Divorce cost estimates range wildly because the biggest cost driver isn't court fees — it's how much time gets spent negotiating and litigating disputed issues. An uncontested divorce and a contested one aren't in the same cost category.
Filing fees are the smallest piece
Court filing fees are typically a few hundred dollars — a small, fixed cost compared to everything else that goes into a divorce, and rarely the deciding factor in total cost.
Uncontested divorces stay cheap because there's nothing to fight over
When both spouses agree on property division, support, and custody upfront, the cost is largely limited to drafting and filing the agreement — often a fraction of a contested case.
What actually drives cost up
Disputes over property valuation, custody, or support — especially ones that require expert witnesses, extended discovery, or multiple court hearings — are what push divorce costs into the tens of thousands.
Where flat-fee drafting helps
For the uncontested path, flat-fee drafting of the petition and settlement agreement gives cost certainty upfront, rather than an open-ended hourly bill for work that's fundamentally administrative once both sides agree.