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 has come down since the late 1970s. 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 today, while the United States has the sixth highest divorce rate in the world, according to Divorce.com, with Baby Boomers being the demographic with the highest divorce rate, at 34.9%, it’s down to 2.5 per 1000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If a couple can work it out, it’s not only good for their emotional state, but their bank account; divorce does not come cheaply! 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 divorce becomes necessary down the line, it’s smart to understand the potential impact on your finances. That’s why GOBankingRates analyzed data from Lawyers.com to find the average divorce filing fees and overall costs 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. Divorce costs can go up if you share property or children with your ex.

• Average divorce filing fee: $137
• Average divorce cost: $6,637

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

• Average divorce filing fee: $170 
• Average divorce cost: $6,170

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

• Average divorce filing fee: $120 
• Average divorce cost: $8,120

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

• Average divorce filing fee: $90 
• Average divorce cost: $9,090

• Average divorce filing fee: $134 
• Average divorce cost: $8,134

• Average divorce filing fee: $148 
• Average divorce cost: $8,151

• Average divorce filing fee: $154 
• Average divorce cost: $8,181  

• Average divorce filing fee: $158 
• Average divorce cost: $8,158

• Average divorce filing fee: $75 
• Average divorce cost: $10,113

• Average divorce filing fee: $165 
• Average divorce cost: $8,165

• Average divorce filing fee: $157 
• Average divorce cost: $9,157

• Average divorce filing fee: $195 
• Average divorce cost: $8,690

• Average divorce filing fee: $183 
• Average divorce cost: $9,183

• Average divorce filing fee: $185 
• Average divorce cost: $9,184

• Average divorce filing fee: $150 
• Average divorce cost: $10,150

• Average divorce filing fee: $215 
• Average divorce cost: $9,240

• Average divorce filing fee: $175
• Average divorce cost: $10,215

• Average divorce filing fee: $200 
• Average divorce cost: $10,200

• Average divorce filing fee: $165  
• Average divorce cost: $11,165

• Average divorce filing fee: $150  
• Average divorce cost: $11,584

• Average divorce filing fee: $217 
• Average divorce cost: $10,258

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

• Average divorce filing fee: $260
• Average divorce cost: $9,722

• Average divorce filing fee: $202 
• Average divorce cost: $11,202

• Average divorce filing fee: $165
• Average divorce cost: $12,165

• Average divorce filing fee: $250
• Average divorce cost: $10,288

• Average divorce filing fee: $230
• Average divorce cost: $11,230

• Average divorce filing fee: $280
• Average divorce cost: $10,280

• Average divorce filing fee: $200
• Average divorce cost: $12,200

• Average divorce filing fee: $301
• Average divorce cost: $10,301

• Average divorce filing fee: $350
• Average divorce cost: $9,350

• Average divorce filing fee: $314
• Average divorce cost: $10,314

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $8,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $8,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $334
• Average divorce cost: $10,334

• Average divorce filing fee: $365
• Average divorce cost: $9,635

• Average divorce filing fee: $325
• Average divorce cost: $10,725

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $9,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $300
• Average divorce cost: $12,300

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $10,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $10,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $300
• Average divorce cost: $12,792

• Average divorce filing fee: $409
• Average divorce cost: $10,409

• Average divorce filing fee: $400
• Average divorce cost: $11,400

• Average divorce filing fee: $360
• Average divorce cost: $12,360

• Average divorce filing fee: $335
• Average divorce cost: $13,385

• Average divorce filing fee: $435
• Average divorce cost: $14,435

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting of this article.

Methodology: These findings are the result of a GOBankingRates study of divorce fees and conditions in all 50 states. The survey used two fundamental criteria to generate rankings for all 50 states and D.C.: (1) court fee to file a divorce, collected from local court sites and online fee schedules. 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 was taken of the range of local divorce filing fees. (2) Average divorce cost perperson as sourced from Lawyers.com. All data was sourced on April 3, 2023.