Find Family Court Records in Fort Worth
Fort Worth family court records are filed with the Tarrant County District Clerk and can be searched online or at the Tim Curry Justice Center in downtown Fort Worth. The city has a population of about 900,000 and is the county seat of Tarrant County, which operates seven family district courts for cases involving divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, and protective orders. If you need to find a Fort Worth family court case or get copies of documents, this guide covers where to look, what tools to use, and what help is available.
Fort Worth Quick Facts
Tarrant County District Clerk
All family court records for Fort Worth are maintained by the Tarrant County District Clerk. District Clerk Tom Wilder runs the office at 100 W. Weatherford Street, Room 130, Fort Worth, TX 76196, with phone at (817) 884-1575. The main office for document access and filings is at the Tim Curry Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196.
Tarrant County has seven dedicated family district courts: the 17th, 96th, 231st, 233rd, 322nd, 324th, and 360th Judicial District Courts. Each handles divorce, custody, conservatorship, child support, paternity, adoption, and related family matters. Fort Worth cases are assigned to these courts based on filing date and the county's rotation schedule. All filings are indexed under the District Clerk and searchable by cause number or party name.
| Office | Tarrant County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 W. Weatherford Street, Room 130 Fort Worth, TX 76196 |
| Phone | (817) 884-1575 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | tarrantcountytx.gov/district-clerk |
The Tarrant County Clerk is a separate office in the same building, managed by County Clerk Mary Louise Garcia at (817) 884-1195. The County Clerk handles vital records, marriage licenses, and assumed name certificates. For family court case filings and document copies, you want the District Clerk.
Searching Fort Worth Family Court Records
Tarrant County offers several ways to access family court records. Free self-service document lookup is available at public access computers in the Tim Curry Justice Center. A paid remote subscription service is also available for frequent users such as attorneys, title companies, and legal professionals. The subscription requires a $120 initiation fee and $35 per month, but gives access 23 hours a day, seven days a week.
The statewide portal re:SearchTX provides free access to Tarrant County district court records including family cases. You can search by party name or cause number and see docket entries, case status, and some document images. For older cases or certified copies, you will need to visit the courthouse or submit a mail request to the District Clerk.
Copy fees for Tarrant County are $1.00 per page for non-certified paper copies, and non-certified electronic copies are $1.00 for the first ten pages and $0.10 per additional page. Certified copies are $1.00 per page plus certification. A clerk-conducted basic records search costs $5.00. The court document lookup page at tarrantcountytx.gov has the full fee schedule and instructions.
Note: Public access records at the courthouse are free. The subscription fee only applies to remote online access outside the courthouse.
Fort Worth City Records
The Fort Worth Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanors, traffic violations, and city code matters. It is not the court for family law, but it may have records relevant to a family case if a protective order violation or related citation was filed there. Call (817) 392-6700 for citation inquiries.
The Fort Worth City Secretary office at fortworthtexas.gov manages city-level public records requests under the Texas Public Information Act. The office is at 1000 Throckmorton Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102, and maintains council minutes, ordinances, and other official city documents.
City public records and family court records are different things. If you need city records like public information requests or council documents, contact the City Secretary. For family court case files and certified copies, go to the Tarrant County District Clerk.
Open records requests for city-level documents can be submitted through the Fort Worth public records portal at fortworthtexas.gov/records. Texas law requires a ten-business-day response to public information requests.
Family Cases in Fort Worth Courts
Fort Worth residents file family cases under Texas state law. Divorce filings fall under Family Code Chapter 6. To file in Tarrant County, at least one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in the county for 90 days prior to filing under Section 6.301. Texas requires a 60-day waiting period from the date of filing before a divorce can be finalized. Both fault and no-fault divorces are allowed under Texas law.
Custody cases in Fort Worth follow Family Code Chapter 153. The standard in Texas is joint managing conservatorship unless it would not be in the child's best interest. Either parent can request sole managing conservatorship if the facts support it. Parenting plans are required in cases involving children, and Tarrant County courts may require both parents to attend a co-parenting class as part of the case process.
Child support in Tarrant County is calculated using state guidelines. The Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division handles enforcement for cases where an obligor fails to pay. You can reach the AG's child support services at texasattorneygeneral.gov/child-support. Modifications to support orders require filing in the court that issued the original order unless jurisdiction has changed.
Legal Help in Fort Worth
Lone Star Legal Aid serves Fort Worth area residents with free civil legal services. Family law cases including divorce, custody, and protective orders may qualify depending on income. Call (800) 733-8394 or visit lonestarlegal.org. The Tarrant County Bar Association also provides lawyer referrals and has information about reduced-fee legal services in the area.
The State Bar of Texas lawyer referral line is (800) 252-9690. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has free step-by-step guides and forms for family cases. The Texas Courts Self-Help Center at txcourts.gov also has resources for people handling their own cases. Electronic filing is available through eFileTexas.gov for all Tarrant County district court filings.
Tarrant County Family Court Records
Fort Worth is the county seat of Tarrant County. All family court filings for the city go through the Tarrant County District Court system. For more on Tarrant County's courts, fees, and access options, see the county page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities in the greater Fort Worth area have family court records through nearby county district clerks.