This is how much it costs to get divorced in New Jersey
The dissolution of a marriage can take an enormous emotional toll on everyone involved; it’s hard to quantify that. The financial toll is easier to pin down, although those costs can vary wildly, depending on a lot of factors.
Forbes Advisor ranked all 50 states based on how expensive a divorce is. Forbes Advisor considered divorce filing fees, the average cost of a lawyer, the cost of living, and the percentage of household income it takes to pay for a divorce.
The average cost of a divorce across the U.S. is $7,567. On average, Americans spend 7% of their annual income to resolve a divorce.
With an average cost of only $6,341.19, Kansas is the least expensive state to get a divorce in, even though it has one of the highest filing fees. This cost is made up for by a low cost of living and low attorney fees.
North Dakota has the lowest divorce rate at 0.80%. This is less than half the divorce rate in Arkansas, which is the highest at 1.63%.
Where does New Jersey rank? Not as high as you might think; the high cost of living states are near the top, but not New Jersey. New Jersey is the 30th most expensive state to get a divorce.
According to Forbes Advisor, the median cost of a divorce in New Jersey is $8,122.84. The filing fee is $300, and, surprisingly, the hourly rate for an attorney is $66.65.
A divorce costs 5.78% of the median married household income in New Jersey.
The most costly state in which to get a divorce is California, followed by New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. In Hawaii, the cost of a divorce is over 10% of median income.
Kansas is the cheapest state for divorce.
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Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.
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