JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images
One thing to keep in mind when researching the average price of getting a divorce is that costs operate very much on a case-by-case basis.
- When it comes to getting divorced, many concerns come to mind - one at the forefront, however, is exactly how much the process is going to cost.
- According to a recent survey by Bankrate, the average cost of a divorce in the United States is around $15,000 per person.
- However, it can be much higher, as many factors can impact the overall cost of divorce - including the length of time it takes for your divorce to go through, the people you hire, and whether you and your spouse settle in or out of court.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The divorce rate is going down in the US - in 2017, the CDC reported an average of 2.9 divorces per 1,000 Americans, compared to 4 divorces per 1,000 Americans in 2001. Of the more than 2 million marriages that occurred in 2017, exactly 787,251 ended in divorce - resulting in a divorce rate of 35%. Although fewer couples are getting divorced in recent years, the dissolution of marriages is still an issue on many peoples' minds. When it comes to getting divorced, many concerns come to mind - one at the forefront, however, is exactly how much getting a divorce is going to cost.
One thing to keep in mind when researching the average price of getting a divorce is that costs operate very much on a case-by-case basis. The overall cost of the process depends greatly on where you live, whether you and your spouse have children or not, whether you own property together, and many more factors. In general, divorces become increasingly expensive depending on three main factors: how long the process takes, who you hire, and how much you or your spouse are willing to fight to get what you want out of the divorce.
However, if you're looking for the average expenses of each element of divorce, they are out there. According to a recent survey by Bankrate, the average cost of a divorce in the United States is around $15,000 per person. This figure takes into account the following expenses associated with getting a divorce - court filing costs, attorney fees, parent education classes, mediation fees, costs for evaluations such as psychiatric evaluations or counseling, "guardian ad litem" fees, and other expenses that may pop up depending on your situation.
Read more: Spending $20,000 On A Divorce Is Actually Worth It
Bankrate also looked at the costs involved if the couple getting divorced owned property together. This included refinancing costs, government recording fees, and any additional hourly attorney fees.
In order to determine how much it actually costs to get divorced, we broke down each expense and included the cost estimates of each element of getting divorced. We also sought the advice of Jacqueline Newman, Managing Partner at Berkman Bottger Newman and Schein, LLP in New York City, who specializes in litigation.