How much does divorce mediation cost in Texas?

Short answer: Texas has no statewide price for divorce mediation. When a court appoints a mediator, Texas law lets the court "set a reasonable fee." Some county dispute resolution centers offer free or low-fee mediation to people who qualify. Private mediators set their own fees, and no official Texas source publishes what they charge.

This is general information, not legal advice. It covers Texas only.

When Texas courts send divorces to mediation

A Texas court may refer a divorce to mediation "On the written agreement of the parties or on the court's own motion."¹ The same is true for a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, often called a SAPCR. That is a case about custody, visitation or child support.²

Neither of these sections sets a price. The fee rules are in other laws, covered below.

Court-set fees for court-appointed mediators

When a court refers a case to mediation, it "may appoint an impartial third party" (a neutral person such as a mediator) to run it.³ Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 154.054 then says:³

• "The court may set a reasonable fee for the services of an impartial third party appointed under this subchapter."
• "Unless the parties agree to a method of payment, the court shall tax the fee for the services of an impartial third party as other costs of suit."

In plain terms: the statute names no dollar amount. The judge decides what is reasonable. If you and your spouse agree on who pays, that agreement controls. If not, the fee is handled like other court costs in the case.

Before a referral under this chapter, the court must tell the parties. Any party may file a written objection "within 10 days after receiving the notice." If the court finds "a reasonable basis" for the objection, it may not make that referral.³

County dispute resolution systems and their fees

Texas lets each county set up its own alternative dispute resolution system. The county's commissioners court (its governing board) "by order may establish" one, and it may contract with "a private nonprofit corporation" or a public body to run it.⁴ An entity that runs one of these centers "may collect a reasonable fee set by the commissioners court."⁴

So whether a county center charges, and how much, depends on the county. Here is what four large counties' centers say on their own sites. All were read on 2026-10-06.

Program	Who runs it	Fee it publishes
Harris County Domestic Relations Office	Harris County	"no cost" if eligible; $100.00 fees for some cancellations
Harris County Dispute Resolution Center	Sponsored by the Houston Bar Association; funded through the Harris County Courts System	"FREE to residents of Harris County"
Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center	Dallas County	"no fee associated with this program"
Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center	Bexar County	"at no charge"
Dispute Resolution Center (Austin, Travis County area)	Nonprofit	"$50 – $250 per side"

Harris County (Houston)

The Harris County Domestic Relations Office mediates divorces and SAPCR cases pending in the Harris County Family District Courts. It says "Mediation services are offered at no cost for both temporary and final orders." To qualify, "the parties' combined annual gross income cannot exceed $135,000 and the parties may not have significant financial or real property holdings."⁵

The office lists two fees. Failing to mediate from a private space "will result in a mediation cancellation, assessment of $100.00 termination fee." And mediations "not canceled within 72 business hours of their mediation date will incur a $100.00 fee before the mediation can be rescheduled." Parties also agree "to devote a minimum of five hours" to the process.⁵

The separate Harris County Dispute Resolution Center is "sponsored by the Houston Bar Association and funded through the Harris County Courts System." It says "Services are FREE to residents of Harris County, Texas."⁶ Its divorce program handles cases before or after a lawsuit is filed, but it "can only mediate for parties with no significant financial or real property holdings and a combined gross annual income of $100,000 or less."⁷

Dallas County

The Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center was created by a Commissioners Court order in 2011. It says "Only cases in which the parties truly cannot afford mediation services will be referred to this program by the Courts."⁸ On fees, it says: "To date, there is no fee associated with this program. Qualified mediators are providing their services on a pro bono basis."⁹ (Pro bono means free.) The center takes cases only by court referral.⁹

Its referral criteria say family cases where any party is pro se (representing themselves) are eligible. Cases where all parties have hired lawyers are not, "unless the Court determines that the means of the parties are not sufficient to bear the cost of private mediation."¹⁰

Bexar County (San Antonio)

The Bexar County Commissioners Court set up the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center in 1984. Its "primary focus is to provide mediation services to residents, businesses, and organizations of Bexar County at no charge." It is "funded by monies generated from filing fees assessed on civil court cases."¹¹

Its limits matter for divorces. The center lists "Divorce matters prior to filing of the divorce petition" and "Modification of existing court orders" as not appropriate for mediation there. Filed cases need a Bexar County judge's order.¹² It does mediate "post-divorce and paternity matters involving issues such as visitation and non-payment of medical expenses."¹³

Travis County (Austin)

The Dispute Resolution Center in Austin describes itself as "a nonprofit organization since 1983." It is not a county office. Its FAQ says: "Our fees range from $50 – $250 per side depending on your circumstances."¹⁴ It lists "family law disputes such as pre- and post-divorce matters" among the cases it mediates.¹⁵

What private mediators charge

No Texas statute, court rule or official court source publishes the rates private mediators charge. So we don't give a price range or an "average." Each mediator sets a fee.

MediationList will show rates that mediators report on their claimed profiles once at least 10 mediators in Texas have reported them. Until then, ask each mediator for a written fee explanation and compare.

Fee guidelines for Texas mediators

The Supreme Court of Texas's Ethical Guidelines for Mediators are a general guide, not disciplinary rules. On costs, they say:¹⁶

• "As early as practical, and before the mediation session begins, a mediator should explain all fees and other expenses to be charged for the mediation."
• "A mediator should not charge a contingent fee or a fee based upon the outcome of the mediation."
• "In appropriate cases, a mediator should perform mediation services at a reduced fee or without compensation."
• If a party and the mediator can't settle a fee dispute before mediation starts, "the mediator should decline to serve so that the parties may obtain another mediator."

To compare Texas mediators, browse the Texas directory or get matched.