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.
Divorced Couples: Who Gets To Claim the Kid on Taxes?
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
Did You Know? 21 Careers That Are More Likely To Lead To Divorce
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
More From GOBankingRates
17 Steps Millennials Can Take Now for a Brighter Financial Future
Are You Spending More Than the Average American on 25 Everyday Items?
Guns and 32 Other Things You Definitely Do NOT Need To Buy During the Coronavirus Pandemic
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.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Most Expensive States To Get a Divorce