The Most Expensive States To Get a Divorce

It’s common to hear that half of all marriages end in divorce. However, the divorce rate is actually going down. The rate was at its highest in 1979, with 22.8 divorces per 1,000 people, according to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green University. As of 2017, there were only 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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That’s good news for people looking to tie the knot, because the cost of getting a divorce is staggering. In addition to the fees associated with filing for divorce, attorneys’ fees vary greatly by state and can cost almost $14,000. Many Americans may struggle to afford these fees, hindering their ability to leave a potentially toxic marriage.

At the same time, it’s cheaper to file for divorce in some states compared to others. If you think that divorce is a possibility down the line, it’s smart to understand the potential impact on your finances. That’s why GOBankingRates analyzed data from DivorceWriter.com and Lawyers.com to find the average divorce filing fees and attorneys’ fees in all 50 states. Note that some states charge flat rates; however, many states have filing fees that vary by county. For states that don’t have a flat rate, the average of local divorce filing fees was used. It’s also important to know that the cost of getting a divorce can depend on whether you share children or property with your ex.

Last updated: Dec. 16, 2020

1. California

• Average divorce filing fee: $435
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $13,800

Read: Most Expensive Divorces To Rock Hollywood

2. Connecticut

• Average divorce filing fee: $360
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $12,200

Tips: 40 Secrets Only Divorce Attorneys Know

3. Florida

• Average divorce filing fee: $380
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,700

Personal Experience: How My Divorce Changed the Way I Used Credit Cards

4. Texas

• Average divorce filing fee: $300
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $12,400

5. New Jersey

• Average divorce filing fee: $300
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $12,300

6. New York

• Average divorce filing fee: $210
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $13,500

7. Minnesota

• Average divorce filing fee: $405
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,000

8. Washington

• Average divorce filing fee: $314
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,600

9. Utah

• Average divorce filing fee: $320
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,400

Related: Merge Your Finances the Smart Way When You Get Married

10. Illinois

• Average divorce filing fee: $289
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,900

11. Oregon

• Average divorce filing fee: $325
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,000

12. Louisiana

• Average divorce filing fee: $325
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,000

13. Massachusetts

• Average divorce filing fee: $200
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $12,600

14. Pennsylvania

• Average divorce filing fee: $250
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $11,300

15. Colorado

• Average divorce filing fee: $230
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $11,400

16. Delaware

• Average divorce filing fee: $155
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $12,800

17. Georgia

• Average divorce filing fee: $200
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $11,600

18. Arizona

• Average divorce filing fee: $256
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,300

19. Nevada

• Average divorce filing fee: $225
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,800

20. Tennessee

• Average divorce filing fee: $264
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,900

21. Ohio

• Average divorce filing fee: $263
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,900

22. North Carolina

• Average divorce filing fee: $230
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,300

23. New Hampshire

• Average divorce filing fee: $251
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,700

24. Alabama

• Average divorce filing fee: $225
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,900

25. Virginia

• Average divorce filing fee: $150
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $11,500

Read More: How To Safely Divorce During the Pandemic

26. Michigan

• Average divorce filing fee: $203
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,200

27. Maryland

• Average divorce filing fee: $165
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $11,000

28. Hawaii

• Average divorce filing fee: $240
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,200

29. Oklahoma

• Average divorce filing fee: $213
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,800

30. Missouri

• Average divorce filing fee: $170
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,600

31. Rhode Island

• Average divorce filing fee: $160
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,400

32. Alaska

• Average divorce filing fee: $150
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,300

Find Out: The Most (and Least) Expensive States To Have a Child

33. Iowa

• Average divorce filing fee: $185
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,300

34. Idaho

• Average divorce filing fee: $207
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,800

35. Wisconsin

• Average divorce filing fee: $200
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,900

36. South Carolina

• Average divorce filing fee: $150
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $10,000

37. Vermont

• Average divorce filing fee: $193
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,900

38. Kansas

• Average divorce filing fee: $177
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,600

39. Indiana

• Average divorce filing fee: $153
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,000

40. Arkansas

• Average divorce filing fee: $150
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,800

41. Montana

• Average divorce filing fee: $238
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $6,600

42. West Virginia

• Average divorce filing fee: $160
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,200

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43. Nebraska

• Average divorce filing fee: $158
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,200

44. New Mexico

• Average divorce filing fee: $145
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,400

45. Maine

• Average divorce filing fee: $120
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,800

46. Kentucky

• Average divorce filing fee: $150
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,100

47. South Dakota

• Average divorce filing fee: $95
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,600

48. Wyoming

• Average divorce filing fee: $70
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $9,000

49. Mississippi

• Average divorce filing fee: $63
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,700

50. North Dakota

• Average divorce filing fee: $80
• Average divorce attorneys’ fees: $8,200

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Methodology: These findings are the result of a GOBankingRates study of divorce fees and conditions in all 50 states. The study used two fundamental criteria to generate a ranking for all 50 states: (1) court fee to file a divorce, collected from local court sites and online fee schedules by DivorceWriter.com (some states have flat rates, but most have filing fees that vary locally by county, sourced from individual state and county court websites; for states that don’t have a flat rate, the average of local divorce filing fees was taken), and (2) average attorneys’ fees, sourced from Lawyers.com. All data used to conduct this study was sourced on Jan. 24, 2019.