How much does divorce cost?

The full picture

There is no census of divorce costs, and the ranges that circulate most widely trace to no survey at all. The best data that exists is a Martindale-Nolo reader survey — self-selected respondents rather than a representative sample, so treat it as indicative. It reports full-scope attorney fees averaging $11,300 with a median of $7,000, and 42 percent of respondents paying $5,000 or less.

The same survey puts do-it-yourself divorces at an average of $925 (median $300), online services at $150-$750, and private mediation at $3,000-$10,000 in total, usually split between spouses. No reliable figure exists for extended litigation, because the cost is a function of hourly rates and how long the conflict runs.

COBRA insurance averages about $793/month for an individual (KFF, 2025); a marketplace plan may cost less after premium tax credits, so price both. The PivotReset Decision Support Engine models each of these scenarios with your actual numbers..

The costs that arrive after the decree

The figures above come from a Martindale-Nolo reader survey, which is self-selected rather than representative and should be read as indicative rather than as a measurement (Martindale-Nolo). No federal source measures divorce costs, so any precise national average should be treated with suspicion.

The larger number is usually not the legal bill. Health coverage is the common one: continuation coverage after divorce is paid at the full premium with no employer contribution, and the alternative is a marketplace plan priced on your own projected income (DOL, An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA, HealthCare.gov).

Tax is the other. For divorce or separation agreements executed after 2018, alimony is not deductible by the payer and is not included in the recipient's income, which changes the after-tax value of every support number negotiated on the older assumption (IRS Topic 452). Publication 504 covers the wider set of rules that apply in the year a marriage ends, including filing status and the treatment of property transfers (IRS Publication 504).

Common questions

How much does divorce cost?

There is no census of divorce costs, and the ranges that circulate most widely trace to no survey at all. The best available data is a self-selected reader survey rather than a representative sample, which puts full-scope attorney fees far above the do-it-yourself and mediated routes. What actually drives the number is not the state or the form but how long the conflict runs, because nearly all of the cost is billed hourly. Two people who agree on the terms and disagree only on the paperwork pay a fraction of what two people in a contested custody dispute pay.

What makes one divorce cost more than another?

Time, and the things that consume it: contested custody, a business or professional practice to value, disputed separate property, and formal discovery. Each of those converts a disagreement into billable hours. The cost items that are fixed, such as filing fees, are small next to that. If cost is the constraint, the useful question is which disputes you can settle outside the process rather than which lawyer charges least per hour.

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