How Much Does a Divorce Cost in New York?
How Much Does a Divorce Cost in New York?
A do-it-yourself uncontested divorce in New York has a baseline cost of $335 in court fees. That's the floor — what you'll pay if you handle every step yourself, get no rejections, and don't hire anyone. The ceiling depends on whether you need a process server, an attorney, or have to refile after a clerk rejection.
Court Filing Fees
| Fee | Amount | When It's Due |
|---|---|---|
| Index number | $210 | At initial filing with the County Clerk |
| Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI) | $95 | When submitting the uncontested divorce packet |
| Note of Issue | $30 | Filed with the RJI |
| Certified copies of judgment | $8 each | After the judge signs the Judgment of Divorce |
Total baseline: $335 + $8 per certified copy. You'll want at least two certified copies — one for your records and one to serve on the defendant with the Notice of Entry.
Process Server Costs
You cannot serve divorce papers yourself. A non-party aged 18 or older must hand-deliver them to your spouse. If you have a friend or family member willing to do this, it's free. Otherwise, professional process servers in New York typically charge:
- $40–$75 for a single attempt within New York City
- $65–$150 for suburban or upstate service
- $100–$300+ if multiple attempts are needed or the defendant is evasive
What Happens If Your Packet Gets Rejected
A clerk rejection doesn't cost an additional filing fee, but it costs time — three to six months of processing delay in busy counties. If your 120-day service window expires while you're correcting errors, you may need to re-serve your spouse and potentially repurchase a new index number if the case is dismissed.
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Attorney Costs
If you decide not to go fully pro se:
- Document review (limited scope): $300–$800 for an attorney to review your completed packet before submission
- Flat-fee uncontested filing: $1,500–$7,000, depending on complexity and county
- Full-scope contested litigation: $250–$500 per hour with a $5,000–$10,000 retainer. Total costs for a contested divorce can exceed $25,000–$50,000 per spouse.
Online document preparation services (LegalZoom, 3 Step Divorce, and similar platforms) charge $150–$750 for form generation, but they don't guide you through the filing sequence, service requirements, or NYSCEF e-filing.
How to Get a Fee Waiver
If you can't afford the $335 in court fees, you can file a motion to seek a waiver of court costs, fees, and expenses under CPLR Article 11. This was formerly called "poor person's relief" — the terminology was updated by Chapter 589 of the Laws of 2024.
To qualify, you'll generally need to demonstrate that your income falls at or below the federal poverty level ($15,960 for a single-person household in 2026). The court may also consider your total financial picture, including assets, debts, and essential expenses.
The motion must be filed with the court before or at the same time as your initial papers. If granted, it waives the index number fee, the RJI fee, and the Note of Issue fee.
Where the Real Cost Savings Are
The court forms are free. The filing fees are fixed. The controllable cost is avoiding rejections and the delays they create. A single clerk rejection in a county like Kings or New York County can push your timeline back by months — and if service expires, it can force you to start the filing process over.
The New York Divorce Filing Process Guide is built around the pre-submission checklist approach: catch the errors that trigger rejections before you submit, so the $335 you spend on court fees gets your divorce done on the first pass.
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