Wondering how much does a divorce cost in Australia? There are many factors involved in the cost of divorce. So, it’s not a simple answer. There are divorce fees, paid to the Court when filing your divorce application. Then, depending on your relationship and circumstances, there may also be lawyer’s fees, mediation costs, and other personal expenses. So, let’s break it down.
Divorce Fees in Australia
A divorce is the legal ending of a marriage. The formal divorce is a simple legal process in which a form gets filed with the Court. The filing fee for an Application for Divorce is $1125 as of July 2025 and increases about $25-$50 each year. A discounted fee is available for eligible concession cardholders.
If you prepare and lodge a divorce application yourself, that Court filing fee may be the only cost of a divorce in Australia.
Being able to apply for divorce yourself means that the cost of divorce in Australia is fairly simple for many people. But the process of separating and divorcing your spouse from start to finish can be more complex and involve extra steps that contribute to how much a divorce costs.
Separation Costs
The divorce process begins by separating from your spouse. Separation doesn’t involve any formal process or paperwork. In most cases, you and your spouse agree that the marriage is over and go your separate ways. One of the first expenses that people incur when they are seeking a divorce is the cost of moving into a new home.
It is also possible to separate but still live under one roof. If you separate but continue living under the same roof, then you should get professional advice. In doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re fully informed of the legal considerations and consequences for this type of separation, and how it might impact the progress of your divorce.
Whichever way you go with your living arrangements, many people seek advice from a family lawyer to see where they stand. That means there will be some costs for an initial consultation, and any follow up appointments. Some people can handle matters themselves after just one or two visits to a lawyer. That can keep the overall cost of divorce quite low.
Making Parenting Arrangements
For couples who have children under the age of 18 when they apply for a divorce, the Court will consider the care arrangements that are in place. That’s why we recommend that you have a parenting plan or parenting agreement in place before you file for divorce.
Parenting plans can be informal agreements between the parents or carers. Parenting arrangements can also be a formal, legally binding order made by the Court (either as a consent order, or as a judgement from trial). In the eyes of the law, parenting and child custody must be first and foremost in the best interests of the children.
In an amicable split, two parents can often work out an arrangement that satisfies both themselves and the Court. Some initial legal advice from a family lawyer can help you understand what falls within the range of acceptable If you need the help of a lawyer or family mediator to negotiate and formalise parenting arrangements, that will add to the overall cost of your divorce.
Spousal Maintenance and Child Support
When you separate, one party may be unable to meet their living expenses without the benefit of the previous, joint household income. The previous financial arrangements may result in one party paying spousal maintenance to the other, either on an interim basis or for a longer time.
Two people can usually live together cheaper than two people apart. For example, two people can service a mortgage, or pay rent for a home. When they separate, a second residence gets established, in some cases doubling that aspect of their living expenses.
When children are also involved, there may be child support paid by one party to the other. For child support, the overall expenses don’t necessarily increase. One set of school fees is still one set of school fees, for example. But there may be some double ups, such as maintaining extra clothing at each residence.
Negotiating a Property Settlement
Property matters must get settled within 12 months after a Divorce Order takes effect. Although you can complete your divorce before settling property, if there are any delays in negotiating and settling the property split afterwards you run the risk of breaching that time limit.
In most cases, we recommend that you reach a property settlement before you file your Application for Divorce. But there are some cases where we don’t. Property settlements can be negotiated directly with your spouse. But you may wish to get some advice from a lawyer first to understand your entitlements. You may also prefer that a property settlement lawyer negotiates on your behalf, or that mediation takes place to resolve property disputes, either of which will add to the cost of divorce.
Lawyer Fees for Divorce
When you speak to our lawyers about your divorce, they may provide you with an estimate for the costs involved. The estimate will be a range of numbers based on your circumstances.
The actual costs can depend on factors outside of your control. For example, complex property pools often need more time to work out an equitable split. Negotiations for parenting will depend on how cooperative your former partner is. Lengthy negotiations involve more time spent in appointments and preparing correspondence. If no agreement is possible and mediation is required, that will involve further costs.
Fixed Fee Divorce Cost
After parenting and property get settled, the remaining steps for the divorce application are quite straightforward for most couples. You can prepare and submit your divorce application yourself and pay the filing fee directly.
Some people still prefer to engage a divorce lawyer to help draft and file the Application for Divorce. A lawyer will also handle other steps, such as serving the other party with a copy of the documents.
We offer a fixed fee divorce service for clients who:
- Have been married for at least two years
- Have already separated and lived separately from their spouse for 12 months
- Already have agreement from their spouse to get divorced
- Have care arrangements in place for children under 18 years old
- Are both Australian citizens or residents
- Have a marriage certificate that is in English
If you don’t meet all those requirements, we can still help you with your divorce. There may be some additional costs that you can read more about here.
Where to From Here?
As you can see, when people ask how much does a divorce cost, it does depend on many different things. But by now, you should have an idea of what contributes to the cost of divorce.
If you want some initial advice, or would like to commence parenting or property negotiations, then you can get in touch with our team by calling (07) 5499 2900, or by sending us an email.
