Getting divorced is not only an emotional hardship, but it is also a financial one, too. It can be really, really expensive to get divorced, especially if you live in one of these 10 states. If you do happen to live in one of these locations, you may just want to stay married, if you can help it. Then, at least you won't be broke!
Note: The content of this article does not reflect the Writer’s personal beliefs.
California
Getting divorced in California will cost you quite a bit of money. To begin, the filing fee alone will cost $435. Then you need to add to that the fact that lawyers in California make, on average, $84.46 per hour.
According to research by FormRush, the median divorce is $10,159. Considering that this is about 8% of the household income in California, you can see that divorce in this state is pretty pricey.
New York
If you plan to get divorced in New York, you better be prepared to pay a hefty bill. The fee just to file for divorce in New York is $335 according to Forbes.
If you need a lawyer, that will cost you another $83.12 per hour on average. So, what will a New York Divorce cost? On average, about $9,206. Yikes!
Oregon
If you reside in Oregon, you may want to consider a prenup to help you save on some divorce fees later on. According to FormRush, on average you need $8,405 for an Oregon divorce.
It all starts with the $301 filing fee and just goes up from there. Divorce in Oregon is not a pretty thing.
Massachusetts
With an average lawyer wage of $77.66 an hour and a $200 divorce filing fee, a Massachusetts divorce will set you back quite a bit of money.
According to Forbes, the median divorce in this northern state is $10,406, making it higher than almost every other state. This huge fee is about 7.15% of the median married household income which is enough to make couples reconsider divorce altogether.
Alaska
Who would have thought that this northern state would be so pricey?! Well, it is. The Hill says that the median cost for divorce in Alaska is $9,111. That is about 7.68% of the household income.
The high cost of living in Alaska is partly to blame for the price of a legal breakup as everything in this far away state costs more.
Hawaii
Hawaii has the highest median divorce cost out of all the states according to Forbes. How much does it cost to get divorced in Hawaii? About $13,198.70.
While the filing fee may cost less than in other states, coming in at just $265, the lawyer fees add up quite quickly. If you plan on getting married and living in Hawaii, keep this steep number in mind.
Arizona
If you reside in Arizona, making your separation legal is going to be very expensive. The average divorce lawyer's wage is about $58.18 per hour and you also need to pay a $280 filing fee on top of that. The whole process will end up costing about $7,788 which represents about 7.55% of the household income.
Will you be happier after paying these high fees and being legally single? That is the big question!
Nevada
In Nevada, a divorce will set you back about $7395.63, says Forbes. You may want to reconsider that Las Vegas quickie wedding! If you choose to get divorced in Nevada you will be faced with a $299 divorce filing fee and legal bills of around $62.89 per hour.
Washington
Washington state has a high cost of living which is one of the reasons why residents pay more for divorce. They pay more for nearly everything in that upper Northwest corner of the US!
Getting a legal divorce in Washington is around $8,399.17 which is 6.76% of the median married household income. Divorce proceedings in Washington definitely are not cheap! Especially when you are looking at paying a lawyer an average of $63.09 per hour to help you.
Florida
Many Americans think of Florida as being a place where you can escape the high cost of living. This is just not true when it comes to divorce as Florida ranks as one of the most expensive places to get legally separated.
Florida's divorce filing fee starts at $409 with the average lawyer charging $50.17 per hour. Floridians will spend about 7.53% of their household income getting divorced which equates to about $7,410.
The Cheapest Divorce is in Kansas
For an average of $6,341.19, you can get divorced in Kansas. This is below the country average and only about 6.21% of the household income. That is a lot less than other states which makes us reconsider where we live!
The filing fee to get divorced in Kansans is still pretty high, at $402, but the average lawyer rate is only $46.45 which is much better than in other US states.
Lowest Divorce Filing Fee
Head to North Dakota if you are looking for the lowest divorce filing fee. For just $80, you can get all of your legal divorce paperwork filed! You will need to pay a lawyer as well but the average divorce lawyer charges only $48.51 in this discount state.
North Dakota is the place to live if you ever think you will need to be legally divorced and still financially happy.
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This article was inspired by Forbes and first appeared on Spatula Desserts.
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