The Most Expensive States To Get a Divorce

Leaving your marriage can easily cost more than $10,000.

By Alexandria Bova December 16, 2020 Start Saving Now

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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

San Francisco California skyline at sunset

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1. California

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

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2. Connecticut

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

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3. Florida

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

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4. Texas

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

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5. New Jersey

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

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6. New York

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

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7. Minnesota

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

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8. Washington

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

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9. Utah

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

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10. Illinois

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

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11. Oregon

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

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12. Louisiana

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

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13. Massachusetts

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

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14. Pennsylvania

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

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15. Colorado

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

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16. Delaware

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

Athens, Georgia, USA - August 3, 2017: People visit the historic Georgia Theatre at dusk.

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17. Georgia

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

Tucson, Arizona, USA downtown skyline with Sentinel Peak at dusk.

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18. Arizona

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

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19. Nevada

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

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20. Tennessee

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

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21. Ohio

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

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22. North Carolina

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

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23. New Hampshire

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

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24. Alabama

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

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25. Virginia

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

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26. Michigan

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

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27. Maryland

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

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28. Hawaii

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

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29. Oklahoma

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

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30. Missouri

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

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31. Rhode Island

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

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32. Alaska

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

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Des Moines Iowa skyline with bridge at sunset

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33. Iowa

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

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34. Idaho

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

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35. Wisconsin

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

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36. South Carolina

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

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37. Vermont

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

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38. Kansas

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

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39. Indiana

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

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40. Arkansas

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

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41. Montana

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

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42. West Virginia

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

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Lake in a park in downtown Omaha at dawn.

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43. Nebraska

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

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA downtown skyline at dusk.

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44. New Mexico

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

Casco Bay Bridge spans Fore River connecting South Portland and Portland in Maine.

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45. Maine

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

Frankfort, Kentucky, USA town skyline on the Kentucky River at dusk.

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46. Kentucky

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

PIERRE, SD - JULY 9, 2018: South Dakota Capital Building along Capitol Lake in Pierre, SD at sunset.

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47. South Dakota

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

Casper is a city in and the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.

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48. Wyoming

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

Biloxi, Mississippi, USA - April 6, 2012: Nighttime view of the Biloxi strip including the Hard Rock and Beau Rivage casinos.

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49. Mississippi

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

Fargo, North Dakota, USA - June 12, 2017: Daytime view of the Fargo Theatre along Broadway N in the Downtown Historic District.

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50. North Dakota

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

More From GOBankingRates

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.