The cost of a divorce can be overwhelming, which is why people sometimes weigh their options before filing in a particular state. Since there are waiting periods and people may want to move after separating, it is possible to choose which state to divorce in under some circumstances.
The cost of a divorce could vary based on the state. For example, the basic filing fees in Texas are around $300 depending on if you do or don’t have minor children. When all is said and done, the average cost of the full divorce is around $12,500 for attorney fees and other related costs.
If that seems like a lot, you should know that some states are much higher. California’s average cost including attorney fees us around $14,000, and New York’s average cost is around $13,500.
Of course, some states are more affordable, too. West Virginia, Kansas, and Kentucky, for instance, all cost around $8,000 for a full divorce.
What kinds of actions influence the cost of a divorce?
The reason no one can tell you exactly what a divorce will cost is because there are many factors that influence the cost of a divorce. For instance, if you and your spouse decide to settle and have an uncontested divorce, you may have only the filing fees and a few hours of an attorney’s time to pay for. You could make your divorce extremely inexpensive that way.
Alternatively, someone who drags out a divorce, hires investigators and attorneys, goes to court and has multiple hearings or pushes for litigation could be looking at a bill much higher than Texas’s $12,500 average.
Thinking about it in that way, no state is really much more expensive than another until you start getting into contested divorces. If you and your spouse are willing to negotiate and work together to resolve your divorce issues, then you will greatly reduce the overall cost of your divorce. If you can’t do that, then you may find that your divorce continues to add up to a significant cost, and you will be left with fewer financial assets following the divorce as a result.