What Is The Average Cost of a Divorce in New York?
The fastest and most affordable way to divorce is an uncontested divorce where both spouses agree on all issues.
The cost of a divorce in New York varies widely. In 2026, the average cost of a contested divorce in New York is approximately $26,000, and the average New York family law attorney hourly rate is $429.
The average cost of an attorney-led uncontested divorce in New York is about $2,500—and as little as a few hundred dollars when using a lower-cost service,
such as a paralegal or online divorce service, to prepare and file the documents.
Deciding to get divorced is a significant decision. One of the most important factors to consider is the cost, since understanding it can help you take steps to reduce your overall expenses.
The cost of a divorce in New York can vary widely due to many different factors. Because every divorce is unique, it can be difficult to determine an exact average cost.
There are several types of divorces and different ways the process can be handled, each of which can significantly impact the total expense.
What You Will Learn In This Article
In this article, we provide a clear overview of the key factors and decisions that affect the cost of a divorce in New York, along with practical ways to reduce those costs.
Our goal is to help you understand your options so you can make informed decisions and keep your divorce as affordable as possible.
What Factors Affect the Cost of Divorce in New York
When it comes to the cost of divorce, several factors come into play that can significantly impact the total expense. In this section, we will explain these key factors and
how they affect the overall cost of your divorce. We'll start by discussing one of the most important cost factors: time.
Time Is a Crucial Cost Factor
The Cost of Divorce Increases as the Time Required Increases
Unless you handle your own divorce, when you pay someone to handle all or part of the process, the saying "time is money" applies. The more time it takes to complete your divorce, the higher the cost will be.
If your divorce is complex, or if the person you hire—or the processes they use—are inefficient or outdated and do not take advantage of modern technology, it will take longer to complete the work, and your costs will increase.
To lower the overall cost of your divorce, it's essential to reduce the amount of time needed to complete the process.
How Different Aspects Impact Time and Cost
We will examine the different aspects of the divorce process and explain how each one affects the amount of time required—and, as a result, the overall cost.
Types of Divorce: Uncontested vs. Contested
In New York, two primary types of divorce processes exist: uncontested and contested divorces. These different approaches have a substantial impact on the overall cost of divorce.
Understanding Contested Divorces
Contested divorces are cases in which the spouses do not agree on one or more issues related to their divorce. When this happens, each spouse will almost always need to hire an attorney to represent them, resulting in significant
legal fees. These cases typically involve complex and time-consuming work, including preparing financial disclosures (such as Statements of Net Worth), negotiating with the other attorney, conducting depositions, engaging in
pre-trial discovery, and ultimately going to trial in court to convince a judge to decide in their favor on each disputed issue. In many cases, expert testimony may also be required, further increasing costs. All of this takes time, which is why contested divorces are usually very expensive.
An example of a contested issue is when one spouse seeks spousal support (alimony) while the other spouse opposes it. Any such disputes that require a judge's
intervention can substantially increase the cost of divorce. Notably, attorney fees are a major cost factor in contested divorces.
Attorney Fees in a Contested Divorce
The average New York family law attorney hourly rate in 2026 is $429.In New York, a contested divorce commonly costs at least $25,740 in attorney fees.
The most significant cost in a contested divorce is attorney fees.
In these cases, each spouse typically hires their own lawyer. Attorneys must prepare for and attend multiple court conferences, conduct detailed and time-consuming pre-trial discovery (including depositions), draft and argue motions, and ultimately represent their client at trial before a judge.
In New York, hourly rates vary depending on the attorney's experience and practice area.
According to research conducted by Clio,
the average hourly rate for a New York family law attorney in 2026 is $429—significantly higher than the national average family law attorney rate in 2026 ($344).
A 2019 survey by Nolo found that the national average cost of a contested divorce was $11,300, with a median cost of $7,000.
The study also found that costs rise sharply as disputes increase. Couples who resolved issues through attorneys without going to trial spent about $10,600 on average. However, those who went to trial with at least one contested issue saw costs jump to around $20,400—and cases involving multiple disputes averaged approximately $23,300.
Attorney fees ultimately depend on the time required to handle the case. For example, in a contested divorce in New York, it is common for an attorney to spend at least 60 hours handling meetings, document preparation, filings, court appearances, and trial work. At the New York family law attorney average rate of $429 per hour, that results in a legal fee of $25,740—and a combined total of $51,480 in legal fees for both spouses.
The Best Way to Reduce Costs in Contested Divorces
Contested divorces often lead to substantial expenses, primarily driven by hiring experienced divorce attorneys and potential experts. The most effective
means of curtailing these costs is to reach an agreement with your spouse on all divorce-related matters, to avoid costly attorney fees for representation on disputed issues and related expert fees.
Understanding Uncontested Divorces
An uncontested divorce is one in which both spouses agree on all issues related to their divorce, including matters involving children (such as custody, child support, and visitation, if applicable).
Because there are no disputed issues, the process is much simpler and takes significantly less time. It generally consists of preparing the correct divorce forms so they comply with legal requirements and court rules, and
properly filing those documents with the court.
Attorney Fees in Uncontested Divorces
As previously discussed, attorney fees can be a significant cost, especially in contested divorces. Let's compare the costs associated with contested and uncontested divorces.
In our example contested divorce, where disputes between the spouses require extensive legal representation by an attorney, a divorce attorney with average experience may
spend approximately 60 hours on the case from beginning to end.
In an uncontested divorce, attorneys have much less to do, so they will charge for fewer hours.
Most of their work involves filling out the divorce papers and filing them with the court, and they typically charge a much lower hourly rate for their legal fee to handle an uncontested divorce.
For an uncontested divorce, the average New York family law attorney hourly rate in 2026 is $250.
