Texas community resource
Divorce Respondent Answer and Counter-Petition Toolkit
TexasLawHelp.org
Free guidance and forms for a spouse deciding how to respond after the other spouse files a Texas divorce.
Information last checked:
How to get help
Read the petition and citation promptly, calculate and confirm the answer deadline, decide whether to file an answer alone or also a counter-petition, complete and file the selected forms, serve copies as required, keep contact information current, and participate in negotiation, disclosures, hearings, and final-order review.
Who this service helps
For a spouse named as respondent in a Texas divorce. The appropriate response depends on service, residence and jurisdiction, desired orders, children, property, debt, safety, and whether the case is agreed or contested.
Where this service is available
Service area: People handling eligible Texas legal matters, including residents and court users in Central Texas.
A service area describes where help is offered or who may be served. It is not necessarily the organization’s physical location.
Cost / fees
Filing an answer is free. A counter-petition, service, copies, records, discovery, property work, and legal assistance may have costs; eligible respondents may request a court-fee waiver when a charge applies.
About this service
The toolkit explains the consequences of doing nothing, filing an answer, or filing both an answer and counter-petition; response deadlines; service and waiver issues; participation rights; contested-case considerations; and the forms for protecting or requesting relief.
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