How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Montgomery, AL? (2025 Guide)

You're sitting in your car outside the Publix on East Boulevard at midnight, scrolling through divorce costs. Here's some good news: Montgomery is one of the most affordable cities in America for divorce. No waiting period, low filing fees, and affordable lawyer rates.

If you can agree with your spouse, you can be divorced in weeks for under $400.

Let me break down what you'll actually pay.

What You're Looking At

Do it yourself: $275-$390 (filing $250-$290 + service $25-$100)

Divorce.com: $749-$2,289 (service included)

Mediation: $800-$2,400 per person

Contested with lawyers: $5,000-$15,000 per person

High-conflict: $20,000-$50,000+ per person

Most Montgomery divorces with lawyers cost $7,000-$12,000 per person. That's very affordable—way less than you'd pay in most other cities.

If you agree on everything, you can do this for under $800 total.

Real Montgomery Divorces

The quick one: James and Lisa, married 5 years, no kids, renting near Eastchase. Used Divorce.com, agreed on everything. Total: $625 each. Done in 5 weeks (Alabama has no waiting period!).

The typical one: Mike and Sarah, married 11 years, two kids, owned house near Pike Road worth $265,000. Hired lawyers to negotiate custody and property. Mike paid $9,400. Sarah paid $8,200. Settled in 8 months.

The expensive one: David owned a dental practice. Maria wanted half. They fought over the practice, the house ($350,000), retirement accounts, custody of three kids. David spent $48,000. Maria spent $41,000. Plus $14,000 for experts. Took 18 months.

That last one is what happens when you fight about everything. But even that's cheaper than most cities.

The Costs Everyone Pays

Montgomery County Filing Fee: $250-$290

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

Pay at Montgomery County Courthouse downtown. They take cash, checks, money orders, cards.

Can't afford it? File Pauper's Affidavit showing you can't afford the fee. Court might waive it entirely.

Getting Your Spouse Served: $25-$100

Alabama requires official service.

• Sheriff service: $25-$35 (cheapest, reliable, takes 1-2 weeks)

• Private process server: $50-$100 (faster, more flexible)

• Certified mail: $8 (only if spouse cooperates and signs receipt)

Most use sheriff ($25-$35). It's cheap and reliable.

No Waiting Period

Alabama has NO mandatory waiting period. Once you file, if you both agree and have all paperwork ready, you can finalize in weeks. This is one of the fastest states in America.

Most simple divorces: 4-8 weeks if uncontested. Contested: 6-14 months.

DIY Divorce: $275-$390

If you agree on everything, handle it yourself. Total: $275-$390.

About 40% of people who start DIY in Montgomery County finish without help. Better success rate than most places.

DIY works when:

• Short marriage (under 10 years)

• No kids or complete custody agreement

• Minimal assets

• No businesses or complex retirement accounts

• Both willing to cooperate

Doesn't work when:

• Spouse won't cooperate

• Can't agree on house or custody

• Business ownership

• Significant assets

• Domestic violence

• Hiding money

Most spend 10-15 hours on DIY. Alabama's equitable distribution requires fair division but allows flexibility.

Time: 4-8 weeks for simple uncontested.

Divorce.com: $749-$2,289

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

What you get:

• All Montgomery County forms prepared

• Settlement Agreement drafted

• Parenting Plan if you have kids

• Child support calculations

• Instructions

• Support

What you pay:

• Divorce.com: $499-$1,999

• Montgomery County filing: $250-$290

• Service: $25-$100

Total: $749-$2,289.

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

Mediation: $800-$2,400 Per Person

Hire neutral mediator to help negotiate. Montgomery mediators charge $100-$200/hour.

Most couples need:

• Simple case: 4-6 hours = $400-$1,200 per person

• Standard case: 8-12 hours = $800-$2,400 per person

• Complex case: 12-16 hours = $1,200-$3,200 per person

Average: $800-$2,400 each.

Smart combo: Mediate ($800-$2,400), then pay lawyer 2 hours ($400-$700) to review agreement. Total: $1,200-$3,100 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: $1,500-$3,500

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

Cost: $1,500-$3,500 total.

If you truly agree on everything, Divorce.com ($749-$2,289) or DIY ($275-$390) makes more sense.

Contested Divorce: $5,000-$15,000 Per Person

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

Montgomery lawyers: $200-$350/hour

• Newer lawyers: $200-$250/hour

• Experienced: $250-$300/hour

• Top specialists: $300-$350/hour

Retainer: $2,500-$5,000 upfront. They bill hourly. When low, ask for more.

Where hours go:

• Meetings with you: 10-20 hours

• Paperwork and motions: 15-30 hours

• Negotiating: 8-15 hours

• Court appearances: 8-20 hours

Average: 30-60 hours.

At $200-$350/hour, that's $6,000-$21,000. Most settle around $7,000-$12,000 per person.