On average, an attorney can typically complete these tasks in about 10 hours, the breakdown being:
8 hours to complete the divorce papers and get them signed.
2 hours to file the divorce papers.
It's worth noting that these are just estimates. Some attorneys will take less time, while others will take more time.
To calculate the average cost for an attorney' legal fee in New York for an uncontested divorce, we multiply the average hourly rate of $250 by the estimated 10 hours of work.
This results in an average total legal fee of $2,500 for one attorney. In uncontested divorces, both spouses often have their own attorneys. One attorney typically handles the paperwork
and then sends it to the other spouse's attorney for review and any necessary revisions. In our example, we will adopt that both attorneys spent the same amount of time working on the divorce
forms to produce a final agreed version. So, the second attorney's fee is also $2,500. In total, the legal fees for both attorneys would amount to $5,000.
To emphasize the significant cost savings of an uncontested divorce, we have seen that it's common for the cost for attorney fees in a contested divorce to be at least $25,740 for each spouse, with combined legal fees for both spouses of $51,480,
while the cost for attorney fees in our example uncontested divorce was just $2,500 for each spouse, with combined legal fees for both spouses of $5,000.
In an uncontested divorce, couples have the option to further reduce costs by agreeing to retain a single attorney to represent both parties. This choice brings the total attorney legal fees to $2,500
for preparing and filing the divorce papers.
It's clear that if you and your spouse are considering divorce, one of the most effective ways to minimize costs is to maintain open communication and strive to reach agreements
on all divorce-related matters. This collaborative approach enables both of you to pursue an uncontested divorce and benefit from its streamlined divorce process that takes less time
to complete, resulting in lower overall expenses compared to the complexities of a contested divorce.
It's worth noting that some uncontested divorces are exceptionally straightforward. In such cases, there are no contentious issues to resolve. These simple divorces typically
involve couples who don't have minor children, possess no joint marital property or debts to divide, aren't seeking spousal support (alimony), and don't have any claims
against each other in the divorce. In these very simple, uncontested divorces, the spouses are only seeking a judge's order to dissolve their marriage.
Additional Cost Savings in Uncontested Divorces
Another cost-saving advantage of filing an uncontested divorce is that there is no need to use and pay for a process server to serve copies of the divorce documents on the respondent spouse
because they can sign a waiver document where they agree to accept all the divorce documents without requiring a process server to be used.
The New York Court Filing Fee
To support the New York court system, a filing fee is required when a divorce is filed with the court. The minimum fee is $335 ($210 for an Index # and $125 for a Note of Issue and RJI.).
The court fees can be waived by a judge if the plaintiff cannot afford to pay it and files a fee waiver request.
Requesting a Fee Waiver
If you are unable to afford the court filing fee, you have the option to request a waiver. To do this, complete and file a
Application to Proceed as a Poor Person.
Clarifying Attorney Legal Fees and the Court Filing Fee
An attorney's client is responsible for paying the attorney's legal fee for the work they perform on their client's case. In addition, the client is responsible
for paying the court filing fee, unless a waiver form is properly filed and approved by a judge.
When an individual filing for divorce is represented by an attorney, the attorney will bill the client for the court's filing fee. The attorney will then submit the divorce
paperwork to the court along with the payment for the filing fee.
Options to Reduce Divorce Costs
The following are ways to reduce the cost of divorce.
1. File an Uncontested Divorce
Maintaining open communication with your spouse and reaching an agreement with them on all divorce-related matters is crucial for reducing the cost of your divorce.
This allows you to file for an uncontested divorce, which has a simpler and less costly process compared to contested divorces.
2. Mediation
Mediation offers a cost-effective method for divorcing couples to reach agreements on all divorce-related matters, enabling them to file for an uncontested divorce.
A neutral mediator facilitates discussions between spouses to help them come to mutual agreements. Mediation can be non-binding or result in legally binding agreements.
According to SnapDivorce a provider of divorce mediation services, the average cost for a mediated divorce in New York is generally $5,000—$9,000.
3. Unbundled Legal Services
Unbundled legal services involve an arrangement between an attorney and their client where the attorney handles specific legal tasks for a particular legal matter rather than providing
comprehensive end-to-end representation for that legal matter. This approach can help reduce costs, especially in uncontested divorce cases where only limited assistance is needed.
For example, consider divorcing spouses who have agreed to pursue an uncontested divorce to reduce the cost of their divorce. Instead of hiring an attorney to represent both of them
throughout the entire divorce process, they choose to retain the attorney only for a specific set of tasks. In this scenario, the attorney's responsibilities are limited to drafting
the divorce papers and providing instructions to the spouses on how they can file the divorce documents themselves with the court.
As previously discussed, it typically takes an attorney with average skill and experience about 8 hours to complete the uncontested divorce paperwork and obtain the necessary signatures, and about 2 hours to file the documents with the court.
When an attorney is hired to provide unbundled legal services, focusing solely on meeting with the client, preparing the ready-to-file divorce papers and providing instructions for them to do the court filing,
the attorney's legal fee can be calculated by multiplying the number of hours to do the work (8) by an average hourly rate of $250, resulting in a total legal fee of $2,000. This represents a cost savings of $500 because the
attorney no longer has to spend time to file the divorce documents with the court.
Reminder, the court filing fee that also needs to be paid unless waived is approximately $335.
4. DIY Divorce
A do-it-yourself (DIY) divorce in New York is the cheapest way to get a divorce because you represent yourself (called filing Pro-Se) and you handle the entire process yourself without hiring an attorney,
so there are no attorney legal fees. Your only required expense is the court filing fee charged by the New York Supreme Court, which may be waived if you apply for a fee waiver request and a judge approves it.
