Tarrant County processes more than 17,500 family law cases each year, making it one of the busiest family court systems in Texas. If you are facing divorce, a child custody dispute, a child support matter, or a protective order case, understanding how the Tarrant County family courts operate can help you prepare for what lies ahead.
We took a deep dive into the Court Activity Reports maintained by the Texas Office of Court Administration and analyzed all the Tarrant County cases for 2025 that were reported as of January 3, 2026 to report on what you might expect if you have a family law matter filed in Tarrant County.
Tarrant County Family Court at a Glance: 2025 Numbers
The Tarrant County family court system achieved an exceptional 119.4% clearance rate in 2025 by disposing of 20,995 cases while receiving 17,580 new filings. This means the courts not only kept pace with new cases but also cleared a significant backlog from previous years.
Here are the key statistics that shaped the family law landscape in Tarrant County during 2025:
- New cases filed in 202: 17,580
- Cases disposed: 20,995
- Clearance rate: 119.4%
- Cases resolved within 6 months: 50.2%
- Cases resolved within 3 months: 31.8%
For families going through difficult transitions, this means faster resolution times and less time waiting for answers about their futures.
How Long Do Family Law Cases Take in Tarrant County?
One of the first questions people ask when facing a family law matter is how long the process will take. The 2025 data provides clear answers about typical timelines in the Tarrant County family courts.
Under Texas Family Code § 6.702, a divorce cannot be finalized until at least 60 days after the petition is filed. This mandatory waiting period applies to all divorces in Texas. However, the actual time to disposition depends on the complexity of your case and whether it is contested.
The 2025 resolution timeline for Tarrant County family cases shows the following breakdown:
- 3 months or less: 6,671 cases (31.8%)
- 3 to 6 months: 3,863 cases (18.4%)
- 6 to 12 months: 5,702 cases (27.2%)
- 12 to 18 months: 2,668 cases (12.7%)
- Over 18 months: 2,091 cases (10.0%)
More than half of all cases were resolved within six months. Only 10% of cases took longer than 18 months to reach a final resolution. Cases that stretch beyond a year typically involve contested custody disputes, complex property division, or parties who cannot reach agreement on key issues.
Ready to discuss your family law matter with an experienced attorney? Call (817) 203-2220 to schedule a consultation with our Fort Worth family law team.
Divorce Cases: The Largest Category in Tarrant County Family Court
Divorce cases made up the largest share of the family court docket in 2025. Out of 17,580 total filings, 7,601 were divorce cases. That represents 43.2% of all family law matters.
The data reveals an interesting split between divorces with and without children:
- Divorce without children: 4,296 cases (56.5% of all divorces)
- Divorce with children: 3,305 cases (43.5% of all divorces)
Divorces without children were more common, which may reflect couples divorcing before having children, empty-nest divorces after children reach adulthood, or shorter marriages that ended before starting a family. However, the 3,305 divorces involving children highlight the substantial number of custody, support, and visitation issues that must be addressed in Tarrant County each year.
What the Divorce Numbers Mean for You
If you are considering divorce in Tarrant County, these statistics show you are far from alone. With more than 7,600 divorce filings annually, the family courts have developed efficient procedures for processing cases. However, efficiency does not mean your case will be simple.
Texas is a community property state, meaning most assets acquired during the marriage must be divided. Under Texas Family Code § 7.001, courts must order a division that is “just and right.” This does not always mean a 50-50 split. Factors like fault in the breakup, disparities in earning capacity, and the best interests of children all influence how the court divides property.
Our divorce lawyers at Varghese Summersett have handled complex property division cases involving businesses, retirement accounts, real estate holdings, and significant debt. We work to protect your financial future while helping you move forward.
Child Support Cases: Title IV-D and Enforcement
Child support cases represented the second-largest category in Tarrant County family court, with 3,200 Title IV-D filings in 2025. These cases accounted for 18.2% of all family law matters.
Title IV-D refers to the section of the federal Social Security Act that governs child support enforcement. In Texas, the Office of the Attorney General handles most Title IV-D cases, though private attorneys can also pursue child support matters.
The breakdown of child support cases included:
- Post-judgment Title IV-D: 1,303 cases (40.7% of Title IV-D cases)
- Paternity establishment: 955 cases (29.8%)
- New support orders: 829 cases (25.9%)
- Interstate support (UIFSA): 113 cases (3.5%)
The dominance of post-judgment cases (40.7%) shows that child support disputes often continue long after the original order is entered. Changes in income, job loss, relocation, and other life events frequently require modifications to existing orders. Additionally, the child support laws changed in 2025 for Texans, leading to an uptick in modifications.
Struggling with a child support issue? Our child support attorneys can help you establish, modify, or enforce support orders. Call (817) 203-2220 for a consultation.
How Texas Calculates Child Support
Texas uses a percentage-of-income model to calculate child support. Under Texas Family Code § 154.125, the guidelines set the following percentages based on the number of children:
- One child: 20% of net resources
- Two children: 25% of net resources
- Three children: 30% of net resources
- Four children: 35% of net resources
- Five or more children: 40% of net resources
These percentages apply to “net resources,” which includes wages, salary, commissions, overtime, tips, bonuses, self-employment income, and other sources. Courts can deviate from the guidelines when circumstances warrant, such as when a child has special needs or when the obligor has other children to support.
You can estimate your potential child support obligation using our Texas Child Support Calculator.
Child Custody and Modification Cases
Custody modification cases represented a significant portion of the 2025 docket, with 1,023 modification filings. Combined with 478 enforcement cases and 382 other modifications, post-decree litigation totaled 1,883 cases, or 10.7% of all family law matters.
The dominance of custody modifications (54.3% of this category) reflects the reality that family circumstances change. Parents relocate for work. Children’s needs evolve as they grow. Sometimes a parent’s fitness comes into question due to substance abuse, neglect, or other concerns.
Grounds for Modifying Custody in Texas
Texas law requires a material and substantial change in circumstances before a court will modify a custody order. Under Texas Family Code § 156.101, you generally must wait at least one year after the last order before filing for modification, though exceptions exist for cases involving danger to the child.
Common grounds for custody modification include:
- Relocation of a parent to a distant location
- Significant change in a parent’s work schedule
- Evidence of abuse, neglect, or substance abuse
- A child’s preference (for children 12 and older)
- Remarriage or new living arrangements that affect the child
Our child custody attorneys have helped parents across Tarrant County protect their relationships with their children while putting the children’s best interests first.
Protective Orders in Tarrant County
Protective order cases accounted for 1,068 filings in 2025, representing 6.1% of all family law matters. These are specifically protective orders filed outside the context of a divorce proceeding, which may involve dating violence, family violence between unmarried individuals, or violence between family members who are not spouses.
The court processed 1,002 protective order cases, achieving a 93.8% clearance rate for this category. The high clearance rate reflects the urgency courts place on addressing safety concerns.
Protective orders in Texas can require the respondent to stay away from the petitioner’s home, workplace, and school. They can prohibit contact by phone, text, social media, or third parties. Violation of a protective order is a criminal offense under Texas Penal Code § 25.07, punishable by up to one year in jail for a first offense and up to 10 years in prison for repeat violations.
If you are in danger or need a protective order, do not wait. Contact our Fort Worth office at (817) 203-2220 for immediate assistance.
Child Protection Cases: Adoption, CPS, and Termination of Parental Rights
Child protection cases represented 8.5% of the family law docket in 2025, totaling 1,495 cases. These matters carry the highest stakes in family court because they directly affect children’s safety and permanency.
The breakdown included:
- Adoption cases: 624 (41.7% of child protection cases)
- Child Protective Services (CPS) cases: 458 (30.6%)
- Termination of parental rights: 413 (27.6%)
Adoption cases led this category, reflecting successful permanency planning for children in foster care, step-parent adoptions, and private adoptions. The 458 CPS cases involved allegations of abuse or neglect requiring court oversight. Termination of parental rights cases, while the least common, represent the most serious intervention the state can take to protect children.
If you are involved in a CPS investigation or facing termination proceedings, you have the right to legal representation. Our attorneys understand the CPS process and can help you protect your parental rights while demonstrating your commitment to your child’s wellbeing.
Highlighted Case Resolutions in Tarrant County Family Court
Here were some interesting take-aways from how some Tarrant County cases were resolved:
- Final judgments after non-jury trial: 3,932 cases (18.7%)
- Dismissed for want of prosecution: 3,363 cases (16.0%)
- Non-suited or dismissed by petitioner: 2,471 cases (11.8%)
- Default judgments: 1,762 cases (8.4%)
- Other dispositions: 181 cases (0.9%)
The 18.7% of cases resolved through bench trials reflects the reality that family law disputes are almost always decided by judges rather than juries. Texas law allows jury trials in some family matters, but they are rare because judges have specialized expertise in custody, support, and property division issues.
The significant dismissal rate (27.8% combined) suggests that many parties reconcile, settle privately, or simply do not follow through on their initial filings. Default judgments (8.4%) occur when one party fails to respond or appear, often in uncontested divorces or child support establishment cases.
Jury Trials Are Extremely Rare in Family Court
If you’re facing a family law case and wondering whether you’ll have a jury trial, the answer is almost certainly no. Recent data from Texas’s largest counties reveals just how uncommon jury trials are in family court proceedings.
Let’s take a look at the reported jury trials in family courts in Tarrant County and Dallas County:
- Tarrant County: Out of 20,995 family law cases disposed in 2025, there were zero jury verdicts — that’s 0.00% of all cases.
- Dallas County: Out of 24,293 cases disposed, only 10 cases resulted in jury trials — a mere 0.03% of all dispositions.
Combined, these two major metropolitan counties processed over 45,000 family law cases with only 10 jury trials between them. This represents less than 0.02% of all family court dispositions.
Why Are Jury Trials So Rare in Family Court?
The absence of jury trials in family law isn’t an accident — it reflects the fundamental nature of these cases:
1. Equitable Remedies vs. Legal Remedies
Most family law matters involve equitable remedies (like custody arrangements and property division) rather than legal remedies (like monetary damages). Historically, equity cases were decided by judges, not juries, and this tradition continues today.
2. Judicial Expertise
Family court judges develop specialized knowledge in complex areas like:
- Child custody standards and best interest determinations
- Child support calculations and guidelines
- Community property division
- Spousal maintenance factors
This expertise makes judges better suited than lay juries to apply nuanced legal standards to family matters.
3. Privacy Concerns
Family law cases often involve sensitive personal information, financial details, and allegations about parenting or domestic issues. Bench trials (judge-only proceedings) offer more privacy than public jury trials.
4. Efficiency and Cost
Jury trials require significantly more time and expense than bench trials. In family law, where parties often have limited resources and need timely resolutions, bench trials provide a more practical approach.
5. Limited Jury Trial Rights
In Texas and many other states, the right to a jury trial in family law cases is limited. While parties may have the right to request a jury in certain circumstances (such as contested divorces), many family law matters — including child custody determinations — are decided by judges alone, regardless of the parties’ preferences.
What This Means for Your Case
If you’re involved in a family law matter, you should expect your case to be decided by a judge, not a jury. This means:
- Focus on the judge: Your arguments, evidence, and presentation should be tailored to persuade a legal professional, not lay jurors.
- Legal standards matter: Judges apply specific legal tests and guidelines, so understanding the relevant statutes and case law is crucial.
- Emotional appeals have limits: While judges are human and consider the emotional aspects of cases, they’re bound by legal standards in ways juries are not.
- Expertise works in your favor: An experienced family law judge has seen thousands of similar cases and can apply that knowledge to reach fair outcomes.
With Tarrant County showing zero jury verdicts and neighboring Dallas County recording only 0.03% of cases decided by jury, the data is clear: jury trials are exceptionally rare in family court. Whether you’re facing a divorce, custody dispute, child support matter, or other family law issue, your case will almost certainly be decided by a judge in a bench trial.
Understanding this reality helps you prepare appropriately and set realistic expectations for your family law proceedings.
Where Tarrant County Family Cases Are Heard
Tarrant County family cases are handled in the family courts located in the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in downtown Fort Worth and other county court facilities. The Tarrant County Family Court system includes multiple district courts dedicated to family matters.
Child support cases handled through the Texas Attorney General’s office are heard in the Tarrant County IV-D Court, which specializes in Title IV-D matters. This court has streamlined procedures for establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders.
If your case involves children, you may be required to complete parenting education before the court will enter a final order. Tarrant County offers several approved providers for parenting classes.
What These Statistics Mean for Your Case
The 2025 data paints a picture of a family court system handling massive volume with impressive efficiency. But statistics only tell part of the story. Your case involves real people, real emotions, and real consequences for you and your family.
Here is what the numbers mean in practical terms:
If you are facing divorce: You are one of more than 7,600 people going through this process in Tarrant County each year. The courts are experienced at handling divorce cases efficiently. With proper preparation and experienced legal counsel, your case can move through the system in a matter of months rather than years.
If you have a child support issue: Nearly one in five family court cases involves child support. Whether you need to establish support, modify an existing order, or enforce a delinquent obligation, the courts have established procedures for handling these matters. Our team can help you present the strongest possible case for your position.
If you need to modify custody: Circumstances change, and the law recognizes that court orders sometimes need to change too. The 1,023 custody modification cases filed in 2025 show that post-decree litigation is common. The key is demonstrating that a material and substantial change has occurred and that modification serves the child’s best interests.
If you need protection: With more than 1,000 protective orders filed annually, the courts take safety seriously. If you are in danger, do not wait. Emergency protective orders can be obtained quickly to provide immediate protection while the court addresses your situation.
Why Varghese Summersett for Your Tarrant County Family Law Case
Our family law division handles the full range of matters from uncontested divorces to complex high-asset cases and contentious custody disputes.
What sets us apart:
Local experience: Our attorneys practice regularly in the Tarrant County family courts. We know the judges, the procedures, and the local practices that can affect your case.
Team approach: When you hire Varghese Summersett, you get the resources of a full team working on your behalf. Our attorneys collaborate, share insights, and leverage collective experience to benefit every client.
Compassionate representation: Family law matters are personal. We understand the emotional toll that divorce, custody disputes, and other family issues take on our clients. We provide steady guidance while fighting for the outcomes you deserve.
Results-focused strategy: Our goal is resolution. Whether through negotiation, mediation, or trial, we work to achieve the best possible outcome for your situation in the most efficient manner possible.
Note: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different, and results depend on the specific facts and circumstances involved.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tarrant County Family Law
How long does a divorce take in Tarrant County?
Texas law requires a minimum 60-day waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. According to 2025 data, 31.8% of Tarrant County family cases were resolved within 3 months, and 50.2% were resolved within 6 months. Uncontested divorces can be finalized relatively quickly after the waiting period, while contested cases involving disputes over property or custody may take a year or longer.
How much does a divorce cost in Fort Worth?
The cost of divorce varies significantly based on complexity. An uncontested divorce with no children and minimal assets may cost a few thousand dollars. Contested divorces involving custody battles, business valuation, or high-value property division can cost significantly more. We provide clear fee estimates during your initial consultation. Learn more about divorce costs in Texas.
Can I modify a child custody order in Tarrant County?
Yes, but you must show a material and substantial change in circumstances since the last order. Texas generally requires waiting one year before filing a modification, though exceptions exist if the child is in danger. In 2025, Tarrant County saw 1,023 custody modification cases filed.
How is child support calculated in Texas?
Texas uses a percentage-of-income model based on the number of children. The percentages range from 20% for one child to 40% for five or more children, applied to the obligor’s net resources. Use our Texas Child Support Calculator to estimate your potential obligation.
What happens if my spouse does not respond to divorce papers?
If your spouse fails to respond after being properly served, you may be able to obtain a default judgment. In 2025, 8.4% of Tarrant County family law cases were resolved through default judgment. A default allows the petitioning spouse to proceed without the other party’s participation, though the court still must approve the terms of the divorce.
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Get Help With Your Tarrant County Family Law Matter
Whether you are facing divorce, a custody dispute, child support issues, or any other family law matter, the attorneys at Varghese Summersett are here to help. We have the experience, the resources, and the commitment to fight for the outcomes you deserve.
Schedule a consultation today. Call (817) 203-2220 or contact our Fort Worth office to speak with an experienced family law attorney about your case.
