Estimate total divorce cost across legal fees, court costs and mediation.
Legal hours dominate cost and vary roughly tenfold between an uncontested filing and contested litigation. Complexity multiplies the hours rather than adding to them. The cost difference between mediation and litigation frequently exceeds the value of what is being disputed, which is the practical argument for settling.
Divorce Cost
Total = estimated legal hours × rate + court fees + expert fees
This is a general illustrative estimate and is not legal advice. Laws, formulas and guidelines vary substantially by jurisdiction and change over time, and courts retain discretion. Consult a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction before relying on any figure here.
Total = estimated legal hours × rate + court fees + expert fees Legal hours dominate cost and vary roughly tenfold between an uncontested filing and contested litigation. Complexity multiplies the hours rather than adding to them.
The cost difference between mediation and litigation frequently exceeds the value of what is being disputed, which is the practical argument for settling.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Process type, Lawyer hourly rate, Court and filing fees, Expert and valuation fees, Complexity factor. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.