Plano sits in Collin County, so a Plano resident does not file divorce paperwork inside the city. The Original Petition for Divorce goes to the Collin County District Clerk at the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building, 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071, roughly a 20-minute drive north up US-75 from downtown Plano. Collin County runs 14 district courts, and the family law divisions on the 3rd and 4th floors handle every divorce, custody, and child support matter for Plano neighborhoods like Willow Bend, Legacy West, West Plano, and the older grids near Downtown Plano along 15th Street. This page targets anyone searching for a Plano divorce lawyer and walks through the local filing process, the 2026 costs, and the Texas statutes that control the outcome.
Key Facts for Filing Divorce in Plano (2026)
Plano divorces are governed by Texas state law but processed locally through the Collin County District Clerk. The table below summarizes the figures verified against the county's official 2026 fee schedule and the Texas Family Code as of June 2026.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County | Collin County |
| Filing court | Collin County District Courts, Russell A. Steindam Courts Building |
| Court address | 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071 |
| Filing fee (2026) | $350 base for divorce/annulment; ~$385 with service of process |
| Residency requirement | 6 months in Texas + 90 days in Collin County |
| Waiting period | 60 days minimum from filing date |
| Property model | Community property (just and right division) |
How do I file for divorce in Plano, Texas?
To file for divorce in Plano, submit an Original Petition for Divorce to the Collin County District Clerk and pay the $350 filing fee, either through the Texas eFileTexas portal or in person at 2100 Bloomdale Road in McKinney. Collin County mandates electronic filing for represented parties, and most uncontested Plano cases move entirely through eFile. Once filed, you arrange service on your spouse, wait the statutory 60 days, and present a final decree to a Collin County district judge.
The practical sequence for a Plano resident looks like this. First, confirm you meet the residency rule under Texas Family Code § 6.301: six months as a Texas domiciliary and 90 days as a Collin County resident. Second, prepare the Original Petition for Divorce naming the petitioner, respondent, any children of the marriage, and whether grounds are no-fault (insupportability) or fault-based. Third, e-file through the state portal and pay the $350 fee, or request a fee waiver via a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs if you qualify. Fourth, serve your spouse through the Collin County constable, a private process server, or a signed waiver of service. The District Clerk's office at Suite 12132 keeps the official case file and the signed final decree, not the County Clerk.
Where do I file for divorce in Plano? (which courthouse)
Plano residents file at the Collin County district courts inside the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building, 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The main courthouse line is 972-548-4100, and the District Clerk's civil and family filing desk can be reached at 972-548-4320. There is no divorce court physically located in the City of Plano.
Do not confuse this modern complex with the historic Old Collin County Courthouse at 111 N. Tennessee Street in downtown McKinney. That 1875-era building stopped functioning as a courthouse and reopened in 2006 as the McKinney Performing Arts Center, so no cases are filed there. All Plano divorce, custody, and child support cases route to the Bloomdale Road building. When you e-file, the system assigns your case to one of the 14 district courts, and you confirm the assigned court before any hearing. If you file in person, bring your petition, the $350 fee, and a government ID; the family courts sit on the 3rd and 4th floors of the same building.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Plano?
A divorce lawyer in Plano typically charges $250 to $450 per hour, with most attorneys requesting an upfront retainer of $2,500 to $5,000 for a contested case. An uncontested, agreed divorce with a flat-fee arrangement often runs $1,500 to $3,500 in legal fees plus the $350 court cost. A contested Collin County divorce involving custody disputes, business valuation, or significant community property commonly reaches $8,000 to $20,000 or more once discovery, mediation, and trial preparation are included.
Several local factors push Plano costs toward the higher end. Plano's median household income and high concentration of Legacy West corporate employees, tech professionals, and business owners mean more cases involve stock options, retirement accounts, and 401(k) or pension division that require a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. Collin County also strongly encourages mediation before trial, and a half-day mediation session typically adds $500 to $1,500 per spouse. Service of process through a private server adds roughly $75 to $150. To estimate your own numbers, run figures through the divorce cost estimator, and if children are involved, the child support calculator reflects Texas Chapter 154 guidelines.
How long does a divorce take in Plano?
A Plano divorce takes a minimum of 61 days because Texas Family Code § 6.702 bars a judge from granting a divorce before the 60th day after the petition is filed. In practice, an uncontested Collin County divorce with an agreed decree finalizes in about 60 to 90 days. A contested divorce involving custody, property, or support disputes commonly takes 6 to 12 months, and complex cases requiring multiple mediation sessions or a trial setting can extend past a year.
The 60-day clock starts on the filing date stamped on the petition, not the date your spouse is served. The only exception to the waiting period is a case involving family violence where the respondent has a qualifying conviction or the petitioner holds an active protective order under § 6.702(c). Collin County's 14 district courts carry heavy dockets, so trial settings for contested Plano cases can be scheduled several months out. Two additional 30-day windows follow the signed decree: the appeal window under § 6.801 and the bar on remarrying anyone other than your former spouse under § 6.802. Use the divorce timeline tool to map your specific dates from the filing day forward.
What are the residency requirements to file in Collin County?
To file for divorce in Collin County, either you or your spouse must have lived in Texas for the preceding six months and in Collin County for the preceding 90 days, under Texas Family Code § 6.301. Either spouse can satisfy both parts, so if your spouse meets the rule, you can file in Collin County even after a recent move. If you moved to Plano from another Texas county, you must wait the full 90 days before filing there.
The six-month requirement establishes Texas domicile, meaning you moved to the state intending to stay indefinitely, while the 90-day rule fixes Collin County as the proper venue. Military members and their spouses get a statutory exception under § 6.303: time spent stationed outside Texas while serving still counts toward both the six-month and 90-day periods, which matters for Plano-area families connected to nearby installations. If a petition is filed too early, the usual remedy is abatement, the court pausing the case until the requirement is met, rather than dismissal. A non-resident may still file in Collin County under § 6.302 if the other spouse lives here.
How is property divided in a Plano divorce?
Texas is a community property state, so a Collin County judge divides the marital estate in a manner that is just and right under Texas Family Code § 7.001. Just and right does not guarantee a 50/50 split; courts have awarded 55, 60, or even 70 percent of community property to one spouse when fault, health, or earning-capacity differences justify a disproportionate division. Separate property owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance stays with its owner if proven by clear and convincing evidence.
For many Plano households, the largest assets are the marital home, employer retirement accounts, and equity tied to Legacy West and Telecom Corridor employers. Property acquired by either spouse while living in another state is divided as quasi-community property under § 7.002 if it would have been community property in Texas. Child custody is handled separately as conservatorship under Chapter 153, which presumes both parents serve as joint managing conservators following the standard possession order unless evidence rebuts that presumption. Child support follows the percentage guidelines in Chapter 154. Read the full Texas community property guide for how courts apply these rules.