DIY divorces should only be considered if you have a very simple uncontested divorce, preferably with no minor children or property to distribute, or spousal support, because there is less paperwork and fewer issues
to consider and reach agreement on.
Here's what you need to do in a DIY agreed uncontested divorce:
Prepare the Divorce Forms: There are many different divorce forms that must be obtained, properly completed, and signed by both spouses.
File the Documents: All required documents must be properly filed with the New York Supreme Court in the county where the divorce is being filed.
Pay the Filing Fee: The court filing fee(s) must be paid, or a fee waiver must be requested and approved by the court.
While a DIY agreed uncontested divorce is the most affordable option, it can still involve significant complexity. The correct, up-to-date divorce forms must be located, completed accurately, and properly filed with the court.
Although the New York court system provides free New York uncontested divorce forms (which you can view on the official New York Court System website), many people find them difficult to understand and complete correctly.
Mistakes—such as using the wrong forms, or completing them incorrectly, or filing them improperly—can cause the court to deem the documents "defective," resulting in rejection and delays.
When this happens, it may not be clear what went wrong or how to fix the issue, and court personnel frequently will not provide any advice.
These forms contain numerous checkboxes and important provisions that must be completed accurately, making it easy for someone without experience to make mistakes.
To illustrate how complex these forms can be, here is a screenshot of just one section from one page of a single document—the Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law—which is thirteen (13) pages long.
For many people, seeing even a small portion of these forms makes it clear why professional assistance can help avoid mistakes and delays.
Divorce document preparation services are provided by people who are not attorneys and are an affordable alternative to hiring a full-service attorney to prepare the documents for an uncontested divorce.
These document preparation services—offered by paralegal firms and online divorce companies—focus on preparing all the required legal forms based on the information you provide, and do not
provide legal advice or represent you in court.
Instead of paying expensive hourly legal fees to an attorney, you typically pay a flat fee (flat fees are "fixed price" fees) for professionally prepared,
court-approved documents tailored to your situation. This makes the divorce process simpler, faster, and significantly less expensive for couples who agree on all key issues and just need help completing the paperwork correctly.
Court Filing Services
After the divorce documents are prepared by either a paralegal or an online divorce company, the documents need to be signed and then filed with the court.
For New York uncontested divorces, some paralegals and online divorce services will also file the documents in court on your behalf, and the cost to file them is included in their flat fee.
However, some paralegals and online divorce services only provide document drafting services and do not file the documents. Instead, they only
provide written instructions on how the customer can file the documents themselves with the court. And there are some document preparation providers who will file the documents with the court but that service requires the payment of
an additional fee that is not included in their advertised price.
Therefore, it is very important when considering to use a particular paralegal or online divorce company to prepare your divorce documents for an uncontested divorce in New York, that you determine whether they will also file the documents
with the court (and if so, is court filing included in their price to prepare the documents—or is court filing a separate additional fee?).
Paralegal Services
Using an experienced paralegal to prepare divorce documents for filing an uncontested divorce in New York typically costs much less than hiring an attorney to prepare and file the documents.
However, a common drawback is that many paralegal services rely on outdated, paper-based processes. These often require customers to travel to an office to sign up, make payment, and provide their divorce information,
or to complete lengthy workbooks that are mailed back and forth. While this process does work and has been used for many years, it is antiquated and increasingly being replaced by services that offer the same paralegal
support through a fully online, more convenient process.
Paralegal services frequently utilize an outdated process that is inconvenient and slow to provide their services to customers.
In many cases, the customer is sent a lengthy questionnaire—sometimes as a paper workbook by mail or as a Word document by email—to complete by hand. If sent by mail, it can take several days or even over a week to arrive,
creating an initial delay and a risk of lost documents. If sent electronically, the customer may still need to print out the very long questionnaire to complete it.
After filling out the workbook, the customer must return it to the paralegal—often by mailing it back, which requires taking time out of their day to go to the post office. This can be especially inconvenient in bad weather,
such as rain, snow, extreme heat, or freezing temperatures, and can further delay the process. Once mailed, it can take several more days for the documents to arrive.
After receiving the completed workbook, the paralegal prepares the divorce documents and then sends them back to the customer for review and signature, adding yet another round of mailing and potential delay.
If the paralegal is also handling the court filing, the signed documents must typically be mailed back again before the process can continue, creating additional delays.
Some paralegals also require customers to travel to their office in person to provide their divorce information, sign up, and pay for their services. This adds more inconvenience and potential delay, requiring time
to travel and potentially dealing with the hassle of bad weather conditions such as rain, snow, extreme heat, or freezing temperatures, taking public transportation or finding parking.
As a result, many people look for a simpler and more convenient alternative.
Online Divorce Services
Online divorce services make the process of preparing divorce forms for an uncontested divorce in New York much simpler, more convenient, and affordable by using easy-to-use online questionnaires that let you quickly enter
your divorce information. Unlike a DIY divorce—where you have to figure out which forms to use, how to obtain them, and how to properly complete and file them—online divorce services provide a clear, step-by-step
solution that guides you through the process. This eliminates the hassles and delays of traditional methods, like mailing documents back and forth or having to travel to an attorney's or paralegal's office just to
sign up and pay for their services—especially when that means dealing with bad weather, traffic, public transportation, or finding parking.
While online divorce services can be a convenient and low-cost option, it's important to choose carefully. Because it's easy to create a website, some services present themselves as experienced providers without clearly identifying
who operates the company, where it is located, or how to contact them. In some cases, there is no phone number—only a generic contact form—making it difficult to know who you are dealing with.
