This guide was designed for couples planning to get married as well as for couples who are already married in Texas. The resources in this guide will help you better understand the marriage process as well as understand your legal responsibilities as a married person.
Below you will find references to areas of the Texas law related to marriage in Texas. If you find these statutes difficult to understand, please see the resources on the subsequent pages for a "plain English" explanation of these laws.
State law stating that the law of this state also applies to those married elsewhere but are domiciled in Texas.
State law governing all aspects of the marriage relationship in Texas. Specific subchapters/sections are also referenced below.
State law governing the application for a marriage license. State law governing who can conduct a marriage ceremony. State law governing the validity of the marriage if an unauthorized person conducts the ceremony. State law governing premarital agreements and marital property agreements.You can borrow the e-books below with your library account. Don't have a library account? Texas residents can register for a library account online! Learn more about how to register online.
Volume 4, Objective V discusses the creation of premarital agreements
Volume 5, Objective X discusses the planning and creation of marital property agreements.
Newly revised after the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court ruling, this book provides an overview of same-sex marriage laws, planning for marriage, prenuptial agreements, estate planning, and more.
"Marriage is one of the few personal contracts in which your state dictates the terms -- unless you create your own customized premarital agreement. Combining Nolo's legal expertise and plain-English writing, Prenuptial Agreements makes a potentially touchy subject easy to deal with while explaining how to create a valid contract. The book covers whether a prenup is right for your relationship, how to decide what a prenup should include, how to assemble a draft agreement, how to turn your draft into a contract and tips on negotiating and communicating." - Publisher's description
"Prenuptial agreements have exploded over the past 20 years, not only among celebrities, but also for all types of people who desire to protect, manage, or enhance their personal, family, or business assets against foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. Attorneys have been assigned the task of cutting through a morass of issues to create agreements that achieve the goals of their clients while meeting complex, and often subtle, legal requirements. Drafting Prenuptial Agreements is the first guidebook ever to cover this growing area of family law." -publisher's description
