He spent fifteen years deciding divorce cases. Now he handles yours.

It depends mainly on whether the divorce is contested. An uncontested divorce costs less simply because the process is more straightforward — you may not even see a day inside the courtroom. In contested divorces, cost depends on:

• The extent of the disputes between the spouses
• The potential for custody battles
• The number of assets, including allegations of hidden assets
• The attorney you hire — not only their fees, but their legal competency and negotiating skill

A precise prediction is impossible. The starting point is the filing fee associated with the divorce petition; from there it depends on the circumstances.

You can still file. Some states require a period of separation and others do not, but every state allows no-fault divorce. No-fault simply means the marriage has irretrievably broken down, or that the spouses have irreconcilable differences. Your spouse’s agreement is not a prerequisite.

Because no-fault divorce is available, you generally do not need grounds — except in rare cases such as a covenant marriage. You may still want to file a fault-based divorce if your spouse cheated and wasted marital property during the affair. In that situation a judge can make up for the waste through how assets are distributed to the spouse who did not cheat.

Custody, visitation and child support are determined case by case, always against the “best interests of the child” standard. In general, courts want both parents building strong relationships with their children, and they recognize that both parents are financially responsible for the child. The determination reflects those beliefs.

Alimony — also called spousal support or spousal maintenance — is determined case by case under state guidelines. Most consider both the present earning ability and the future earning opportunities of each spouse. If one spouse depended on the other throughout the marriage, that factor weighs heavily.

Assets and debt are divided according to the state’s approach to property. There are two: community property, where property and debts are divided equally, and equitable distribution, where a 50/50 split is not automatic and what matters is what is fair. Texas follows the community property system.

Every divorce begins by filing a petition to dissolve the marriage with the court clerk. Which court depends on the county. Once the petition is filed, the other spouse has a set number of days to answer, unless the divorce is mutual. The most efficient way to start is to have a divorce attorney handle it, so the petition is properly filed and timely answered.