Another common issue is a lack of transparency about what is actually included. Some services do not provide a complete list of the divorce documents they prepare, may charge extra for certain forms, or state (often in fine print) that their
court filing service only handles the initial documents needed to "start" your divorce. In some cases, the low advertised price may also exclude additional costs, such as automatic enrollment in a paid monthly subscription to access
your account and documents on their website. As a result, you may be left responsible for preparing and filing the remaining documents on your own.
In some cases, services do not provide court-specific or local forms at all and instead expect you to obtain and complete them without guidance. Court filing fees are another area where clarity matters. Many services fail to
clearly explain that courts charge separate filing fees or do not disclose the actual amount.
A reliable divorce document preparation service should clearly explain what is included, provide a complete list of forms, and inform you of the exact court fees you will need to pay in your state.
Simplifying Divorce Document Preparation With LetsGetDivorced.com
LetsGetDivorced.com was
founded over 10 years ago by New York divorce attorney Gerald D. Bruckner, Esq., who has over 30 years of experience. LetsGetDivorced.com offers
a New York divorce document preparation service that
will file the documents with the court on your behalf and uniquely combines the advantages of traditional paralegal services with the convenience of modern online divorce platforms—without the common drawbacks of either—to
prepare and file your divorce documents for filing an uncontested divorce in New York at a price that is much less expensive than traditional attorney-led divorce.
Using LetsGetDivorced.com, you get the benefit of experienced paralegals who review your New York divorce documents for completeness before they are filed, file the documents with the court on your behalf, monitor your case
and provide you with updates on significant activity from start to finish. At the same time, you also have the convenience of using a simple, easy-to-use online interview (available 24/7) that lets you enter, save and
revise your information. Plus, because our services are offered online, you can use our service no matter where you reside in New York State to have your divorce forms professionally prepared and filed with your local
New York Supreme Court at a very affordable price.
Using LetsGetDivorced.com, there's no need to deal with the hassle and delays of mailing paperwork back and forth, traveling to an office, or dealing with bad weather. The result is a faster, more convenient, and more
affordable way to file for an uncontested divorce in New York.
LetsGetDivorced.com offers two different document preparation services for filing an uncontested divorce in New York: The Standard Divorce Package and the Premium Divorce Package (which is our most popular option).
Both the Standard and Premium divorce packages include our easy-to-use online guided interview that enables you to quickly
enter, save and revise your divorce information and agreements with your spouse by answering simple questions using your phone, laptop, computer, or tablet—so you can conveniently use our service if you live anywhere in New York State.
After your information is entered, the software (developed and regularly updated and reviewed by experienced New York divorce attorneys) automatically selects the required court-approved New York State divorce forms.
It then tailors the forms based on your situation and information and populates them (along with a marital settlement agreement) with your information, instantly generating a complete set of filled-out, ready-to-file divorce forms.
The difference between the Standard and Premium divorce package is what happens after our service initially prepares your divorce documents.
With our Premium Divorce Package, an experienced paralegal manages your divorce filing for you—from reviewing your New York divorce documents for completeness before they are filed,
to filing the documents with the court on your behalf, monitoring your case, and providing you with updates on significant activity from start to finish. Most people choose this option for its convenience and peace of mind.
For those people who would like to reduce the cost of their divorce further, we also offer our Standard Divorce Package, where our online platform comprehensively prepares your
documents using the information you provided in the online interview and instantly delivers the completed documents to you in your online account. This allows for document review and any necessary changes before signing and filing.
Included with this package are detailed, step-by-step written instructions that guide you through the process of filing the documents in person at the New York Supreme Court where your divorce will be filed.
Our Premium Divorce Package
(OUR MOST POPULAR DIVORCE PACKAGE)
(Paralegal Case Manager
Document Prep + Court Filing
WE FILE FOR YOU)
Total Cost:
(No Children)
$279+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
(With Children)
$459+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
The Premium Divorce Package is ideal for people with or without minor children under age 21 and don't want to deal with the court at all and would like to file a convenient,
affordable uncontested divorce where our experienced paralegals will file your divorce for you with the NY Supreme Court.
This package includes the following:
Paralegal Case Manager
Document Preparation
Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA)
Court Filing (we file for you)
Case Monitoring & Status Updates
Judgment of Divorce
Guaranteed Court Acceptance
No Office Visit Required
Our Standard Divorce Package
(Document Prep + DIY Court Filing
Detailed Filing Instructions)
Total Cost:
$129+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
The Standard Divorce Package is ideal for people with or without minor children under age 21 who want expert assistance preparing their divorce documents
and to get the lowest price for our document preparation service are comfortable filing the documents themselves with our detailed filing guide.
If you have any questions, you'll have full access to our customer support team, and calls and emails are returned within 48 hours.
This package includes the following:
Document Preparation
Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA)
DIY Court Filing Instructions
Customer Support by Phone & Email (responded to within 2 business days)
Guaranteed court acceptance
No Office Visit Required
By combining experienced paralegals with modern technology, LetsGetDivorced.com helps people prepare and file New York divorce paperwork without the high cost of hiring an attorney.
Compared to even low-cost New York divorce lawyers and paralegal firms, LetsGetDivorced.com offers a faster, simpler, and significantly lower-cost alternative for document preparation and filing of uncontested divorces in New York.
With our efficient paralgal assisted online document preparation process—and our court filing service, where we e-file your divorce with the New York Supreme Court—you can complete your divorce in as little as 1—3 months
and move forward with the next chapter of your life.
If you're looking for the fastest and most affordable way to complete an uncontested divorce in New York without dealing with the court yourself, our Premium Divorce Package is designed to handle everything for you.
Ready to take the next step?
Choose an option below:
Ready to move forward with a fast, affordable uncontested divorce in New York?
What Is The Average Cost of a Divorce in New York?
The fastest and most affordable way to divorce is an uncontested divorce where both spouses agree on all issues.
