Austin Divorce Lawyers for Complex and High-Asset Divorces
Legally reviewed by Alicia Lackey, J.D. — Texas attorney since 2007 · Last updated October 6, 2026
The Austin divorce attorneys at Lackey Law Firm represent professionals, business owners and families in contested, collaborative and high-asset divorces from our Bee Cave office.
If you are divorcing in Austin, Texas law sets the ground rules: one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in Travis County for 90 days before filing (Texas Family Code §6.301), the court cannot grant the divorce until the petition has been on file for 60 days (§6.702), and the Travis County Standing Order takes effect the moment your case is filed.
Lackey Law Firm is staffed with experienced attorneys who understand the challenges of divorce. Equipped with years of experience, they are prepared to guide you in the settlement process, or fight for your rights in court with your future in mind. You will have consistent communication during your case so that you can get answers to your questions and understand how your case is progressing.
Many divorces also raise custody, support or property questions that fall within the firm’s family law practice.
Talk with an Austin divorce attorney about your case.
Divorce Services in Austin
How the Divorce Process Works for Austin Families
When going through a divorce, it is common to have concerns about various aspects of the process. The divorce lawyers of Lackey Law Firm can help you understand the divorce process, file the necessary paperwork and negotiate with the other party to reach a settlement. They can help you with some of the most common issues that come with divorce, such as:
- Separate property: Texas is a community property state, meaning property acquired during the marriage is generally considered community property and subject to division. However, separate property, such as property acquired before the marriage or through inheritance or gift, is typically not subject to division. The attorneys at Lackey Law Firm can help you identify and properly classify separate property to ensure it is protected in the divorce.
- Retirement and bank accounts: Dividing retirement accounts can be stressful. While these assets can often be in the category of community property, there are some exceptions. The skilled lawyers at Lackey Law Firm help you understand how retirement and bank accounts will be divided in the divorce.
- Hidden assets: The attorneys at Lackey Law Firm may help you find hidden assets the other party may own. Hidden assets may include money, property or other assets the other party has not disclosed.
Grounds for Divorce in Texas
In most Austin cases, the petition cites insupportability, the no-fault ground. That means the marriage has broken down because of conflict, and there is no reasonable hope that the spouses will get back together.
A spouse can instead plead fault, for example adultery, cruelty, abandonment or a felony conviction, but fault takes more proof and can make the case longer. Our guide to fault and no-fault divorce in Texas compares the two paths.
Your Austin Divorce Attorney for Complex Estates
The questions Austin professionals bring our divorce lawyers most often are how an IRA is divided, what happens to restricted stock units that have not yet vested, and how a business is valued when one spouse built it. Many of the divorces we handle involve at least one of a closely held business, deferred compensation, or retirement accounts that require a qualified domestic relations order. That matters for your case because how an asset is characterized (community, separate, or mixed) is decided by evidence, not by whose name is on the account. Our high-asset divorce page explains the valuation and tracing tools we use, and the collaborative and mediation options that keep financial details out of a public hearing.
Lackey Law Firm brings extensive experience handling divorces involving professional practices, closely-held corporations, and partnership interests, working with forensic accountants and business valuation experts to build compelling cases for asset protection.
As the firm’s managing partner, Alicia Lackey can walk you through how each of these assets is likely to be treated in your divorce.
Schedule a confidential consultation with Lackey Law Firm.
What to Expect in a Travis County Divorce
Divorces for Austin, Texas residents are filed with the Travis County District Clerk and heard by the Travis County district courts, which have original jurisdiction over every divorce in the county. Three local realities shape most cases our Austin divorce attorneys handle:
- The Travis County Standing Order applies immediately. When a divorce or custody case is filed, the county’s standing order for family law cases binds both spouses without anyone asking for it. It protects children and preserves property while the case is pending, for example by restricting unusual withdrawals, changes to insurance, and moving a child’s residence or school without agreement. It also applies to modification cases, which is not true in every neighboring county.
- Contested hearings run on a central docket. Unless a case is assigned to a specific judge, the parties often learn which judge will hear a contested matter shortly before the hearing. Preparation therefore has to work in front of any judge, which favors well-documented financial records over courtroom theatrics.
- The 60-day clock starts at filing, not at service. Under Texas Family Code §6.702, a judge cannot sign a decree before the 61st day after the petition is filed, except in certain family-violence cases. Agreed divorces often finish soon after the waiting period; cases involving a business, stock compensation or a custody dispute take longer.
Our Austin Office
Lackey Law Firm, Austin Office
12600 Hill Country Blvd, Suite R-275
Austin, TX 78738
Austin Family Law Office
- Lackey Law Firm, P.C. 12600 Hill Country Blvd. Suite R-275 Austin, TX 78738
- 512-501-1618
Plan Your Next Step With a Divorce Attorney
The lawyers at Lackey Law Firm can help you pursue a fresh start through a divorce.
From the first filing to the final decree, our divorce law firm prepares your case around the property, income and parenting issues that matter most to you. That holds true whether your case settles or goes to a Travis County courtroom.
Fill out an online contact form to schedule a consultation at our offices located in Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Austin, The Woodlands and Corpus Christi.
Austin Divorce Questions and Answers
How much does a divorce cost in Austin, Texas?
It depends on how much you and your spouse disagree. An uncontested Austin divorce costs far less than a contested one, because most of the expense is attorney time spent on disputed property and parenting issues. The Travis County District Clerk charges a filing fee set out in the county’s current fee schedule.
Is Texas a 50/50 divorce state?
No. Texas is a community property state, but courts divide community property in a manner that is “just and right” under Texas Family Code §7.001, which is not always equal. Separate property (assets owned before the marriage or received by gift or inheritance) is not divided at all, though the spouse claiming it must prove it by clear and convincing evidence.
Can I protect my business in a divorce?
Often, at least in part. Whether a business is community or separate property depends on when and how it was acquired and whether community funds or effort increased its value. A current valuation, clean records separating personal and business finances, and, where appropriate, a buyout structured into the property division are the usual tools.
Is spousal maintenance mandatory in Texas?
No. A Texas court may order spousal maintenance only if the requesting spouse meets the eligibility rules in Texas Family Code §8.051, most commonly a marriage of ten years or longer where that spouse cannot meet minimum reasonable needs, and even then it is capped at the lesser of $5,000 a month or 20 percent of the paying spouse’s average monthly gross income (§8.055).
Meet Our Attorney
Practice Areas
Schedule A Consultation At
Our Offices Throughout Hill Country
The lawyers at Lackey Law Firm, P.C., can help you pursue a fresh start through a divorce. Call today or fill out an online contact form to schedule a consultation at our offices located in Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Austin, The Woodlands and Corpus Christi.*
Suggested Reading
- How long does it take to go through a divorce?
- How may a divorce affect my retirement plans?
- Is separation of assets in Texas divorce equal?
- The differences between fault-based and no-fault divorce in Texas
- Should you share your divorce on social media?
*Main office is located in Austin, Texas. All office locations are staffed by appointment only.
