Residency requirements must be met by one or both of the parties in order for a Texas court to grant a divorce. Let us assume you meet the Texas requirements in which you have been living in Texas for at least six months and you filed for divorce in the county in which you have been living in for at least 90 days. How does a Texas court acquire the power to impose personal obligations, such as spousal support, on your nonresident spouse?

After your spouse has filed for divorce, you were probably served divorce papers. What steps should you immediately take?

If you have been served, usually by a process server or a constable, you will receive a copy of the petition that was filed by your ex-spouse. It will state important information such as your case number and the court your case is assigned to. Now that you’ve been served, what should you do?

A petition is filed with the court to begin the divorce process. Once the court accepts your petition, you will need to serve your spouse. This is also referred to as service of process.