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Divorce Costs in California 2025 | Save Thousands on Your Split

Dina Haddad

Founder & Attorney Mediator

I’m Dina Haddad, a family law attorney-mediator in California. I’m so tired of couples not having a process that’s easy to complete their divorce. They are getting lost, wasting time and money, and beyond frustrated with their results.That’s why I created TheCompleteDivorce. I took my successful mediation practice and condensed it into an affordable and winning program.

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Estimating divorce costs in California is about as easy as predicting the weather for next week – it all depends. You may only spend a few hundred dollars or it could quickly rise into the tens of thousands. On average, divorce costs in California typically range from $299 (for simple uncontested cases) to $70,000 (for complex contested divorce) depending upon how you divorce.

The most determining factor is whether or not you and your spouse can agree on things or disagree and the process you choose. Many people assume that an uncontested divorce means that you and your spouse agree on all issues. It’s very rare that everyone agrees on everything.

If you do, that’s great. And, if you don’t, that’s fine too. You can still have an uncontested divorce. Uncontested divorce means that you did not need to go to a trial.

The majority of divorce cases do not go to trial. Those that do are called contested cases. So, even if you have court hearings, and then settle right before trial, you are considered an uncontested divorce.

Most of the time when a non-attorney mentions uncontested divorce to me, I realize they mean simple, easy divorce where they and their spouse mostly agree. And by reasoning, this means their divorce should be quick and low-cost.

If you can have a quick and low-cost divorce, your best option is ‘The Complete Divorce,’ California’s premier online divorce program. You have the best shot to avoid the legal nightmares of the California divorce process.

Check ELIGIBILITY and start your Fully Assisted DIY divorce in the cheapest way possible with The Complete Divorce.

Understanding the Costs of Uncontested and Contested Divorces in California

While many factors will determine how much it costs to end your marriage, the type of divorce will mostly dictate what factors will affect the total amount.

Mistakenly Called an Uncontested Divorce, the Simple and Affordable Divorce.

In simple terms, an uncontested divorce is when you and your spouse have reached an agreement on all issues (division of your assets and debts, child custody and visitation, and child support) and did not need a trial to determine any final issues.

How you get there determines how affordable your divorce will be. The most affordable divorces in order:

100% DIY divorce. You did it all on your own with no assistance. All you paid was court fees. If you qualified for a fee waiver, you didn’t need to even pay those.
Guided DIY divorce. You mostly did it on your own but you used online software, like The Complete Divorce, or review and filing services from a paralegal or my online program.
Divorce Mediation.
Consulting Attorneys or Collaborative Practice
Traditional Divorce Litigation

If you can keep it “on the cheap” and not sacrifice quality or important legal rights, consider a 100% DIY divorce.

You just have to do the paperwork correctly for the court, and pay whatever fees the court requires. The filing fee in California is $435 or thereabouts.

If you need more assistance but do not need mediation, an online service for your forms and perhaps pay an attorney to review them are the next options.

The total out of pocket costs for an uncontested divorce typically range from $1,000 to $3,500. This is by far the cheapest path for a divorce if you can do it.

Mistakenly Called a Contested Divorce, when in Reality it’s Just an Expensive and Combative Divorce.

Contested divorce is the result when final issues cannot be resolved by agreement. You may end up in a trial because you did not know how to file your papers correctly; or, because you and your spouse retained attorneys that have not been able to help you reach a settlement.

Such disagreements might be about money, kids, the house, and other significant things. That disagreement results in a long, expensive trial.

Lawyers are usually at $300 to $600+ per hour. All the meetings, emails, phone calls, court appearances, etc. add up unbelievably. Think of discovery disputes, custody evaluations, motions – all billable time. As a result, expenses go through the roof.

Average contested divorce in California with attorneys $50,000 or more per person. And sometimes much, much more if the case goes on too long. Obviously, a huge financial blow that can add to the emotional stress of separation.

Let’s Dig Deep into Divorce Options to Find Their Costs.

