Texas law stipulates a waiting period following a divorce before an individual can legally remarry. This provision mandates that a divorced person must wait at least 30 days after the divorce decree is signed by a judge before entering into another marriage. The commencement of this period begins immediately after the finalization of the divorce.
This waiting period serves several purposes. It provides a cooling-off period, allowing individuals time to adjust to their newly single status. Historically, it also served to prevent potential legal complications related to paternity if a woman were pregnant at the time of the divorce. While advancements in paternity testing have diminished this concern, the waiting period remains in effect as a matter of state law.