Divorce costs
Court fees are the smallest line. Your path is the biggest.
A divorce can cost a few hundred dollars or tens of thousands. Here is where the money actually goes, and how to keep it with your family.
Legal process
| Court filing fee | About $80 to $450 by state and county |
| Serving your spouse | Free with an acceptance, or $50 to $150 |
| Mediation | A few thousand dollars in total, often shared |
| Lawyer, uncontested | Often $500 to $4,000 |
| Lawyer, contested | Often $8,000 to $30,000 or more each |
| Forensic accountant | Several thousand dollars where money is hidden |
Every state offers a fee waiver if you cannot afford court fees.
The home
- Appraisal: often $300 to $600.
- Selling costs: often 6 to 9 percent of the sale price.
- Refinancing: often 2 to 5 percent of the loan.
- Moving and setting up a second home: from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars.
Retirement accounts
Dividing a 401(k) or pension usually needs a separate order called a QDRO. Preparing one can cost several hundred to a few thousand dollars per plan, and some plans charge a processing fee. See dividing retirement accounts.
Insurance
Individual health coverage, COBRA continuation, and separate auto and home policies usually cost more than shared ones. Budget for it before you agree on support.
Children
Two sets of clothes and supplies, more childcare, parenting classes where required (often $20 to $70 per parent), and sometimes counseling. Child support covers part of this, calculated by your state's formula.
Taxes and estate updates
Your first single tax return, updated withholding, a new will and powers of attorney, and small fees to record deeds and retitle vehicles.
How to keep costs down
- Agree on as much as you can, as early as you can.
- Arrive at every professional meeting with your numbers ready.
- Use lawyers for review and strategy, not for filling in forms.
- Use mediation for the hardest issues before anyone files motions.
Straight answers
Things people ask us first
What is the cheapest way to divorce?
An uncontested divorce where you file the paperwork yourselves, with a fee waiver if you qualify. Getting the paperwork right the first time is what keeps it cheap.
Who pays for the divorce?
Each spouse usually pays their own costs, but courts can order one spouse to contribute to the other's fees, especially where incomes are very different.
Is a financial analyst worth it?
When there are pensions, a business, stock options or a large income gap, an hour or two often pays for itself by avoiding a lopsided settlement.