Besides the type of divorce affecting your cost, the divorce process you choose can also determine how much you spend. Below are your options and the estimated cost:

1. Collaborative Divorce

Think of this as a collaborative effort. Each of you would hire trained lawyers that work to settle issues out of court. Sometimes they include financial experts or child specialists too. The goal? To stay out of the court system.

But the costs can add up quickly. Everyone is going to bill hourly, which is typically $300-$500 per hour per person. Ballpark figure? Just like the others, $15,000-$45,000+, typically much less than the costs associated with if the case went to court.

2. Mediation Divorce

In this case, a neutral party (the mediator) guided both of you to talk things out and come to an agreement. They don’t decide, just moderate. You might still have legal professionals separately for advice.

Attorney mediator rates are the same as attorneys, but the parties are now paying for one attorney rather than two.

The total cost ends up being between $5,000-$15,000 depending on the complexity of your case. Also, when selecting a quality divorce mediator, the mediation results in high-quality lasting agreements. The fees go towards quality agreements rather than wasted fees on attorneys running back and forth to court.

3. Simplified Divorce/Summary Dissolution

This is the simplest dissolution of marriage process in California, but it is available to very few couples. Were you married for less than 5 years?

Do you have no children, or very little shared property or money (debt)? Will you both waive spousal support? If you can answer all of those questions with a yes, you can file joint paperwork. As for the cost? Just the $435 filing fee. It’s affordable; however, most couples don’t qualify due to the strict rules

4. Legal Separation

Legal separation has the same options and procedures as a divorce but the parties remain married. The process is similar to an uncontested divorce in terms of process and cost – you will have a filing fee ($435) plus forms and help.

Legal separation is not a cheaper option when compared to divorce. It actually can be more expensive if you later want to divorce and need to file a new divorce case and pay the court filing fees again.

5. Online Divorce

If your divorce is uncontested, some services will create your court forms for you once you answer a few online questions. Afterwards, you will file the documents yourself.

The costs range from $199-$500 for the service, plus the court filing fee ($435). It’s the cheapest, hassle-free divorce method today.

Need reliable, expert-reviewed forms? The Complete Divorce gets you court ready documentation for $299, saving thousands of dollars by not hiring lawyers.

The Complete Divorce includes a 30-minute online divorce strategy meeting with a divorce expert! Visit The complete Divorce for an affordable and stress-free divorce process today!

Factors That Influence Divorce Costs in California

Divorce costs here swing wildly because several things crank up the price. It’s rarely just one thing. Here’s what makes the difference:

Hiring a Lawyer

Attorneys charge by the hour ($450-$600+ is common). What makes their bill climb? Several things:

Case Complexity: Custody battles, lots of property, business valuations, hidden assets – these take serious time.
Conflict Level: Constant arguing means constant lawyering. Every email, call, and negotiation session adds up.
Discovery & Motions: Digging for financial info or fighting over evidence in court filings takes hours.
Court Appearances: Preparing for and attending hearings is intensive and expensive.

The cost also changes depending on the lawyer’s experience as seasoned lawyers charge more than their less experienced counterparts.

Child Custody Disputes

Fighting over kids is arguably the biggest cost driver. It often means:

Child custody evaluations.
More court hearings.
Possibly hiring child specialists or therapists as experts.
Endless back-and-forth negotiations. Emotion fuels the fire and the fees.

Going to Court (Litigation)

Entering a courtroom is more or less like turning on a money faucet. With every hearing, every raised-motion, every day of trial means massive billable hours from both side’s lawyers.

So although the judges aren’t literally charging you for hearings, their time costs more through your lawyer’s fees, which can total a high amount considering how long divorce takes in California.

Property Division Disagreements

Can’t agree on who gets the house, the retirement accounts, the debt, or how to value a business? This leads to:

Forensic accountants (expensive).
Appraisals.
Lengthy negotiations or court battles over every asset and liability. The more you own together, the more there is to fight about.

Lack of Agreement

That is the underlying problem. Every disagreement – no matter how big or small – must be resolved, and that resolution involves lawyers talking (billing), mediators mediating (billing), or judges deciding (leading to more lawyer billing).

Stubbornness or unresolved anger with your spouse, translates into more lawyer fees. Agreement is the cheapest way to go.

How to Reduce Divorce Costs in California

The prices can be intimidating during a divorce, but the good news is you have control over a lot of these expenses. Below are some ways to save money:

Choose an Uncontested Divorce: This is the largest possible savings. If you and your spouse can agree on the main topics – children, property, support – up front, you have avoided expensive legal battles. The total costs of an uncontested split can be a small fraction of a contested split.
Use an online service: For uncontested divorce cases, we at The Complete Divorce provide the necessary court-approved documents based on your answers. You can save yourself a lot of legal fees by using this DIY divorce service as it’s the cheapest way to get a divorce without a lawyer. In addition, our services can include time with a divorce attorney, review of your documents, and filing.
Avoid Court: Litigation costs the most money. Instead, opt for a collaborative divorce or mediation. These processes deal with non-adversarial negotiation out of the courtroom and save money. Litigation typically amounts to far more billable hours plus court costs.
Correctly Fill Court Forms: Mistakes on your court forms can cause delays, indefinite pauses, rejection and potentially additional filing costs. Check and recheck everything. OR, consider The Complete Divorce – a service you can trust and saves you time and money by having lawyers look through your document before giving it the green light.
Communicate and Compromise: If you are willing to communicate and enter negotiations willing to compromise, you will save countless billable hours as opposed to being stubborn or persistent. You can have this discussion privately or with a mediator, like Dina Haddad, to prevent emotions from going out of hand.

With a little more effort on negotiating an agreement and selecting more affordable options, you can save yourself from spending a lot of money. Are you ready to fill out accurate divorce forms online? Get started with TheCompleteDivorce.

Bottom Lines on Divorce Costs in California

How you handle your divorce has a direct effect on both your finances and your health. Here’s the reality:

The cost of filing a court case is $435 per party.
An uncontested simple divorce , or one where you and your spouse simply agree on all issues, will run you approximately $900 for court fees without any professional assistance to another $299.00 – $2,500.00 for an online program like The Complete Divorce.
A contested divorce, or at least one where there is disagreement on even one issue, will average $35,500+, per person.

Making the right choice changes everything. Choosing to do the paperwork yourself, opting for mediation, or working with a trusted online service like The Complete Divorce allows you to limit both monetary and emotional costs.

For uncontested divorces, TheCompleteDivorce provides expertly approved, court ready forms for only $299, potentially saving you thousands over full legal fees.

Start today with The complete divorce for $299.

FAQ– Divorce Costs in California

1. How much are divorce attorney fees in California?

Most attorneys charge by the hour and generally fall in the range of $450-$600 an hour. A simple case where both spouses are in agreement can cost a couple of thousand total.

Complex disputes reach up to $50,000 or more This entirely depends on the level of conflict and how much time an attorney spends on your case.

2.How can I reduce the cost of Divorce in California?

If possible, agree to an uncontested divorce. Use an online service to fill out forms rather than hire an attorney for the entire process. Utilize mediation instead of litigation.

Fill paperwork out properly to avoid filings being denied or delayed. All of these suggestions save a significant amount of money compared to fighting your divorce.

3. Can I file for Divorce without an attorney?

Yes, you can file “proper” – this is fairly common in uncontested cases. You can fill out the paperwork and file things with the court on your own.

You can also find online services, like The Complete Divorce that assist you in forming the right forms, correctly.

4. Are there any free or low-cost divorce resources?

Yes. California Courts actually have self-help centers, and self-service guides. Legal aid groups will provide assistance to qualifying low-income individuals.

Online form providers provide low-cost paperwork management for uncontested divorce. These approaches are designed to help divorce couples, so you do not have to pay hundreds of dollars for attorney fees.

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