The cost of a divorce in New York varies widely. In 2026, the average cost of a contested divorce in New York is approximately $26,000, and the average New York family law attorney hourly rate is $429.
The average cost of an attorney-led uncontested divorce in New York is about $2,500—and as little as a few hundred dollars when using a lower-cost service,
such as a paralegal or online divorce service, to prepare and file the documents.
Deciding to get divorced is a significant decision. One of the most important factors to consider is the cost, since understanding it can help you take steps to reduce your overall expenses.
The cost of a divorce in New York can vary widely due to many different factors. Because every divorce is unique, it can be difficult to determine an exact average cost.
There are several types of divorces and different ways the process can be handled, each of which can significantly impact the total expense.
What You Will Learn In This Article
In this article, we provide a clear overview of the key factors and decisions that affect the cost of a divorce in New York, along with practical ways to reduce those costs.
Our goal is to help you understand your options so you can make informed decisions and keep your divorce as affordable as possible.
What Factors Affect the Cost of Divorce in New York
When it comes to the cost of divorce, several factors come into play that can significantly impact the total expense. In this section, we will explain these key factors and
how they affect the overall cost of your divorce. We'll start by discussing one of the most important cost factors: time.
Time Is a Crucial Cost Factor
The Cost of Divorce Increases as the Time Required Increases
Unless you handle your own divorce, when you pay someone to handle all or part of the process, the saying "time is money" applies. The more time it takes to complete your divorce, the higher the cost will be.
If your divorce is complex, or if the person you hire—or the processes they use—are inefficient or outdated and do not take advantage of modern technology, it will take longer to complete the work, and your costs will increase.
To lower the overall cost of your divorce, it's essential to reduce the amount of time needed to complete the process.
How Different Aspects Impact Time and Cost
We will examine the different aspects of the divorce process and explain how each one affects the amount of time required—and, as a result, the overall cost.
Types of Divorce: Uncontested vs. Contested
In New York, two primary types of divorce processes exist: uncontested and contested divorces. These different approaches have a substantial impact on the overall cost of divorce.
Understanding Contested Divorces
Contested divorces are cases in which the spouses do not agree on one or more issues related to their divorce. When this happens, each spouse will almost always need to hire an attorney to represent them, resulting in significant
legal fees. These cases typically involve complex and time-consuming work, including preparing financial disclosures (such as Statements of Net Worth), negotiating with the other attorney, conducting depositions, engaging in
pre-trial discovery, and ultimately going to trial in court to convince a judge to decide in their favor on each disputed issue. In many cases, expert testimony may also be required, further increasing costs. All of this takes time, which is why contested divorces are usually very expensive.
An example of a contested issue is when one spouse seeks spousal support (alimony) while the other spouse opposes it. Any such disputes that require a judge's
intervention can substantially increase the cost of divorce. Notably, attorney fees are a major cost factor in contested divorces.
Attorney Fees in a Contested Divorce
The average New York family law attorney hourly rate in 2026 is $429.In New York, a contested divorce commonly costs at least $25,740 in attorney fees.
The most significant cost in a contested divorce is attorney fees.
In these cases, each spouse typically hires their own lawyer. Attorneys must prepare for and attend multiple court conferences, conduct detailed and time-consuming pre-trial discovery (including depositions), draft and argue motions, and ultimately represent their client at trial before a judge.
In New York, hourly rates vary depending on the attorney's experience and practice area.
According to research conducted by Clio,
the average hourly rate for a New York family law attorney in 2026 is $429—significantly higher than the national average family law attorney rate in 2026 ($344).
A 2019 survey by Nolo found that the national average cost of a contested divorce was $11,300, with a median cost of $7,000.
The study also found that costs rise sharply as disputes increase. Couples who resolved issues through attorneys without going to trial spent about $10,600 on average. However, those who went to trial with at least one contested issue saw costs jump to around $20,400—and cases involving multiple disputes averaged approximately $23,300.
Attorney fees ultimately depend on the time required to handle the case. For example, in a contested divorce in New York, it is common for an attorney to spend at least 60 hours handling meetings, document preparation, filings, court appearances, and trial work. At the New York family law attorney average rate of $429 per hour, that results in a legal fee of $25,740—and a combined total of $51,480 in legal fees for both spouses.
The Best Way to Reduce Costs in Contested Divorces
Contested divorces often lead to substantial expenses, primarily driven by hiring experienced divorce attorneys and potential experts. The most effective
means of curtailing these costs is to reach an agreement with your spouse on all divorce-related matters, to avoid costly attorney fees for representation on disputed issues and related expert fees.
Understanding Uncontested Divorces
An uncontested divorce is one in which both spouses agree on all issues related to their divorce, including matters involving children (such as custody, child support, and visitation, if applicable).
Because there are no disputed issues, the process is much simpler and takes significantly less time. It generally consists of preparing the correct divorce forms so they comply with legal requirements and court rules, and
properly filing those documents with the court.
Attorney Fees in Uncontested Divorces
As previously discussed, attorney fees can be a significant cost, especially in contested divorces. Let's compare the costs associated with contested and uncontested divorces.
In our example contested divorce, where disputes between the spouses require extensive legal representation by an attorney, a divorce attorney with average experience may
spend approximately 60 hours on the case from beginning to end.
In an uncontested divorce, attorneys have much less to do, so they will charge for fewer hours.
Most of their work involves filling out the divorce papers and filing them with the court, and they typically charge a much lower hourly rate for their legal fee to handle an uncontested divorce.
For an uncontested divorce, the average New York family law attorney hourly rate in 2026 is $250.
On average, an attorney can typically complete these tasks in about 10 hours, the breakdown being:
8 hours to complete the divorce papers and get them signed.
