While issues regarding children—including child custody, visitation, and child support—take precedence during the divorce process, financial matters also rank high on the list of importance. Among the primary concerns for many individuals is how much their divorce will cost. While the cost of divorce varies according to region and the services provided, we can assess the average divorce cost in the United States.

How Much Is Divorce?

The U.S. average cost for a divorce is approximately $15,000 per divorcing spouse. This includes all applicable lawyer fees, court costs, and the hiring of any necessary outside advisors, including real estate appraisers, child custody evaluators, and tax professionals. Your amount, however, could be substantially lower, based on a number of factors.

What Drives the Price of a Divorce?

Time plays a significant role in how much a divorce costs. While the average divorce takes between four and 11 months to complete, those that result in courtroom litigation can go more than a year, sometimes two. The more hours an attorney must put into your case, the more it will cost.

Divorce is nothing new in the United States. In fact, the first recorded divorce in the American colonies occurred in 1643, when Ann Clarke was granted a divorce from Dennis Clarke by the Quarter Court of Boston, Mass. 

Nearly four centuries and millions of divorces later, the divorce process can still take a significant emotional and physical toll on divorcing couples and their children. This is especially true in high-conflict divorces in which couples cannot reach agreements on their own and must go through divorce litigation.

You do not have to like your soon-to-be ex-spouse, but allowing your animosities to overflow to where it severely impacts your children can lead to issues that last a lifetime. Here are some preventative measures you can take to protect your children from the contentious nature of your impending divorce: