Going through it right now. Instead of venting (I'll do that in therapy), I want to share the resources I've found in DFW for anyone else in this situation.
Legal:
- Texas is a no-fault divorce state. You don't need to prove wrongdoing. Source: Texas Family Code Section 6.001.
- Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas — free legal help if you qualify. Source: lanwt.org, (888) 529-5277
- Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program — free consultations for low-income. Source: dallasbar.org/dvap
Therapy/counseling:
- Open Path Collective — $30-80/session sliding scale. Source: openpathcollective.org
- North Texas Behavioral Health Authority — low-cost mental health. Source: ntbha.org
- Psychology Today therapist finder — filter by "divorce" specialty and DFW zip code.
Support groups:
- DivorceCare — meets at churches across DFW. Non-denominational focus. Free. Source: divorcecare.org (search DFW)
- TESSA (Texas) — if domestic violence is involved. 24/7 hotline. Source: tessadv.org
Practical stuff:
- Changing your address: USPS, then DMV, then banks/credit cards, then subscriptions.
- Filing in Texas: $300-350 filing fee in Dallas and Tarrant County. Source: dallascounty.org/departments/districtclerk
For parents:
- Texas Attorney General child support calculator. Source: texasattorneygeneral.gov
- Co-parenting apps: OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents (court-admissible communication)
You're not alone in this. DFW is big enough that there's a community for everything, including this.
What would you do?
Open Path Collective therapists in DFW are legit. I found mine through there and she's been incredible. $60/session.