2 hours to file the divorce papers.
It's worth noting that these are just estimates. Some attorneys will take less time, while others will take more time.
To calculate the average cost for an attorney' legal fee in New York for an uncontested divorce, we multiply the average hourly rate of $250 by the estimated 10 hours of work.
This results in an average total legal fee of $2,500 for one attorney. In uncontested divorces, both spouses often have their own attorneys. One attorney typically handles the paperwork
and then sends it to the other spouse's attorney for review and any necessary revisions. In our example, we will adopt that both attorneys spent the same amount of time working on the divorce
forms to produce a final agreed version. So, the second attorney's fee is also $2,500. In total, the legal fees for both attorneys would amount to $5,000.
To emphasize the significant cost savings of an uncontested divorce, we have seen that it's common for the cost for attorney fees in a contested divorce to be at least $25,740 for each spouse, with combined legal fees for both spouses of $51,480,
while the cost for attorney fees in our example uncontested divorce was just $2,500 for each spouse, with combined legal fees for both spouses of $5,000.
In an uncontested divorce, couples have the option to further reduce costs by agreeing to retain a single attorney to represent both parties. This choice brings the total attorney legal fees to $2,500
for preparing and filing the divorce papers.
It's clear that if you and your spouse are considering divorce, one of the most effective ways to minimize costs is to maintain open communication and strive to reach agreements
on all divorce-related matters. This collaborative approach enables both of you to pursue an uncontested divorce and benefit from its streamlined divorce process that takes less time
to complete, resulting in lower overall expenses compared to the complexities of a contested divorce.
It's worth noting that some uncontested divorces are exceptionally straightforward. In such cases, there are no contentious issues to resolve. These simple divorces typically
involve couples who don't have minor children, possess no joint marital property or debts to divide, aren't seeking spousal support (alimony), and don't have any claims
against each other in the divorce. In these very simple, uncontested divorces, the spouses are only seeking a judge's order to dissolve their marriage.
Additional Cost Savings in Uncontested Divorces
Another cost-saving advantage of filing an uncontested divorce is that there is no need to use and pay for a process server to serve copies of the divorce documents on the respondent spouse
because they can sign a waiver document where they agree to accept all the divorce documents without requiring a process server to be used.
The New York Court Filing Fee
To support the New York court system, a filing fee is required when a divorce is filed with the court. The minimum fee is $335 ($210 for an Index # and $125 for a Note of Issue and RJI.).
The court fees can be waived by a judge if the plaintiff cannot afford to pay it and files a fee waiver request.
Requesting a Fee Waiver
If you are unable to afford the court filing fee, you have the option to request a waiver. To do this, complete and file a
Application to Proceed as a Poor Person.
Clarifying Attorney Legal Fees and the Court Filing Fee
An attorney's client is responsible for paying the attorney's legal fee for the work they perform on their client's case. In addition, the client is responsible
for paying the court filing fee, unless a waiver form is properly filed and approved by a judge.
When an individual filing for divorce is represented by an attorney, the attorney will bill the client for the court's filing fee. The attorney will then submit the divorce
paperwork to the court along with the payment for the filing fee.
Options to Reduce Divorce Costs
The following are ways to reduce the cost of divorce.
1. File an Uncontested Divorce
Maintaining open communication with your spouse and reaching an agreement with them on all divorce-related matters is crucial for reducing the cost of your divorce.
This allows you to file for an uncontested divorce, which has a simpler and less costly process compared to contested divorces.
2. Mediation
Mediation offers a cost-effective method for divorcing couples to reach agreements on all divorce-related matters, enabling them to file for an uncontested divorce.
A neutral mediator facilitates discussions between spouses to help them come to mutual agreements. Mediation can be non-binding or result in legally binding agreements.
According to SnapDivorce a provider of divorce mediation services, the average cost for a mediated divorce in New York is generally $5,000—$9,000.
3. Unbundled Legal Services
Unbundled legal services involve an arrangement between an attorney and their client where the attorney handles specific legal tasks for a particular legal matter rather than providing
comprehensive end-to-end representation for that legal matter. This approach can help reduce costs, especially in uncontested divorce cases where only limited assistance is needed.
For example, consider divorcing spouses who have agreed to pursue an uncontested divorce to reduce the cost of their divorce. Instead of hiring an attorney to represent both of them
throughout the entire divorce process, they choose to retain the attorney only for a specific set of tasks. In this scenario, the attorney's responsibilities are limited to drafting
the divorce papers and providing instructions to the spouses on how they can file the divorce documents themselves with the court.
As previously discussed, it typically takes an attorney with average skill and experience about 8 hours to complete the uncontested divorce paperwork and obtain the necessary signatures, and about 2 hours to file the documents with the court.
When an attorney is hired to provide unbundled legal services, focusing solely on meeting with the client, preparing the ready-to-file divorce papers and providing instructions for them to do the court filing,
the attorney's legal fee can be calculated by multiplying the number of hours to do the work (8) by an average hourly rate of $250, resulting in a total legal fee of $2,000. This represents a cost savings of $500 because the
attorney no longer has to spend time to file the divorce documents with the court.
Reminder, the court filing fee that also needs to be paid unless waived is approximately $335.
4. DIY Divorce
A do-it-yourself (DIY) divorce in New York is the cheapest way to get a divorce because you represent yourself (called filing Pro-Se) and you handle the entire process yourself without hiring an attorney,
so there are no attorney legal fees. Your only required expense is the court filing fee charged by the New York Supreme Court, which may be waived if you apply for a fee waiver request and a judge approves it.
DIY divorces should only be considered if you have a very simple uncontested divorce, preferably with no minor children or property to distribute, or spousal support, because there is less paperwork and fewer issues
to consider and reach agreement on.
