How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Fort Lauderdale, FL? (2025 Guide)

You're sitting in your car outside the Whole Foods on Federal Highway at 1am, scrolling through divorce costs. Here's what you need to know: Fort Lauderdale is expensive. Not the most expensive city in America, but close.

The good news? Florida has no mandatory waiting period. If you agree on everything, you can be divorced in weeks. The bad news? Everything here costs more than most of the country.

Let me break down what you'll actually pay.

What You're Looking At

Do it yourself: $449-$559 (filing $409 + service $40-$150)

Divorce.com: $908-$2,408 (service included)

Mediation: $2,000-$5,000 per person

Contested with lawyers: $12,000-$35,000 per person

High-conflict: $40,000-$120,000+ per person

Most Fort Lauderdale divorces with lawyers cost $18,000-$30,000 per person. That's expensive—coastal city pricing. But if you can agree on everything, you can do this for under $1,500 total.

Real Fort Lauderdale Divorces

The quick one: Mike and Lisa, married 4 years, no kids, renting in Victoria Park. Used Divorce.com, agreed on everything. Total: $654 each. Done in 6 weeks (Florida has no waiting period!).

The typical one: Carlos and Jennifer, married 11 years, two kids, owned a condo near Las Olas worth $625,000. Hired lawyers to negotiate custody and property. Carlos paid $24,800. Jennifer paid $22,400. Settled in 9 months.

The expensive one: David owned a yacht charter business. Maria wanted half. They fought over the business, the Rio Vista house ($1.8M), boats, retirement accounts, custody. David spent $95,000. Maria spent $78,000. Plus $32,000 for experts. Took 20 months.

That last one is what happens when you fight about everything in an expensive city.

The Costs Everyone Pays

Broward County Filing Fee: $409

One of the highest in the country. One spouse pays this to open the case.

Pay online, by mail, or in person at Broward County Courthouse. They take cash, checks, money orders, cards.

Can't afford it? File Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status. If income qualifies, court might waive the fee.

Getting Your Spouse Served: $40-$150

Florida requires official service.

• Sheriff service: $40-$60 (cheapest, reliable, takes 1-2 weeks)

• Private process server: $75-$150 (faster, more flexible)

• Certified mail: Won't work in Florida (state requires personal service or sheriff)

Most use sheriff ($40-$60) or private server if spouse is hard to locate.

No Waiting Period

Florida has NO mandatory waiting period. Once you file and serve papers, if you both agree and have all paperwork ready, you can finalize in weeks.

Most simple divorces: 4-8 weeks if uncontested. Contested: 8-18 months.

DIY Divorce: $449-$559

If you agree on everything, you can handle it yourself. Total: $449 with sheriff service, $559 with private server.

"Agree on everything" means:

• How to split the condo, cars, retirement, bank accounts

• Who pays which debts

• Custody and child support if you have kids

• Whether anyone pays alimony

If you disagree on even one major thing, DIY won't work.

About 30% of people who start DIY in Broward County finish without help. The rest get stuck on property division or custody.

DIY works when:

• Short marriage (under 8 years)

• No kids or complete custody agreement

• Minimal assets

• No businesses or complex retirement accounts

• Both willing to cooperate

DIY doesn't work when:

• Spouse won't cooperate

• Can't agree on house or custody

• Business ownership

• Significant assets

• Big income gap, alimony disputed

• Any domestic violence

How It Works

Download Florida divorce forms from Broward County website. Fill them out (Petition for Dissolution, Marital Settlement Agreement, Parenting Plan if kids, Final Judgment). File at courthouse ($409). Have spouse served ($40-$150). If spouse agrees, they can waive response. Submit final paperwork. Judge signs. Done.

Most people spend 12-20 hours on DIY. If you own property or have retirement accounts, figuring out Florida's equitable distribution takes research.

Time: 4-8 weeks if everything goes smoothly.

Divorce.com: $908-$2,408

Middle ground. You answer questions online, they generate your Florida forms.

What you get:

• All Broward County forms prepared

• Marital Settlement Agreement drafted

• Parenting Plan if you have kids

• Child support calculations

• Instructions

• Support

What you pay:

• Divorce.com: $499-$1,999

• Broward County filing: $409

• Service: $40-$150

Total: $908-$2,408.

