Note The library cannot help you fill out forms or determine what form you should use.

About Legal Forms

Official Forms

In general, Texas has very few official legal forms. This is why you will not always find a free fill-in-the-blank form for your situation.

If there is an official form for a legal procedure, it is usually found on the court or court clerk websites. We link to many in this guide.

Templates & Drafting Guides

Everyone's legal situation is different. It is difficult to create standard fill-in-the-blank forms that can work for everyone.

If there are no fill-in-the-blank forms, you may be able to draft your own by using a form template or drafting guide. These are usually created by legal aid and nonprofit groups or private publishers.

Templates and drafting guides often need to be customized for your specific situation. TexasLawHelp.org has an article that explains how you can change existing forms or write your own. If you need help, it's a good idea to ask a lawyer.

Online Forms

File for Divorce

Divorce Kits (TexasLawHelp.org)
File for divorce. Choose a kit with instructions and forms to match your situation (opposite-sex or same-sex couples, with or without children).
Divorce Forms (Office of Court Administration)
Approved by the Supreme Court of Texas for use in uncontested divorces that do not involve children or real property.
Divorce (eFileTexas.gov)
eFileTexas's self-help section contains an interactive interview that will help you create completed forms to file with the court. There are several different forms for a divorce without children or property. Select "family cases" from the list of types of filings.

Respond to a Divorce

Respond to a Divorce (TexasLawHelp.org)
Respond when your spouse has served you with divorce papers. Answer forms and counter-petition forms are provided.

Appear in Court Remotely

I want to go to divorce court remotely (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask the court to appear at your divorce hearings remotely, either by video or over the phone.

Serve Divorce Papers

Waiver of Service Forms (TexasLawHelp.org)
This page lists several versions of a specific waiver of service form. Which one you need will depend on whether there are children involved in the divorce.
Service by Posting (TexasLawHelp.org)
Tell the judge you want to serve your spouse by posting at the courthouse because you cannot find your spouse (and there are no children involved).
Service by Posting (Harris County Law Library)
Harris County Law Library has put together a packet of forms to serve your spouse by posting. These forms can only be used for divorces without children.
Service by Publication (TexasLawHelp.org)
Tell the judge that you want to serve the other parent by publishing in a newspaper because you cannot find the other parent.
Service by Publication for Divorce with Children (Harris County Law Library)
Harris County Law Library has put together a packet of forms to serve your spouse by publication.

Inventory & Appraisement

Texas family law practice manual
See Chapter 7: Inventory & Appraisement for practice notes and forms.

Information on Suit Affecting Family Relationship (Austin Form)

Information on Suit Affecting the Family Relationship (Texaslawhelp.org)
This form is commonly known as the "Austin" form, BVS form or Bureau of Vital Statistics form. The courts use it to report divorces and parent-child relationship changes to the Texas Vital Statistics Unit.

Set a Final Hearing

How to Set an Uncontested Hearing (TexasLawHelp.org)
This page includes forms, instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions about how to set a hearing for divorce on the uncontested docket. See the Related Forms section for a list of forms.
How to Set a Contested Final Hearing (TexasLawHelp.org)
This page includes forms and instructions and answers to frequently asked questions about how to set a contesting final hearing for divorce. See the Related Forms section for a list of forms.

Prove-Up Affidavit

Annulment

Annulment (TexasLawHelp.org)
This kit includes instructions and documents to petition for an annulment. The site cautions you to review the grounds for an annulment carefully to see if you qualify before filing.
Annulment (eFileTexas.gov)
eFileTexas's self-help section contains an interactive interview that will help you create completed forms to file with the court. There are several different forms for annulment. Select "family cases" from the list of types of filings.

E-Books

Many e-books contain forms or drafting guides. To access, first get a free library account online.

Our librarians recommend:

Texas family law practice and procedure
This multivolume set covers conservatorship, guardianship, premarital agreements, divorce, custody, spousal support, temporary orders, termination of parental rights, adoption, and more. Includes drafting guides for legal forms.
Texas family law practice manual
This State Bar of Texas manual contains over 750 family law forms, and the practice notes provide a general introduction into the most common types of family law actions including divorce, custody, child support, parental rights termination and adoption.

Other Places to Find Forms

Court Websites

Check your county or municipality's website for any available legal forms. Some county websites or court websites upload commonly used legal forms as a public service. For example, the Dallas County District Clerk and the Harris County District Clerk provide downloadable legal forms on their websites.
To find court websites and contact information view the Texas judicial directory, search the judicial directory database, or view the interactive map of judicial districts.

Books or E-Books from a Law Library

The State Law Library's digital collection has e-books that can be accessed from home. Many of these e-books contain legal forms or drafting guides. To access, first get a free library account online with the Texas State Law Library.
Visit a law library near you to search for books with legal forms and drafting guides.
The State Law Library has books with legal forms and drafting guides to check out at our location in Austin. Search for books in our library catalog or view our list of recommended titles.

An Attorney

An attorney could create a custom form for you. If you are not able to find the legal form you are looking for, one may not exist in a pre-prepared format and you may need to seek help from a lawyer.
To find an attorney, see the resources on our Legal Help guide.