Here's what you need to do in a DIY agreed uncontested divorce:
Prepare the Divorce Forms: There are many different divorce forms that must be obtained, properly completed, and signed by both spouses.
File the Documents: All required documents must be properly filed with the New York Supreme Court in the county where the divorce is being filed.
Pay the Filing Fee: The court filing fee(s) must be paid, or a fee waiver must be requested and approved by the court.
While a DIY agreed uncontested divorce is the most affordable option, it can still involve significant complexity. The correct, up-to-date divorce forms must be located, completed accurately, and properly filed with the court.
Although the New York court system provides free New York uncontested divorce forms (which you can view on the official New York Court System website), many people find them difficult to understand and complete correctly.
Mistakes—such as using the wrong forms, or completing them incorrectly, or filing them improperly—can cause the court to deem the documents "defective," resulting in rejection and delays.
When this happens, it may not be clear what went wrong or how to fix the issue, and court personnel frequently will not provide any advice.
These forms contain numerous checkboxes and important provisions that must be completed accurately, making it easy for someone without experience to make mistakes.
To illustrate how complex these forms can be, here is a screenshot of just one section from one page of a single document—the Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law—which is thirteen (13) pages long.
For many people, seeing even a small portion of these forms makes it clear why professional assistance can help avoid mistakes and delays.
Divorce document preparation services are provided by people who are not attorneys and are an affordable alternative to hiring a full-service attorney to prepare the documents for an uncontested divorce.
These document preparation services—offered by paralegal firms and online divorce companies—focus on preparing all the required legal forms based on the information you provide, and do not
provide legal advice or represent you in court.
Instead of paying expensive hourly legal fees to an attorney, you typically pay a flat fee (flat fees are "fixed price" fees) for professionally prepared,
court-approved documents tailored to your situation. This makes the divorce process simpler, faster, and significantly less expensive for couples who agree on all key issues and just need help completing the paperwork correctly.
Court Filing Services
After the divorce documents are prepared by either a paralegal or an online divorce company, the documents need to be signed and then filed with the court.
For New York uncontested divorces, some paralegals and online divorce services will also file the documents in court on your behalf, and the cost to file them is included in their flat fee.
However, some paralegals and online divorce services only provide document drafting services and do not file the documents. Instead, they only
provide written instructions on how the customer can file the documents themselves with the court. And there are some document preparation providers who will file the documents with the court but that service requires the payment of
an additional fee that is not included in their advertised price.
Therefore, it is very important when considering to use a particular paralegal or online divorce company to prepare your divorce documents for an uncontested divorce in New York, that you determine whether they will also file the documents
with the court (and if so, is court filing included in their price to prepare the documents—or is court filing a separate additional fee?).
Paralegal Services
Using an experienced paralegal to prepare divorce documents for filing an uncontested divorce in New York typically costs much less than hiring an attorney to prepare and file the documents.
However, a common drawback is that many paralegal services rely on outdated, paper-based processes. These often require customers to travel to an office to sign up, make payment, and provide their divorce information,
or to complete lengthy workbooks that are mailed back and forth. While this process does work and has been used for many years, it is antiquated and increasingly being replaced by services that offer the same paralegal
support through a fully online, more convenient process.
Paralegal services frequently utilize an outdated process that is inconvenient and slow to provide their services to customers.
In many cases, the customer is sent a lengthy questionnaire—sometimes as a paper workbook by mail or as a Word document by email—to complete by hand. If sent by mail, it can take several days or even over a week to arrive,
creating an initial delay and a risk of lost documents. If sent electronically, the customer may still need to print out the very long questionnaire to complete it.
After filling out the workbook, the customer must return it to the paralegal—often by mailing it back, which requires taking time out of their day to go to the post office. This can be especially inconvenient in bad weather,
such as rain, snow, extreme heat, or freezing temperatures, and can further delay the process. Once mailed, it can take several more days for the documents to arrive.
After receiving the completed workbook, the paralegal prepares the divorce documents and then sends them back to the customer for review and signature, adding yet another round of mailing and potential delay.
If the paralegal is also handling the court filing, the signed documents must typically be mailed back again before the process can continue, creating additional delays.
Some paralegals also require customers to travel to their office in person to provide their divorce information, sign up, and pay for their services. This adds more inconvenience and potential delay, requiring time
to travel and potentially dealing with the hassle of bad weather conditions such as rain, snow, extreme heat, or freezing temperatures, taking public transportation or finding parking.
As a result, many people look for a simpler and more convenient alternative.
Online Divorce Services
Online divorce services make the process of preparing divorce forms for an uncontested divorce in New York much simpler, more convenient, and affordable by using easy-to-use online questionnaires that let you quickly enter
your divorce information. Unlike a DIY divorce—where you have to figure out which forms to use, how to obtain them, and how to properly complete and file them—online divorce services provide a clear, step-by-step
solution that guides you through the process. This eliminates the hassles and delays of traditional methods, like mailing documents back and forth or having to travel to an attorney's or paralegal's office just to
sign up and pay for their services—especially when that means dealing with bad weather, traffic, public transportation, or finding parking.
While online divorce services can be a convenient and low-cost option, it's important to choose carefully. Because it's easy to create a website, some services present themselves as experienced providers without clearly identifying
who operates the company, where it is located, or how to contact them. In some cases, there is no phone number—only a generic contact form—making it difficult to know who you are dealing with.
Another common issue is a lack of transparency about what is actually included. Some services do not provide a complete list of the divorce documents they prepare, may charge extra for certain forms, or state (often in fine print) that their
court filing service only handles the initial documents needed to "start" your divorce. In some cases, the low advertised price may also exclude additional costs, such as automatic enrollment in a paid monthly subscription to access
your account and documents on their website. As a result, you may be left responsible for preparing and filing the remaining documents on your own.
