one?
yes, allowed but not required
Clearing your criminal record in Texas
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Texas stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expunction (deletion) and nondisclosure (sealing)
What qualifies
acquitted or dismissed charges, pardons; deferred-adjudication cases get nondisclosure (sealing)
Waiting period
none for acquittals; 180 days–3 years by offense level for dismissals; 5 years after discharge for most felony nondisclosures
Child support in Texas
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Texas.
How it's figured
percentage of obligor's net resources (20-40% by number of children) Texas Attorney General website has an online estimator
When it ends
age 18 or high school graduation, whichever is later
Lemon law in Texas
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Texas's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new and leased vehicles within 2 years/24,000 miles (also used vehicles still under warranty)
When it's legally a lemon
4+ failed repairs of the same defect (2 for serious safety hazards) or 30+ days out of service within 24 months/24,000 miles
What you get
replacement vehicle, refund, or cash settlement
Tenant rights in Texas
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Texas.
Notice before eviction
3-day notice to vacate for nonpayment; 30 days to end a month-to-month tenancy
Deposit limits & return
No statutory cap; return within 30 days; written itemized list required
When the landlord won't fix things
May repair and deduct up to 1 month's rent or $500 after written notice
DUI / DWI in Texas
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Texas handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; enhanced charge at BAC 0.15 or higher (Class A misdemeanor)
Typical penalties
72 hours to 180 days in jail, up to $2,000 fine, license suspension up to 1 year
How far back DUIs count
Lifetime
Gun laws in Texas
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permitless carry at 21+ (HB 1927, effective Sept 2021); shall-issue License to Carry still available
Carrying openly
Generally allowed — handguns must be carried in a holster
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Not required on private sales No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
No red flag law on the books here.
Reciprocity
Honors out-of-state permits whose issuing requirements Texas deems substantially similar (most states)
Filming the police: your rights in Texas
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (Tex. Penal Code § 16.02)
Buffer-zone law — in effect
none in effect (a 2015 proposal, HB 2918, to criminalize filming police within 25 feet was dropped and never enacted)
Turner v. Driver, 848 F.3d 678 (5th Cir. 2017): the First Amendment protects recording police in public, subject to reasonable time, place, and manner limits. Officers can still order bystanders back for safety under the interference-with-public-duties law (Tex. Penal Code § 38.15).
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Texas
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Texas
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Texas
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Texas
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Texas
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →