How Much Does It Cost To Get Divorced In The United States?
                     How Much Does It 
Cost To Get Divorced 
In The United States?
Introduction
• Although the U.S. divorce rate is declining, over 
600,000 Americans get divorced each year, 
sustaining a more than $11 billion-per-year 
legal industry. 
Source: www.forbes.com 2
How Much Does a 
Divorce Cost?
• The median cost of a divorce in the U.S. is 
about $7,000, but this is not a one-size-fits-all 
price tag. 
Source: www.forbes.com 3
Complicated contested 
divorces
• The more complicated contested divorces—
ones with disagreements around issues such as 
property distribution or child custody—can 
become significantly more expensive, often 
running up tabs well over $100,000.
Source: www.forbes.com 4
Uncontested and do-it-
yourself divorces
• Uncontested and do-it-yourself divorces run 
much less, $200 or so if you DIY, $2,000 or 
more if you get legal help. Part of the 
variability is that procedures and fees vary 
significantly from state to state.
Source: www.forbes.com 5
Important factors
• Common important factors that affect cost 
include whether or not professional legal help 
is hired, whether the couple lives in an urban or 
rural area, the complexity of the couple’s 
finances and the involvement of child custody 
issues in the divorce.
Source: www.forbes.com 6
Factor influencing 
divorce cost
• Most important factor influencing divorce cost 
is whether or not a couple can agree on the 
terms of the divorce. The more contested the 
matter becomes, the more expensive divorce 
will be. 
• This is due mostly to increased legal fees for 
cases with challenging and time-consuming 
issues.
Source: www.forbes.com 7
How Much Does a 
Divorce Lawyer 
Cost?
• Attorney hourly rates remain the most common 
way legal fees are charged and are the biggest 
cost involved in a divorce. A flat rate billing is 
most common for uncontested divorce, but 
other alternative payment options may exist.
Source: www.forbes.com 8
How Much Do 
Divorce Lawyers 
Cost per Hour?
• In practice, hourly billing is often broken down 
into tenths of an hour so that clients are 
actually charged per six-minute period, though 
rates are still described on a per-hour basis. 
Source: www.forbes.com 9
Flat Fees and 
Alternative Fee 
Arrangements
• Some lawyers charge a fixed or flat fee for a 
particular case rather than billing by the hour. 
While this is rare in some areas of law, it’s not 
uncommon with relatively simple, procedural 
cases like routine uncontested divorces, where 
lawyers can most easily estimate the workload. 
Flat fees are usually paid in advance.
Source: www.forbes.com 1
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Legal Assistance 
Organizations
• For those who can’t secure full pro bono 
representation or afford LAR, there are other 
forms of legal assistance providing limited 
guidance for free, such as clinics with volunteer 
lawyers. One-time meetings are most common, 
but clients can ask specific questions and 
receive personalized advice.
Source: www.forbes.com 1
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