In some cases, services do not provide court-specific or local forms at all and instead expect you to obtain and complete them without guidance. Court filing fees are another area where clarity matters. Many services fail to
clearly explain that courts charge separate filing fees or do not disclose the actual amount.
A reliable divorce document preparation service should clearly explain what is included, provide a complete list of forms, and inform you of the exact court fees you will need to pay in your state.
Simplifying Divorce Document Preparation With LetsGetDivorced.com
LetsGetDivorced.com was
founded over 10 years ago by New York divorce attorney Gerald D. Bruckner, Esq., who has over 30 years of experience. LetsGetDivorced.com offers
a New York divorce document preparation service that
will file the documents with the court on your behalf and uniquely combines the advantages of traditional paralegal services with the convenience of modern online divorce platforms—without the common drawbacks of either—to
prepare and file your divorce documents for filing an uncontested divorce in New York at a price that is much less expensive than traditional attorney-led divorce.
Using LetsGetDivorced.com, you get the benefit of experienced paralegals who review your New York divorce documents for completeness before they are filed, file the documents with the court on your behalf, monitor your case
and provide you with updates on significant activity from start to finish. At the same time, you also have the convenience of using a simple, easy-to-use online interview (available 24/7) that lets you enter, save and
revise your information. Plus, because our services are offered online, you can use our service no matter where you reside in New York State to have your divorce forms professionally prepared and filed with your local
New York Supreme Court at a very affordable price.
Using LetsGetDivorced.com, there's no need to deal with the hassle and delays of mailing paperwork back and forth, traveling to an office, or dealing with bad weather. The result is a faster, more convenient, and more
affordable way to file for an uncontested divorce in New York.
LetsGetDivorced.com offers two different document preparation services for filing an uncontested divorce in New York: The Standard Divorce Package and the Premium Divorce Package (which is our most popular option).
Both the Standard and Premium divorce packages include our easy-to-use online guided interview that enables you to quickly
enter, save and revise your divorce information and agreements with your spouse by answering simple questions using your phone, laptop, computer, or tablet—so you can conveniently use our service if you live anywhere in New York State.
After your information is entered, the software (developed and regularly updated and reviewed by experienced New York divorce attorneys) automatically selects the required court-approved New York State divorce forms.
It then tailors the forms based on your situation and information and populates them (along with a marital settlement agreement) with your information, instantly generating a complete set of filled-out, ready-to-file divorce forms.
The difference between the Standard and Premium divorce package is what happens after our service initially prepares your divorce documents.
With our Premium Divorce Package, an experienced paralegal manages your divorce filing for you—from reviewing your New York divorce documents for completeness before they are filed,
to filing the documents with the court on your behalf, monitoring your case, and providing you with updates on significant activity from start to finish. Most people choose this option for its convenience and peace of mind.
For those people who would like to reduce the cost of their divorce further, we also offer our Standard Divorce Package, where our online platform comprehensively prepares your
documents using the information you provided in the online interview and instantly delivers the completed documents to you in your online account. This allows for document review and any necessary changes before signing and filing.
Included with this package are detailed, step-by-step written instructions that guide you through the process of filing the documents in person at the New York Supreme Court where your divorce will be filed.
Our Premium Divorce Package
(OUR MOST POPULAR DIVORCE PACKAGE)
(Paralegal Case Manager
Document Prep + Court Filing
WE FILE FOR YOU)
Total Cost:
(No Children)
$279+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
(With Children)
$459+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
The Premium Divorce Package is ideal for people with or without minor children under age 21 and don't want to deal with the court at all and would like to file a convenient,
affordable uncontested divorce where our experienced paralegals will file your divorce for you with the NY Supreme Court.
This package includes the following:
Paralegal Case Manager
Document Preparation
Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA)
Court Filing (we file for you)
Case Monitoring & Status Updates
Judgment of Divorce
Guaranteed Court Acceptance
No Office Visit Required
Our Standard Divorce Package
(Document Prep + DIY Court Filing
Detailed Filing Instructions)
Total Cost:
$129+ court fees
Court Filing Fees:
When you file for divorce in New York, the court charges mandatory filing fees totaling $335. These fees are paid directly to the court. They are not included in our service package fee and will be an additional expense for the customer.
The Standard Divorce Package is ideal for people with or without minor children under age 21 who want expert assistance preparing their divorce documents
and to get the lowest price for our document preparation service are comfortable filing the documents themselves with our detailed filing guide.
If you have any questions, you'll have full access to our customer support team, and calls and emails are returned within 48 hours.
This package includes the following:
Document Preparation
Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA)
DIY Court Filing Instructions
Customer Support by Phone & Email (responded to within 2 business days)
Guaranteed court acceptance
No Office Visit Required
By combining experienced paralegals with modern technology, LetsGetDivorced.com helps people prepare and file New York divorce paperwork without the high cost of hiring an attorney.
Compared to even low-cost New York divorce lawyers and paralegal firms, LetsGetDivorced.com offers a faster, simpler, and significantly lower-cost alternative for document preparation and filing of uncontested divorces in New York.
With our efficient paralgal assisted online document preparation process—and our court filing service, where we e-file your divorce with the New York Supreme Court—you can complete your divorce in as little as 1—3 months
and move forward with the next chapter of your life.
If you're looking for the fastest and most affordable way to complete an uncontested divorce in New York without dealing with the court yourself, our Premium Divorce Package is designed to handle everything for you.
Ready to take the next step?
Choose an option below:
Ready to move forward with a fast, affordable uncontested divorce in New York?
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