La Salle County Divorce Decree Records
La Salle County divorce decree records are maintained at the District Clerk's office in Cotulla, the county seat in South Texas along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Laredo. La Salle County is part of the 81st and 218th Judicial District Court system, which also serves Atascosa, Frio, Karnes, and Wilson counties. Online access is limited for this county, and most records requests must be made in person or by mail. If you need to find a divorce case or get a certified copy of a final decree from La Salle County, this page explains how to do it.
La Salle County Overview
La Salle County District Clerk
The District Clerk in Cotulla is the official custodian of all divorce records for La Salle County. The 81st and 218th Judicial District Courts serve the county on a rotating schedule, hearing family law matters including divorce, child custody, and property division. The clerk's office files all petitions, stores case documents, and handles public records requests. Staff can search by party name or cause number during regular office hours.
La Salle County sits along the Eagle Ford Shale corridor and has seen some population fluctuation tied to oil and gas activity in the region. The courthouse in Cotulla serves the entire county, and the clerk handles cases for residents from across La Salle County. Mail requests are accepted in addition to in-person visits.
| Office | La Salle County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 101 Courthouse Square, Cotulla, TX 78014 |
| Phone | (830) 879-6202 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | co.la-salle.tx.us |
For mail requests, include both party names, the filing year if known, and payment by check or money order payable to the La Salle County District Clerk. Call (830) 879-6202 to confirm current fees and the preferred mailing address before sending your request.
How to Search La Salle County Divorce Records
La Salle County does not have a standalone online case search portal. The statewide re:SearchTX portal may have some case index information for La Salle County cases filed through the 81st and 218th District Courts. Check that portal first to see if a case appears. It is free and can provide a cause number before you contact the clerk.
For in-person visits, go to the Cotulla courthouse during regular business hours. Bring your photo ID and the names of both parties. A filing year also helps narrow the search quickly. The clerk can look up the case and tell you what is available. Copies can generally be made the same day for accessible files. Older archived cases may take extra time to retrieve.
If you need a statewide divorce verification rather than the full county file, the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit at dshs.texas.gov/vs maintains a divorce index going back to 1968. They can confirm that a divorce occurred in Texas and issue a verification letter. This service does not replace a certified copy of the decree but can be enough to confirm the divorce happened.
Divorce Law in La Salle County
Under Texas Family Code section 6.301, at least one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in La Salle County for 90 days before filing for divorce there. If you moved to the county recently and have not yet been there for 90 days, you will need to wait or file in a county where you meet the residency requirement.
Texas allows no-fault divorce. The standard ground is "insupportability" under Texas Family Code section 6.001. That means the marriage can no longer continue because of conflict or discord with no reasonable chance of reconciliation. You do not need to prove fault to get a divorce in Texas. Fault grounds like cruelty, adultery, or felony conviction are available if you want to use them.
The mandatory 60-day waiting period from Texas Family Code section 6.702 begins when you file the petition. The court cannot sign the final decree until that period has passed. For agreed cases, the decree can be finalized soon after the wait ends if all terms are settled. Property is divided under Texas Family Code Chapter 7 in a just and right manner.
Circuit Court Schedule: The 81st and 218th District Courts rotate through La Salle County on a set schedule. Check with the clerk's office to find out when the next court date is available in Cotulla before planning your case timeline.
Fees for La Salle County Divorce Records
Filing a divorce petition in La Salle County costs approximately $295 for a case without children. Cases with children are a bit higher. These estimates reflect typical small-county fee structures in Texas. Call (830) 879-6202 to confirm the exact current fee before you file or send payment.
For copies of existing records, plan on about $1 per page for plain copies. Certified copies are $1 per page plus a $5 certification fee per document. Each certified document you need carries its own $5 fee. If the clerk conducts a manual search by name, a small additional fee may apply. Confirm all costs before sending payment by mail.
Low-income residents can apply for a fee waiver using the Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs. The form is at txcourts.gov/rules-forms or available at the courthouse. Submit it with your petition, and the judge will review your financial situation and decide whether to grant the waiver.
La Salle County Divorce File Contents
A La Salle County divorce file begins with the Original Petition for Divorce and grows with each document filed as the case progresses. The petition identifies both parties, states the grounds for divorce, and sets out what the petitioner is asking the court to do. The Citation and service of process records show how the other spouse was notified. All these documents become part of the permanent record in the 81st or 218th District Court.
The Final Decree of Divorce is the key document. It is the judge's signed order that ends the marriage. The decree covers property division under Texas Family Code Chapter 7, conservatorship and possession for children, child support under Texas Family Code Chapter 154, and any spousal maintenance. This is the document you need for name changes, bank account updates, and other post-divorce legal matters.
Other items in the file may include temporary orders, income withholding orders, mediated settlement agreements, and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders for retirement accounts. Financial affidavits filed during the case may be sealed. The clerk will tell you which documents in a specific case file are publicly accessible.
Legal Resources for La Salle County Residents
Lone Star Legal Aid serves the South Texas region including La Salle County and provides free legal help to qualifying low-income residents in family law matters. Call (800) 733-8394 or visit lonestarlegal.org to check eligibility. They can assist with divorce forms, custody, and support matters at no cost for those who qualify.
The State Bar of Texas has a referral line at (800) 252-9690. Find an attorney at texasbar.com. Free divorce guides and official court forms are at texaslawhelp.org and txcourts.gov/rules-forms. The Texas State Law Library at guides.sll.texas.gov/divorce has a free guide that walks through the full divorce process in plain language.
The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit maintains a statewide divorce index and can issue verification letters for divorces filed anywhere in Texas since 1968.
DSHS divorce verification is a good starting point when you need to confirm a divorce occurred without ordering the full county file. It covers all Texas counties including La Salle.
Cities in La Salle County
Cotulla is the county seat and largest community in La Salle County. No cities in La Salle County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All divorce cases for county residents go through the District Clerk in Cotulla.
Nearby Counties
La Salle County borders Frio, McMullen, Webb, Zapata, Dimmit, and Zavala counties. The county you file in is determined by where you have lived for the past 90 days.
Frio County | Webb County | Dimmit County | Zavala County | McMullen County