How much does a dissolution or uncontested divorce cost in Ohio?

Every Ohio dissolution or divorce has two kinds of cost. The first is what you pay your attorney for advice, drafting, and getting you through the hearing. The second is what the court charges to open your case. These are separate, and they're paid to different people.

Court filing fees are set by each county and change from time to time, so we don't list them here. Your county clerk of courts posts the current amount, and we'll tell you the figure for your county before you file.

Many family law offices work by the hour. You pay a retainer up front, often several thousand dollars, and the attorney bills against it for every email, phone call, and court appearance. When spouses disagree, those hours add up quickly and the final bill is hard to predict.

That model makes sense for contested cases with a lot of unknowns. It's usually more than you need when you and your spouse have already worked out most of the terms.

Because our services are built for agreed cases, we charge one flat fee for a defined set of work, so you know the price before you start:

• $595: Start My Divorce. We prepare your first court documents and explain every step
• $795: Finish My Divorce. For a case already filed and moving toward the final decree
• $1,195: Agreed Dissolution. Paperwork, filing guidance and the final hearing

Each package spells out exactly what's included. See every package and what it covers.

You can spread the flat fee over a few payments instead of paying it all at once. We also believe everyone deserves access to legal help, so after we review your case we may offer a reduced fee based on household income. How income-based fees work.

• Disagreements about the house, retirement accounts, or spousal support
• A spouse who won't sign or respond
• Retirement plans that need a separate court order to divide
• Missing financial information that has to be tracked down

If something outside your package comes up, we'll tell you in writing what it would cost before doing any extra work. Nothing is added without your OK.

Online form kits cost less up front, but a separation agreement that leaves out a pension or uses vague wording can cost far more to fix later. A flat-fee attorney sits in the middle: much less than a traditional retainer, with an Ohio lawyer making sure the paperwork holds up.