Illinois Divorce Cost Estimator

Estimate your total cost of divorce in Illinois. Filing fees, attorney rates, child support, and alimony, all in one place.

Last updated: Illinois cost figures are our own estimates, not independently verified

Illinois divorces typically cost 28% less than the national average of $12,900.

Divorce in Illinois

Property system, in our record
Equitable distribution
Filing fee
$289 - $388
Waiting period
None
Residency requirement
90 days
Uncontested cost range
$2,000 - $5,500
Attorney hourly rate
$250/hr - $500/hr

Divorce Cost Estimator in Illinois: What You Should Know

Cook County (Chicago) family court is one of the most backlogged in the Midwest, making contested Chicago divorces among the slowest and most expensive in the region. A contested Cook County divorce can easily take 2 to 4 years from filing to trial, with attorney fees accumulating throughout. Suburban counties (DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will) move significantly faster and typically cost 30 to 50 percent less for the same type of case. Illinois's mandatory parenting classes (for cases with children) add a small but required cost to all divorces involving minor children.

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Where will you file, and what type of divorce are you expecting?

Locked to Illinois on this page.

Divorce type

Divorce Cost in Illinois - Frequently Asked Questions

How much does divorce cost in Illinois?

An uncontested divorce in Illinois typically runs $2,000 - $5,500, while a contested divorce ranges from $13,000 - $45,000. Your actual cost depends on whether you and your spouse agree on the major terms, how complex your assets are, and whether children are involved. The calculator on this page gives you a personalized estimate based on your situation.

What is the filing fee for divorce in Illinois?

The court filing fee for divorce in Illinois is $289 - $388. Add about $60 for serving papers on your spouse, plus a typical county clerk surcharge of around $25. Filing fees vary by county, so check with your local court for the exact amount. Fee waivers are available if you cannot afford to pay.

How long does divorce take in Illinois?

An uncontested divorce in Illinois usually takes about 4 months from filing to final judgment, while contested cases average around 14 months. Illinois has no mandatory waiting period after filing. You also need to meet a residency requirement of 90 days before filing.

Do I need a lawyer to file for divorce in Illinois?

No, Illinois allows you to file for divorce without a lawyer (called pro se filing). For uncontested divorces with no children and few shared assets, many people file successfully on their own. If your case involves children, retirement accounts, real estate, a business, or any disagreement, hiring an attorney is strongly worth considering. Illinois attorneys typically charge $250/hr - $500/hr.

How is property divided in an Illinois divorce?

Our record has Illinois following equitable distribution, meaning the court divides marital assets fairly based on the circumstances, not always equally. That is our own record rather than Illinois's own property division law. Marital property generally includes assets and debts acquired during the marriage, while separate property (assets owned before marriage or received as gifts or inheritance) usually stays with the original owner. Retirement accounts, real estate, business interests, and pensions often need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide, which typically costs $600 to $2,000 in Illinois.

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 for Illinois

  • 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

Illinois courts and statutes

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

Barron Hansen

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.