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January is 'divorce month' - here's what it costs to get divorced in every US state

Jan 14, 2020, 23:24 IST
Alex Cao/Getty ImagesThe divorce rate may be down, but the price of getting divorced is still high - it commonly costs over $10,000 in most states.
  • January is commonly known as a month where many people file for divorce.
  • The process, for many, can be costly.
  • GOBankingRates rounded up the average divorce filing fees and attorneys' fees in all 50 US states.
  • California is the most expensive state to file for divorce in, followed by Connecticut and Florida. The least expensive state to get a divorce in is North Dakota.
  • The average cost of getting divorced varies from state to state, but the majority have averages hovering above $10,000.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Even though the divorce rate in the US overall is down, divorce filings see an uptick at the start of a new year - so much so that January has been unofficially dubbed "divorce month" in legal circles nationwide.

While there are many concerns to take into account when it comes to divorce, one significant concern is the financial burden accompanying it. The final cost is known to be staggering and is determined by a number of factors including where the divorce is filed and who is hired to handle it.

GOBankingRates analyzed data from DivorceWriter.com and Lawyers.com to determine the average divorce attorneys' fees and filing fees in all 50 states. California, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the most expensive state to file for divorce in, while North Dakota is the least expensive. Most states have a cost above $10,000.

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Many states charge a flat fee, but for those that do not, GOBankingRates used the average of local divorce filing fees. The fees delineated below are basic - other factors like shared children or property can raise the total cost of a divorce. In addition to cost information, the latest available divorce rates for each state are included below; this information was sourced from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here is the average cost of divorce in each state, arranged in alphabetical order.

Alabama

Average divorce filing fee: $225

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.7 divorces per 1,000 people

Alaska

Average divorce filing fee: $150

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.7 divorces per 1,000 people

Arizona

Average divorce filing fee: $256

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 3 divorces per 1,000 people

Arkansas

Average divorce filing fee: $150

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 4.1 divorces per 1,000 people

California

Average divorce filing fee: $435

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $13,800

State divorce rate in 2018: Data not available

Colorado

Average divorce filing fee: $230

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $11,400

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.3 divorces per 1,000 people

Connecticut

Average divorce filing fee: $360

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $12,200

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people

Delaware

Average divorce filing fee: $155

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $12,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.8 divorces per 1,000 people

Florida

Average divorce filing fee: $380

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,700

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.6 divorces per 1,000 people

Georgia

Average divorce filing fee: $200

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $11,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.5 divorces per 1,000 people

Hawaii

Average divorce filing fee: $240

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,200

State divorce rate in 2018: Data not available

Idaho

Average divorce filing fee: $207

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.8 divorces per 1,000 people

Illinois

Average divorce filing fee: $289

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 1.5 divorces per 1,000 people

Indiana

Average divorce filing fee: $153

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,000

State divorce rate in 2018: Data not available

Iowa

Average divorce filing fee: $185

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.2 divorces per 1,000 people

Kansas

Average divorce filing fee: $177

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.3 divorces per 1,000 people

Kentucky

Average divorce filing fee: $150

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,100

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people

Louisiana

Average divorce filing fee: $325

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,000

State divorce rate in 2018: 1.7 divorces per 1,000 people

Maine

Average divorce filing fee: $120

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.2 divorces per 1,000 people

Maryland

Average divorce filing fee: $165

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $11,000

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.4 divorces per 1,000 people

Massachusetts

Average divorce filing fee: $200

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $12,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.1 divorces per 1,000 people

Michigan

Average divorce filing fee: $203

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,200

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.8 divorces per 1,000 people

Minnesota

Average divorce filing fee: $405

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,000

State divorce rate in 2018: Data not available

Mississippi

Average divorce filing fee: $63

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,700

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.7 divorces per 1,000 people

Missouri

Average divorce filing fee: $170

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 3 divorces per 1,000 people

Montana

Average divorce filing fee: $238

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $6,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 3 divorces per 1,000 people

Nebraska

Average divorce filing fee: $158

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,200

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people

Nevada

Average divorce filing fee: $225

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 4.4 divorces per 1,000 people

New Hampshire

Average divorce filing fee: $251

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,700

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.1 divorces per 1,000 people

New Jersey

Average divorce filing fee: $300

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $12,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.7 divorces per 1,000 people

New Mexico

Average divorce filing fee: $238

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $6,600

State divorce rate in 2018: Data not available

New York

Average divorce filing fee: $210

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $13,500

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.8 divorces per 1,000 people

North Carolina

Average divorce filing fee: $230

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.1 divorces per 1,000 people

North Dakota

Average divorce filing fee: $80

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,200

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.6 divorces per 1,000 people

Ohio

Average divorce filing fee: $263

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people

Oklahoma

Average divorce filing fee: $213

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,800

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.8 divorces per 1,000 people

Oregon

Average divorce filing fee: $325

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,000

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.4 divorces per 1,000 people

Pennsylvania

Average divorce filing fee: $250

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $11,300

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.6 divorces per 1,000 people

Rhode Island

Average divorce filing fee: $160

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,400

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.9 divorces per 1,000 people

South Carolina

Average divorce filing fee: $150

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,000

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.5 divorces per 1,000 people

South Dakota

Average divorce filing fee: $95

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.6 divorces per 1,000 people

Tennessee

Average divorce filing fee: $264

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people

Texas

Average divorce filing fee: $300

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $12,400

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.6 divorces per 1,000 people

Utah

Average divorce filing fee: $320

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,400

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.8 divorces per 1,000 people

Vermont

Average divorce filing fee: $193

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.1 divorces per 1,000 people

Virginia

Average divorce filing fee: $150

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $11,500

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.1 divorces per 1,000 people

Washington

Average divorce filing fee: $314

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $10,600

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.3 divorces per 1,000 people

West Virginia

Average divorce filing fee: $160

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,200

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.3 divorces per 1,000 people

Wisconsin

Average divorce filing fee: $200

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $8,900

State divorce rate in 2018: 2.5 divorces per 1,000 people

Wyoming

Average divorce filing fee: $70

Average divorce attorneys' fees: $9,000

State divorce rate in 2018: 3.8 divorces per 1,000 people

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