Facing a divorce or custody case in Collin County
In Collin County, divorce and custody cases are filed with the District Clerk in McKinney and randomly assigned to one of 15 district courts that hear civil, criminal and family cases alike. There are no separate family courts. Under local rules that took effect May 6, 2026, each side gets 20 minutes in total at a temporary-orders hearing unless the court orders otherwise, so being prepared matters from the start. Scott Rewak helps people in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Celina and across the county from his Dallas office in Preston Center.
Collin County is growing fast, and its courts are shared
Collin County had an estimated 1,297,179 residents in July 2025, up about 21.7% since 2020. That is the fastest growth of the four counties around Dallas. In the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, Celina was the fastest-growing U.S. city of 20,000 or more people, and Princeton, Melissa and Anna were also in the top five.
Unlike Dallas and Tarrant counties, Collin County does not have courts that hear only family cases. Its 15 district courts (the 199th, 219th, 296th, 366th, 380th, 401st, 416th, 417th, 429th, 468th, 469th, 470th, 471st, 493rd and 494th) are general jurisdiction courts. That means each court hears civil, criminal and family cases.
How your case is assigned to a court
Under Collin County's Local Rules of Administration (§§3.1–3.2, effective June 4, 2025), new cases are randomly assigned to a district court. You do not choose your court, and neither does your spouse.
Later cases between the same people go back to the court that handled the earlier one. So if you divorced in Collin County and later ask to change custody or child support (a "modification"), that request generally returns to the same court. Scott's modifications page explains when a change may be possible.
The district courts are at the Collin County Courthouse, 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071. The District Clerk is at the same address.
Twenty minutes per side at temporary orders
Temporary orders are the court's rules for while the case is open: who the children live with, who pays which bills, who stays in the house. They can shape the months that follow, so the hearing where they are set matters.
Collin County's Local Rules of Practice, effective May 6, 2026, include one rule written just for family cases. Rule 3.5 says that at a temporary-orders hearing, each side gets "twenty minutes total to present its evidence, cross-examine, rebut, and argue its case, unless the court affirmatively orders otherwise."
Twenty minutes is not long. It has to cover your witnesses, your documents, your answers to the other side's evidence, and your argument. In practice, that means:
- deciding in advance which few points matter most to you and your children
- having the key documents organized, labeled and ready
- knowing which witnesses, if any, are worth part of those minutes
Scott often says, "There's no substitute for being prepared." In Collin County, the clock makes that literal.
The Collin County standing order
A standing order is a set of rules the courts put in place for certain kinds of cases without anyone having to ask. Collin County has one, titled "Standing Order on Children, Property, and Conduct of Parties". It is also posted on the state's local-rules site.
As the title says, it deals with children, property and how the parties behave while the case is open. If you are filing or have been served in Collin County, read the order in full before you make changes to money, accounts or the children's routine, and ask a lawyer about anything unclear. Scott can go through it with you line by line at a consultation.
Filing and mediation in Collin County
The Collin County District Clerk requires electronic filing for family cases through eFileTexas. For people without a lawyer, the clerk points to eFileTexas's Guide and File tool and TexasCourtHelp.gov.
Mediation is a meeting with a neutral person who helps both sides try to reach an agreement. Once a court has ordered a case to mediation, the county-supported Collin County ADR program offers low-cost family mediation. Scott's mediation page explains what to expect.
Plano, Frisco and other split cities
Several cities cross county lines. Frisco has Collin and Denton County offices listed for residents, and Carrollton sits in Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. Your city does not decide where you file. Your address does. To file for divorce in a county, you or your spouse must have lived in that county for the 90 days before filing, and in Texas for six months (Tex. Fam. Code §6.301). If your home is on the Denton County side, see the Denton County page.
How Scott helps in Collin County
Scott Rewak is Board Certified, Family Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and handles any family-law matter. His office is at 5950 Sherry Lane, Suite 800, in Dallas's Preston Center. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Scott studied accounting before law school. That background can help in cases with businesses, stock compensation or complicated household finances, which Texas presumes to be community property unless shown otherwise (§3.003). If children are involved, his custody and child support pages explain the state rules your court will apply.
The free Navigating Divorce workbook is a good way to get organized before a hearing with a 20-minute limit.
Questions people ask
Is there a family court in Collin County?
No. Collin County's 15 district courts each hear civil, criminal and family cases. Your case is randomly assigned to one of them.
Where is the Collin County courthouse?
The Collin County Courthouse is at 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney, TX 75071. The District Clerk's office is at the same address.
How long will my temporary orders hearing take?
Under Local Rule 3.5, each side gets 20 minutes in total to present evidence, cross-examine, respond and argue, unless the court orders otherwise. Preparing well before the hearing makes the most of that time.
I live in Frisco. Do I file in Collin or Denton County?
It depends on your address. Frisco is in both counties, and Texas law looks at the county where you or your spouse has lived for the 90 days before filing.
If I need to change my custody order later, which court hears it?
Under Collin County's local rules, a later family case between the same parties goes back to the court that handled the earlier one.
