Divorce Cost Estimator
A complete state-aware estimate of attorney fees, court costs, and ancillary expenses.
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What a divorce actually costs
Most people start with one question: what is this going to cost? The honest answer is that it depends, but the range is knowable. Our own working figure for a typical divorce is about $12,900, with most landing between $7,000 and $23,000 once attorney fees, court costs, and related expenses are added up. An uncontested case where you and your spouse agree on the major terms can cost as little as $1,500 to $5,000. A contested case that goes to court climbs well past $15,000. Take those as ours rather than as measurements: they came into our data at the original build and no survey stands behind them.
This calculator builds an estimate around your situation, not a national figure. It asks about your state, the type of divorce you expect, how long you have been married, whether children are involved, and how complex your finances are. Each of those moves the number, and your state moves it the most. Filing fees, attorney hourly rates (our working national figure is near $270 an hour), waiting periods, and the way property gets divided all depend on where you file.
Read the result as a planning range, not a quote. It gives you a realistic starting point so you can budget, weigh options like mediation, and ask sharper questions before you hire anyone. The more honestly you answer, the closer the estimate lands.
Where will you file, and what type of divorce are you expecting?
Divorce Cost Estimator by State
Divorce laws, fees, and formulas change at every state line, so the same situation can cost very different amounts depending on where you file. Choose your state for an estimate built on its own rules.
Divorce Costs - Frequently Asked Questions
How much does divorce cost in the US on average?
Our working figure is about $12,900, with most people paying somewhere between $7,000 and $23,000. That is ours rather than a measured national average, and no survey stands behind it. That total usually covers attorney fees, court filing fees, and related costs like document preparation or a required parenting class. Your own number depends heavily on your state and on whether you and your spouse agree on the major terms.
What makes a divorce more expensive?
Conflict is the biggest cost driver. A contested case, where you cannot agree on property, support, or custody, means more attorney hours, more court time, and sometimes expert witnesses. Complex finances such as a business, multiple properties, or retirement accounts add cost too. The more you and your spouse settle directly, the less you spend.
How much does an uncontested divorce cost?
An uncontested divorce, where both spouses agree on all the major terms, runs between $1,500 and $5,000 on our own working figures. If you handle the paperwork yourselves and only pay court filing fees, it can cost even less. This is almost always the least expensive path.
How much does a contested divorce cost?
On our own working figures a contested divorce starts around $15,000 and can climb past $100,000 in cases with high conflict, custody disputes, or complicated assets. Each issue you fight over adds attorney hours and court appearances, which is what drives the total up.
Why does divorce cost vary so much by state?
Each state sets its own filing fees, waiting periods, and rules for dividing property and setting support. Attorney rates differ by region as well, and our working national figure is around $270 an hour. Two couples with identical situations can pay very different amounts simply because of where they file. That is why this estimator asks for your state first.
How can I lower the cost of my divorce?
The most reliable way to spend less is to reduce conflict. Reaching agreement with your spouse, choosing mediation over litigation, and keeping an uncontested filing on track all cut attorney hours, which is where most of the money goes. Preparing your financial documents in advance saves billable time as well.
This estimate is for planning purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult a licensed family law attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
How we calculate this estimate
The estimate starts with your state's court filing fee and the cost of serving papers, both drawn from our state data table. Attorney fees are the largest variable, so those are modeled as an hours range for your divorce path (uncontested, mediated, collaborative, or contested) priced at the hourly rate range we hold for your state. That subtotal then shifts with asset complexity, length of marriage, and combined household income, because all three change how many hours a case really takes. Mediation fees and costs tied to children or a shared home are added on top.
What the estimate assumes
- Attorney hours reflect full representation. Limited-scope help or filing on your own costs less.
- The hourly rates, the service fee, and the average case totals are our own estimates rather than measured figures. They came into our data when the site was built and no survey stands behind any of them. The filing fee is the one figure in that set anybody has gone back to, on some states but not all, and the freshness line under the heading on this page says which case your state is in. None of this is knowingly wrong. None of it is a state average either.
- Filing fees use the midpoint of the range we hold for your state, since counties inside one state often charge different amounts.
- Higher combined income and a more complex marital estate raise the hours multiplier, because discovery and valuation work grow along with both.
- The figure is a total for the case itself. It does not include child support or alimony you may pay after the divorce is final.
Where the estimate stops
This is a planning estimate, not a quote. Your real total depends on your attorney's rate, your county, and how much of the case ends up contested. Ask a licensed family law attorney in your state for a fee estimate built around your own facts.
Read the full methodology for how every calculator on the site is built.
Sources
Where to read more
Background reading, not where the figures above came from. No number on this page is taken from any of these.
About this page
Written by Barron Hansen
I am an app developer who is dedicated to building the highest-value, most accurate web apps possible, that people want to use every day.