What adds cost:

• Custody fight: Add $2,000-$5,000 (evaluator: $3,000-$10,000)

• Complex property: Add $1,500-$4,000

• Alimony disputes: Add $1,000-$3,000

• Business valuation: Add $5,000-$15,000

• Trial: Add $5,000-$15,000

Many lawyers do payment plans.

High-Conflict: $20,000-$50,000+ Per Person

Serious custody battles, hidden assets, business valuations.

What makes it high-conflict:

• Custody battle: Evaluators ($3,000-$10,000), Guardian ad Litem ($2,500-$8,000), multiple hearings. Add $10,000-$25,000.

• Business valuation: Forensic accountant ($5,000-$20,000), extensive discovery. Add $8,000-$20,000.

• Hidden assets: Forensic accountant ($5,000-$20,000), extensive discovery. Add $10,000-$25,000.

• Trial: Prep and trial time. Add $5,000-$15,000.

Real costs:

• Custody battle: $18,000-$35,000 per person

• Business owner: $20,000-$40,000 per person

• Hidden assets: $25,000-$45,000 per person

• Worst cases: $40,000-$80,000+ per person

How to avoid: Settle early. Every month adds $1,000-$2,500.

Additional Costs

Custody evaluator: $3,000-$10,000 split (so $1,500-$5,000 each). Psychologist evaluates parents, recommends custody.

Guardian ad Litem: $2,500-$8,000 split. Lawyer for kids in high-conflict cases.

Business valuation: $3,000-$15,000. Expert values business for division.

Forensic accountant: $5,000-$20,000. Investigates hidden money.

Home appraisal: $350-$500. Determines house value.

QDRO: $400-$1,500. Legal order to split retirement accounts.

Therapy: $90-$160/session in Montgomery. Most do 2-4 sessions/month for 6-12 months. That's $1,100-$7,700 total.

What Determines Your Cost

Can you agree? This is everything. Agree = under $800 total. Fight = $14,000-$30,000+.

Do you have kids? Adds $800-$3,000 even if you agree. Fight over custody adds $5,000-$15,000+.

Do you own a house? Montgomery real estate is affordable. Fighting over a $265k house still adds legal costs.

Does someone own a business? Needs valuation ($3,000-$15,000). Fighting over it adds $8,000-$20,000.

Big income difference? You'll fight over alimony. Add $1,000-$3,000.

How angry are you? Anger costs money.

Alabama Equitable Distribution

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

Marital property:

• House bought during marriage

• Retirement contributions during marriage

• Cars, furniture acquired during marriage

• Debt from during marriage

Separate property:

• Property owned before marriage

• Gifts or inheritance (kept separate)

• Property acquired after separation

Court considers:

• Each spouse's contribution

• Economic circumstances

• Marriage length

• Age and health

• Future earning capacity

Alimony in Montgomery

Alabama has several types of alimony:

• Periodic: Ongoing monthly payments

• Lump sum: One-time payment

• Rehabilitative: Short-term to get training/education

• Alimony in gross: Fixed total amount paid over time

Factors court considers:

• Marriage length (longer = more likely)

• Income gap (bigger gap = more likely)

• Standard of living during marriage

• Age and health

• Earning capacity

• Fault (adultery can reduce or eliminate alimony)

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

How long? Usually related to marriage length. Shorter marriages = shorter alimony.

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

Child Support

Alabama has guidelines based on both incomes and custody time. Use Alabama's online child support 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 $600-$2,000 in legal fees.

How Long Does It Take?

Uncontested (agree on everything): 4-8 weeks

• No waiting period in Alabama!

• 1 week prep

• 1 week filing/service

• 1-2 weeks if spouse agrees immediately

• 1-2 weeks final processing

Contested (some disagreements): 6-14 months

• 4-10 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 $1,000-$3,000.

2. Use mediation: $800-$2,400 each versus $5,000-$15,000+.

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 $200-$350/hour. Therapists are $90-$160/hour.

6. Be efficient: Ask all questions at once.

7. Settle early: Every month adds $1,000-$2,500.

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

Real Talk: What Most People Pay

Amicable, no kids, minimal assets: $350-$800 (DIY or Divorce.com)

Amicable with kids and house: $1,500-$3,500 (uncontested lawyer or Divorce.com + consulting lawyer)

Some disagreements, compromise: $3,500-$8,000 per person (mediation or early settlement)

Significant disputes: $7,000-$15,000 per person (contested with settlement)

High-conflict: $20,000-$45,000+ per person

Median Montgomery divorce probably costs $7,000-$11,000 per person. That's very affordable compared to most cities.

The Bottom Line

Divorce in Montgomery costs $275 (DIY) to $45,000+ (high-conflict) per person.

You control where you land. Work together = under $800 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.

Montgomery is one of the most affordable cities in America for divorce. No waiting period, low fees, reasonable lawyer rates. Take advantage of it.