You still have to agree on everything. This just helps with paperwork.

Mediation: $2,000-$5,000 Per Person

Hire neutral mediator to help negotiate. Fort Lauderdale mediators charge $250-$400/hour.

Most couples need:

• Simple case: 4-6 hours = $1,000-$2,400 per person

• Standard case: 10-15 hours = $2,500-$6,000 per person

• Complex case: 15-20 hours = $3,750-$8,000 per person

Average: $2,000-$5,000 each.

Smart combo: Mediate ($2,000-$5,000), then pay lawyer 2 hours ($600-$1,000) to review agreement. Total: $2,600-$6,000 per person. Way cheaper than full representation.

Mediation works if both willing to compromise. Doesn't work if violence, hidden money, or someone won't negotiate.

Hiring a Lawyer: Where It Gets Expensive

Uncontested With Lawyer: $3,500-$7,000

Some lawyers handle uncontested divorces (you agree on everything) for flat fee. They do paperwork, file everything, finalize it.

Cost: $3,500-$7,000 total.

If you truly agree on everything, Divorce.com ($908-$2,408) or DIY ($449-$559) makes more sense. But if you have significant assets and want professional handling, this works.

Contested Divorce: $12,000-$35,000 Per Person

This is where most Fort Lauderdale divorces with lawyers end up. You disagree and need lawyers to negotiate.

Fort Lauderdale lawyers: $300-$500/hour

• Newer lawyers: $300-$375/hour

• Experienced: $375-$450/hour

• Top specialists: $450-$500/hour

Retainer: $5,000-$10,000 upfront. They bill hourly. When low, ask for more.

Where hours go:

• Meetings with you: 15-30 hours

• Paperwork and motions: 15-35 hours

• Negotiating: 8-18 hours

• Court appearances: 10-25 hours

Average: 50-85 hours.

At $300-$500/hour, that's $15,000-$42,500. Most settle around $18,000-$30,000 per person.

What adds cost:

• Custody fight: Add $3,500-$8,000 (evaluator: $6,000-$18,000)

• Complex property: Add $2,500-$6,000

• Alimony disputes: Add $2,000-$5,000

• Business valuation: Add $8,000-$25,000

• Trial: Add $10,000-$30,000

Many lawyers do payment plans.

High-Conflict: $40,000-$120,000+ Per Person

Serious custody battles, hidden assets, business valuations, boat/yacht divisions.

What makes it high-conflict:

• Custody battle: Evaluators ($6,000-$18,000), Guardian ad Litem ($5,000-$12,000), multiple hearings. Add $15,000-$35,000.

• Business/boat valuation: Forensic accountant ($8,000-$30,000), marine surveyors for boats. Add $12,000-$35,000.

• Hidden assets: Forensic accountant ($10,000-$35,000), extensive discovery. Add $15,000-$40,000.

• Trial: Prep and trial time. Add $12,000-$35,000.

Real costs:

• Custody battle: $35,000-$65,000 per person

• Business owner: $40,000-$80,000 per person

• Hidden assets: $45,000-$85,000 per person

• Worst cases: $100,000-$200,000+ per person

How to avoid: Settle early. Every month adds $2,000-$5,000. Don't fight over small stuff.

Additional Costs

Custody evaluator: $6,000-$18,000 split (so $3,000-$9,000 each). Psychologist evaluates parents, recommends custody.

Guardian ad Litem: $5,000-$12,000 split. Lawyer for kids in high-conflict cases.

Business valuation: $6,000-$25,000. Expert values business for division.

Boat/yacht appraisal: $500-$3,000. Marine surveyor values boats.

Forensic accountant: $8,000-$35,000. Investigates hidden money.

Home appraisal: $450-$800. Determines house value.

QDRO: $500-$2,500. Legal order to split retirement accounts.

Therapy: $150-$250/session in Fort Lauderdale. Most do 2-4 sessions/month for 6-12 months. That's $1,800-$12,000 total.

