A Final Decree of Divorce is a legal document that concludes a divorce, outlining the terms of marriage dissolution related to property and debt division, child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and other relevant matters. It must be signed by the judge and filed with the clerk to become a binding contract between spouses. The terms of a Divorce Decree are mandatory to follow for both parties; otherwise, they may be fined or subject to other punishment.
Download Final Decree of Divorce Form in PDF Format
In 2026, Texas divorce decrees involving children reflect higher child support limits, expanded custody schedules, stronger enforcement, and stricter privacy protections.
As of 2026, Texas has increased the “net resources” cap used to calculate guideline child support to $11,700 per month. For one child, this sets the maximum guideline support at $2,340 per month. This update aligns support obligations with inflation and current living costs, and older decrees may qualify for modification to reflect the higher cap.
Custody language has also changed, for example, Texas courts now default to the Expanded Standard Possession Order (ESPO) when parents live within 50 miles of each other. Compared to the traditional schedule, the ESPO gives the non-custodial parent more time, including Thursday overnights and earlier weekend starts, unless a judge finds it is not in the child’s best interest.
2026 decrees emphasize accountability and privacy. Stronger enforcement provisions allow faster action when court-ordered visitation is repeatedly denied, with consequences that may include fines, jail time, or custody modification. At the same time, stricter redaction rules protect sensitive information by moving items like Social Security numbers and bank details to separate confidential filings, reducing the risk of identity theft.
Please note that the divorce documents provided in this article can only be used as samples. They may not be up-to-date or relevant to your divorce situation. Take the first step towards your uncontested divorce. Order your personalized forms from our website and forget about spending days searching for and filling out all the papers yourself.
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