When money is tight, a person seeking a divorce should consider the total cost of the action.

Every divorce requires the filing of a Complaint (or Petition) for Divorce, which, depending upon the county and jurisdiction, costs between $150 to more than $200. Normally, a process service or constable serves the papers on the respondent (or defendant), and the fees for this may go as high as $75.

Indigent persons may appeal to the court to a waiver from paying filing fees. The terms and conditions vary from county to county and jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Divorces become increasing complicated when additional considerations are part of the case. The simplest actions are those where there are no minor children, no property, no significant assets and no disagreements. Simple cases where there are no significant disagreements generally require only a few hours of a lawyer’s time; complicated cases - those where there are minor children (with disagreement about custody and visitation), a house to dispose of, arguments about alimony and child support - can consume many, many billable attorney hours.