Divorce in Arkansas: Costs, Laws, and Calculators (2026)

Everything you need to understand the financial reality of divorce in Arkansas. State-specific costs, formulas, and free calculators.

Our estimate, uncontested
$1,200 - $3,500
Our estimate, contested
$8,000 - $25,000
Estimated timeline
2 - 10 months
DCE State Score
77 / 100

Arkansas divorces typically cost 55% less than the national average of $12,900.

Arkansas presumes equal parenting time and calculates child support using the Income Shares model.

Arkansas stands out on custody. Under a 2021 statute, courts start from a presumption that joint custody with equal parenting time serves the child's best interest, and Arkansas is one of only five states we record as starting custody from an equal parenting presumption. It is an equitable distribution state that keeps both fault and no-fault grounds, with fault available as an alimony factor. Child support follows the Income Shares model: both parents' incomes are combined, and each parent covers a share of the support obligation proportional to their share of that combined income. Attorney rates are among the lowest in the country at $150 to $300 per hour, and a contested case runs $8,000 to $25,000.

What this section says about Arkansas's divorce grounds, parenting-time presumption and property system is a characterisation this site carries rather than a finding. That is our own record rather than Arkansas's own law.

Key Fact

Under Act 604 of 2021, Arkansas courts begin from a presumption of joint custody with equal parenting time, making shared parenting the default starting point rather than the exception.

Recent Development

Arkansas continues to apply the joint-custody presumption established by Act 604 of 2021, keeping equal parenting time as the baseline a parent must rebut with specific evidence. Disputes tend to focus on whether equal time fits the particular child rather than on which parent should be primary.

Arkansas Divorce Quick Facts

State law, attorney rates, and procedural rules for Arkansas.

Property division system, in our record
Equitable Distribution (judicial discretion)
How alimony is decided, in our record
Judicial discretion
Child support formula, in our record
Income Shares Model
Mandatory waiting period
30 days
Residency requirement
60 days
Mediation required, in our record
No
Equal parenting presumption, in our record
Yes - 50/50 default
Fault divorce available, in our record
Yes
Collaborative divorce available
Yes, and our record says the same for all fifty states
Filing fee range
$165 - $260
Attorney hourly rates, our estimate
$150 - $300/hour
Filing fee last checked
May 29, 2026

Where these Arkansas figures come from, since it is fair to ask. The court filing fee is the one we have gone back to, and even there we are recording what a fee schedule says rather than citing a document we have opened. Everything else on this page that is a cost or a length of time - attorney rates, the mediator's per-session rate, QDRO preparation, the average totals, the typical number of months - came into our data when the site was first built, and nobody has checked any of it against a published source since. Our own value distributions give the game away: attorney rates across all fifty states take seven distinct values at the low end, every one of them a multiple of 25, which is what a set of estimates looks like rather than fifty separate readings. We think they are in the right neighbourhood. We are not going to call them Arkansas averages. For a real number, an Arkansas family law attorney will quote you their own rate, and the clerk of court in your county will tell you the filing fee to the dollar.

The waiting period and the residency requirement in that table are in the same position, and they matter more, because a wrong number there is a filing in the wrong place rather than a bad estimate. Both came into our data at the original build and nobody here has read Arkansas's dissolution statute. Confirm both with the clerk of court in the county where you will file, and ask specifically whether the wait runs from the day you file or from a separation date, because states do it both ways and our records hold one number for both cases.

DCE State Score Breakdown

Our proprietary index ranks every state on cost, complexity, and timeline. Higher is more favorable.

Overall DCE State Score

77/ 100

A score of 77 means Arkansas is more favorable than average in terms of divorce cost and complexity.

Cost Score

30/ 40

Based on filing fees, attorney rates, and total typical costs in Arkansas.

Complexity Score

30/ 30

Reflects judicial discretion, mandatory mediation, and procedural hurdles.

Timeline Score

17/ 30

Driven by waiting periods and average case duration from filing to decree.

Divorce Calculators for Arkansas

All 15 calculators preconfigured for Arkansas.

Arkansas Divorce Laws Overview

Property Division

Our record has Arkansas as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than Arkansas's own property division law. Equitable does not mean equal, it means fair, based on the circumstances. Judges consider factors including each spouse's income and earning capacity, contributions to the marriage, length of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse. Outcomes can vary significantly from case to case.

Spousal Support (Alimony)

Arkansas judges have broad discretion in setting alimony awards, and our record carries no statutory formula for the state. The factors it lists are: length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, standard of living during the marriage, marital fault. Those came into our data at the original build rather than from a reading of the statute. Outcomes can vary significantly depending on the judge and the specific facts of your case.

Child Support

Our record puts Arkansas among the Income Shares Model states, and nobody here has read Arkansas's own guideline to check it. In that model both parents' incomes are combined, a total support obligation is set from that combined figure and the number of children, and each parent's share is proportional to their share of the combined income. The paying parent pays their share to the receiving parent.

Custody and Parenting Time

Our record puts Arkansas among the states presuming equal parenting time (50/50) as the default starting point, where a court needs a documented reason such as domestic violence, substance abuse or evidence of harm to depart from it. That is our own record rather than Arkansas's own custody law. Where it holds, it makes custody outcomes more predictable than in a state that leaves the question to the judge.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a divorce cost in Arkansas?
Our working estimate is $1,200 - $3,500 for an uncontested Arkansas divorce and $8,000 - $25,000 for a contested one, with the spread depending on attorney involvement, custody disputes, and the complexity of the marital estate. Court filing fees alone are $165 - $260. Both totals are ours rather than measured averages: they came into our data when this site was built and no survey stands behind them.
How long does a divorce take in Arkansas?
Our records put Arkansas's mandatory wait at 30 days, an uncontested case at roughly 2 months, and a contested one at about 10. Treat all three as ours rather than as findings: we have not read Arkansas's dissolution statute or its court caseload statistics. The clerk of court in the county where you will file can confirm the wait, and whether it runs from filing or from a separation date, which differs by state.
How is property divided in Arkansas?
Our record has Arkansas as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than Arkansas's own property division law. Equitable does not mean equal, it means fair, based on the circumstances. Judges consider factors including each spouse's income and earning capacity, contributions to the marriage, length of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse. Outcomes can vary significantly from case to case.
How is child support calculated in Arkansas?
Our record puts Arkansas among the Income Shares Model states, and nobody here has read Arkansas's own guideline to check it. In that model both parents' incomes are combined, a total support obligation is set from that combined figure and the number of children, and each parent's share is proportional to their share of the combined income. The paying parent pays their share to the receiving parent.
How is alimony determined in Arkansas?
Arkansas judges have broad discretion in setting alimony awards, and our record carries no statutory formula for the state. The factors it lists are: length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, standard of living during the marriage, marital fault. Those came into our data at the original build rather than from a reading of the statute. Outcomes can vary significantly depending on the judge and the specific facts of your case.

Divorce Costs in Nearby States

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