Austin divorce
lawyer.
Settlement-first.
An Austin divorce lawyer at Trusler Legal PLLC works through three paths under the Texas Family Code (collaborative, negotiated, and contested) and helps you decide which one fits before anything is filed. The firm is settlement-first by design and court-capable by training. Founded by Cristi Trusler in 2001, Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, practicing family law in Travis County since 2001.
Trusler Legal PLLC is a small Austin family-law firm founded in 2001 and led by Cristi Trusler, who holds two TBLS Board Certifications (Family Law and Child Welfare Law) and the Master Credential in Collaborative Divorce from Collaborative Divorce Texas. Fewer than ten percent of Texas attorneys hold any TBLS specialty certification. The dual TBLS pairing of Family Law plus Child Welfare Law is rare in Texas. The Master Credential reflects depth in the collaborative process. Three credentials, two boards, one practice.
Start where you
actually are.
Six entry points. Pick the one that sounds closest to your situation and we will route the conversation from there.
The ten pillars
of a Texas family-law practice.
Five paths and forms of divorce, plus the five surrounding categories that touch most divorces at some point in the next decade. Each is a full pillar page with statute citations and the working answers.
"No family situation ever improved at the courthouse.
So we don't take you there unless we have to."
The firm is at 3701 Bee Caves Road, Suite 102, in west Austin. Most family matters are heard at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, 1700 Guadalupe St, downtown. We file regularly across Travis and the surrounding Central Texas counties: Hays, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, Blanco, and Burnet. Texas Family Code § 6.301 requires six months of Texas domicile and 90 days of county residency before a petition can be filed. We help you determine which county satisfies venue.
Honest answers
to fair questions.
"What does an Austin divorce lawyer actually do?"
A Texas divorce lawyer in Austin handles the legal mechanics of dissolving a marriage under the Texas Family Code: jurisdiction, grounds, the 60-day waiting period (TFC § 6.702), the just-and-right division of community property (§ 7.001), and orders affecting the children. The lawyer's real job is helping you choose the right path (collaborative, negotiated, or contested) and running it competently through the decree.
"How long does an uncontested Texas divorce take?"
Texas Family Code § 6.702 imposes a 60-day waiting period from the date the petition is filed. Uncontested cases that are otherwise prepared can be finalized at the next available prove-up after day 60. In practice, most uncontested matters take three to four months from filing to signed decree, accounting for drafting, review, and the court's calendar.
"How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Austin?"
Texas family-law fees are billed against a retainer that varies with the path you choose. Negotiated divorces with no children, no business, and no contested assets are typically the lowest end. Contested matters with custody, business interests, or significant separate-property tracing run higher. We quote ranges in the first conversation rather than a single number, because the actual figure depends on opposing counsel and the choices made early in the case.
"What is a "settlement-first" practice?"
Settlement-first means we design every matter to be resolved by collaborative process, mediation, or negotiated agreement, and we prepare every matter as if it might still need to be tried. Most Texas divorces settle before trial. The discipline of running a case toward a settlement does not mean conceding the case. It means producing the record, the evaluation, and the leverage that makes the other side prefer to settle on fair terms.
"Do I need to hire a Board-Certified family law attorney?"
You do not need to. Most Texas attorneys handling divorces are not Board Certified. Fewer than ten percent of Texas attorneys hold any TBLS specialty certification, and Family Law is one of the most rigorous to earn. Board certification signals sustained substantive practice in family law plus peer review by other family-law attorneys and judges. For a routine uncontested divorce, it is not required. For a complex estate, a contested custody matter, or a business-owner case, it is one of the more reliable signals available.
"Can I file for divorce in Travis County if my spouse lives elsewhere in Texas?"
Yes, if you meet residency requirements: TFC § 6.301 requires that a petitioner have been a Texas domiciliary for at least six months and a county resident for at least 90 days before filing. A spouse who lives in another Texas county does not block a Travis County filing if you meet the county residency rule. We file in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, Blanco, and Burnet depending on which county satisfies venue.
"What is the difference between collaborative, negotiated, and contested divorce?"
Collaborative divorce is a Texas-recognized process where both spouses, both lawyers, and (often) a financial neutral and a child specialist work in a series of structured meetings to produce the agreement, with the lawyers contractually committed to withdraw if the case fails to resolve. Negotiated divorce uses ordinary attorney-to-attorney negotiation and (usually) a single mediation session to reach the agreement. Contested divorce is the path that goes to trial because one or both sides cannot or will not settle.
"Will my Austin divorce go to court?"
In Texas, every divorce ends with a court order, even uncontested ones. The "decree of divorce" is signed by a district judge. The question is whether you will appear in court for contested hearings. Most matters settle and the only court appearance is the brief prove-up to enter the decree. Cases that involve temporary-orders disputes, family violence findings, or unresolved property or custody issues require additional hearings or a trial.
An hour with Cristi.
$250 for the first hour, prepaid, on the phone or at our Bee Caves Road office. It is actual legal advice from Cristi, not a sales pitch. No homework before, no follow-up pressure after. We will tell you which of the three paths fits your situation, what the case would cost, and whether you even need a firm like ours.