Rockwall County, Texas
Rockwall, Texas Family Law Attorneys
Divorce, custody, child support and modification cases filed at 1111 E. Yellowjacket Lane — handled by a Texas firm that has been guiding families since 2012.
382nd & 439th District Courts · County Courts at Law No. 1 & 2 · Rockwall ISD & Royse City ISD calendars
Family law covers the legal relationships inside a household: marriage and divorce, conservatorship (what most Texans call custody), possession and access, child support, spousal maintenance, property division, protective orders and Child Protective Services cases. In Rockwall County, these cases are filed with the District Clerk at the Rockwall County Courthouse and are heard in the 382nd District Court, the 439th District Court, or one of the two County Courts at Law.
We represent parents and spouses across the county — in the city of Rockwall, Heath, Fate, Royse City, McLendon-Chisholm, Mobile City and the Rockwall County portion of Rowlett — from our Dallas office, roughly 25 miles west of the courthouse.
Who can file for divorce in Rockwall County
Texas sets two residency requirements before a divorce can be filed, and both must be met. Under Texas Family Code § 6.301, one spouse must have lived in Texas for at least six months and must have lived in the county of filing for at least the preceding 90 days. A spouse who moved to Rockwall from Dallas County 60 days ago generally cannot file in Rockwall County yet — but may be able to file where the other spouse lives.
How Rockwall County judges decide custody
Texas law does not use the word “custody.” It uses conservatorship (decision-making rights and duties) and possession and access (the schedule). Every conservatorship decision is governed by one standard: the best interest of the child (Tex. Fam. Code § 153.002).
Texas law presumes that appointing both parents as joint managing conservators is in the child’s best interest (§ 153.131), and that presumption is rebutted by evidence of family violence or a history of neglect. Joint managing conservatorship does not mean equal time; it means shared rights and duties, with one parent usually holding the exclusive right to designate the child’s primary residence.
For possession, the Family Code provides a Standard Possession Order (§ 153.252) and an expanded version for parents who live within 50 miles of each other (§ 153.3171). Because Rockwall County is compact — the smallest county in Texas at roughly 149 square miles — most parents here live inside that 50-mile radius, which makes the expanded schedule the practical starting point in many Rockwall cases.
| What you may have heard | What Texas law actually says |
|---|---|
| “Mothers get custody.” | Texas courts may not consider the parent’s sex or marital status in conservatorship decisions (Tex. Fam. Code § 153.003). |
| “My child can choose at 12.” | A judge must interview a child 12 or older about the primary-residence choice on request, but the judge decides (§ 153.009). |
| “50/50 is automatic.” | Equal time is available by agreement or order but is not a legal presumption in Texas. |
Child support in Rockwall County cases
Texas child support starts from statutory guidelines applied to the paying parent’s monthly net resources: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five or more (Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125). Guideline support applies only up to a cap on net resources that the Texas Office of the Attorney General adjusts periodically for inflation; above that cap, the court considers the proven needs of the child.
Support obligations generally continue until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later (§ 154.002) — a detail that matters for Rockwall ISD and Royse City ISD families whose children turn 18 during senior year.
Modifications and enforcement
Existing Texas orders can be changed. To modify conservatorship, possession or support, the person asking must show a material and substantial change in circumstances since the last order, and that the change is in the child’s best interest (Tex. Fam. Code § 156.101). Common Rockwall County triggers include a job transfer into or out of the county, a remarriage, a child’s changing school or medical needs, or a parent’s move that breaks the current schedule.
When an order is being ignored, enforcement is filed in the court that issued it. A motion to enforce must state the specific violations — dates, times and missed exchanges — which is why keeping a written log of every exchange at the pickup location matters more than most parents expect.
CPS and protective order cases
The 382nd and 439th District Courts also hear cases filed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. If a caseworker has contacted you, the safest first step is to say that you want to speak with an attorney before signing a safety plan, because documents signed early shape the entire case. Protective order applications based on family violence are heard on an expedited basis and can be filed alongside a divorce or custody suit.
Related reading: Custody FAQ, Divorce FAQ, Family Law FAQ, and Family Law Appeals if a Rockwall County order has already been signed.
Where your case is heard
Rockwall County Courthouse
1111 E. Yellowjacket Lane
Rockwall, TX 75087
Family and civil district cases are heard in the 382nd District Court (Suite 402) and the 439th District Court (Suite 401), both on the fourth floor. County Courts at Law No. 1 and No. 2 (Suites 403 and 404) hear misdemeanors, probate, guardianship and many civil and family matters. District court filings are kept by the District Clerk on the second floor; probate and county-court records are with the County Clerk in Suite 100.
Nearest office
Dallas — about 25 miles from the courthouse
12700 Hillcrest Rd., Suite 201
Dallas, TX 75230
469-972-8473 · answered 24/7
In-person, phone and video consultations are available, and our attorneys appear in the Rockwall County courts.
Schedule an appointment →
Also serving Rockwall County
Other ways we help
- Family Law Appeals in Rockwall, Texas
- Criminal Law in Rockwall, Texas
- Estate Planning in Rockwall, Texas
- Probate in Rockwall, Texas
- Guardianship in Rockwall, Texas
- Personal Injury in Rockwall, Texas
- Adoption in Rockwall, Texas
- Animal Law in Rockwall, Texas
All practice areas →
Rockwall family law questions, answered
A Texas court cannot finalize a divorce until 60 days after the petition is filed. In practice, an uncontested Rockwall County divorce is usually finalized in three to four months, while a contested case involving children, a business or disputed property commonly takes nine to eighteen months.
The 60-day waiting period in Texas Family Code § 6.702 is a floor, not a schedule. What actually drives the timeline is how quickly both sides exchange financial information, whether temporary orders are contested, and how soon the court can set mediation and trial dates.
Heath, Fate, McLendon-Chisholm, Mobile City and Royse City residents inside Rockwall County file at the Rockwall County Courthouse, 1111 E. Yellowjacket Lane, Rockwall, TX 75087, with the District Clerk on the second floor. You must have lived in the county for at least 90 days.
Royse City crosses into Collin and Hunt counties, and Rowlett is mostly in Dallas County, so the correct filing county depends on your address rather than your mailing city. If both spouses meet residency in different counties, either county may be proper and the first filing usually controls.
Rockwall County family courts commonly order mediation before a contested final trial, and most family cases resolve there. Mediation is confidential, and a mediated settlement agreement that meets the statutory requirements is binding and generally cannot be revoked.
Under Texas Family Code § 153.0071, a mediated settlement agreement is binding if it states in boldface, capitalized or underlined type that it is not subject to revocation, and is signed by both parties and any attorneys present. That is why the terms you agree to at mediation deserve the same care as a trial.
Court-ordered spousal maintenance in Texas is limited. A spouse generally must lack sufficient property to meet minimum reasonable needs and must fit a statutory category, such as a marriage of 10 years or longer, a disability, or family violence by the other spouse within two years before filing.
The eligibility rules are in Texas Family Code § 8.051, and the caps on amount and duration are in § 8.055 and § 8.054. Spouses can also agree to contractual alimony, which is enforced as a contract rather than under the maintenance statute and offers far more flexibility.
Free legal education
Learn before you file
Our attorneys host free live webinars on Texas divorce, custody, CPS cases, wills and probate — with time for your questions. Rockwall County residents are welcome to attend from home.
You don't have to go through this alone
Talk to a Rockwall-area attorney today
Tell us what is happening and we will explain your options in plain language — what the Rockwall County courts will look at, how long it usually takes, and what it costs.