What Determines Your Cost

Can you agree? This is everything. Agree = under $1,500 total. Fight = $30,000-$70,000+.

Do you have kids? Adds $1,500-$5,000 even if you agree. Fight over custody adds $8,000-$25,000+.

Do you own real estate? Fort Lauderdale real estate is expensive. Fighting over a $1.2M condo adds serious legal costs.

Do you have boats/yachts? Common in Fort Lauderdale. Valuation and division of boats adds complexity.

Does someone own a business? Needs valuation ($6,000-$25,000). Fighting over it adds $12,000-$30,000.

Big income difference? You'll fight over alimony. Add $2,000-$5,000.

How angry are you? Anger costs money. People spend $50,000 fighting over $15,000 in assets.

Florida Equitable Distribution

Florida is equitable distribution state. Property acquired during marriage gets divided fairly—not necessarily 50/50.

Marital property:

• House/condo bought during marriage

• Retirement contributions during marriage

• Cars, boats, furniture acquired during marriage

• Debt from during marriage

Separate property:

• Property owned before marriage

• Gifts or inheritance (kept separate)

• Property acquired after separation

Mixed assets (house owned before but mortgage paid during marriage) create expensive fights.

Alimony in Fort Lauderdale

Florida has several types of alimony:

• Bridge-the-gap: Short-term, up to 2 years

• Rehabilitative: Help spouse get training/education

• Durational: Set time period, can't exceed marriage length

• Permanent: For long marriages (over 17 years typically)

Factors court considers:

• Marriage length (longer = more likely)

• Income gap (bigger gap = more likely)

• Standard of living during marriage

• Age and health

• Contributions to marriage (including homemaker)

How much? No formula. Typically 20-35% of income gap for moderate marriages.

How long? Depends on marriage length and alimony type.

Fighting over alimony adds $2,000-$5,000 in legal fees.

Child Support

Florida has formula based on both incomes and custody time. Use Florida's online calculator.

You can't waive child support—it's the child's right. Court won't approve zero support unless both earn similar amounts and have equal time.

Fighting over income adds $1,000-$3,000 in legal fees.

How Long Does It Take?

Uncontested (agree on everything): 4-8 weeks

• No waiting period in Florida!

• 1-2 weeks prep

• 1 week filing/service

• 1-2 weeks if spouse agrees immediately

• 1 week final processing

Contested (some disagreements): 8-14 months

• 6-10 months negotiation

• 2-4 hearings

• Settle before trial

High-conflict: 14-24 months

• 10-18 months fighting

• Multiple hearings

• Possibly trial

The longer it takes, the more you pay.

How to Save Money

1. Agree before hiring lawyers: Every issue you resolve saves $1,500-$5,000.

2. Use mediation: $2,000-$5,000 each versus $12,000-$35,000+.

3. Do some work yourself: Gather documents, organize finances.

4. Use email, not calls: Email costs less.

5. Don't use lawyer as therapist: They're $300-$500/hour. Therapists are $150-$250/hour.

6. Be efficient: Ask all questions at once.

7. Settle early: Every month adds $2,000-$4,000.

8. Pick battles: Don't fight over small stuff.

Real Talk: What Most People Pay

Amicable, no kids, minimal assets: $600-$1,200 (DIY or Divorce.com)

Amicable with kids and condo: $3,500-$7,000 (uncontested lawyer or Divorce.com + consulting lawyer)

Some disagreements, compromise: $8,000-$18,000 per person (mediation or early settlement)

Significant disputes: $18,000-$35,000 per person (contested with settlement)

High-conflict: $40,000-$100,000+ per person

Median Fort Lauderdale divorce probably costs $18,000-$28,000 per person. That's the reality for coastal city with expensive real estate and high lawyer rates.

The Bottom Line

Divorce in Fort Lauderdale costs $449 (DIY) to $100,000+ (high-conflict) per person.

You control where you land. Work together = under $2,000 each. Fight = tens of thousands.

The money spent on lawyers doesn't go to your kids or your future. It disappears.

Compromise where you can. Settle early. Your future self will thank you.

Fort Lauderdale is expensive, but you'll get through this. Most people do.