Missouri Divorce Cost Calculator

Missouri divorce filing fee

Missouri divorce filing fees are set county by county. In St. Louis County (21st Judicial Circuit), the fee is $148.50. (source)

Each circuit sets the deposit from state and local court costs, so the amount differs by county; St. Louis County requires a $148.50 deposit for a dissolution of marriage.

The case is filed in the Missouri Circuit Court (county circuit clerk; family court division where established).

Serving divorce papers in Missouri

Your spouse can sign the Entry of Appearance and Waiver of Service (signed before a notary) instead of being served, which costs nothing. (form)

Service by the sheriff costs $40 ($20 per item plus a $20 charge in charter and first-, second- and fourth-class counties such as St. Louis County ($35 in third-class counties), plus mileage). (source)

Fee waiver in Missouri

If you cannot afford the fees, file the Application to proceed as a poor person (In Forma Pauperis), filed with the circuit clerk (RSMo 514.040). The court may let a poor person who cannot pay all or part of the costs proceed without fees, tax or charge to the extent the court determines the person cannot pay; parties represented by legal aid can have costs waived by certification. (source)

The court or clerk decides whether to grant it and which fees it covers; filing the form does not guarantee a waiver.

Lawyer fees in Missouri

Clio reports an average billed family-law rate of $292 an hour in Missouri for 2025. (source) It is an average across lawyers, not a quote. Enter a lawyer's estimated hours above to price them, or enter the rate you were quoted.

Without a lawyer, court costs in St. Louis County (21st Judicial Circuit) run from about $148.50 on the cheapest route to $188.50 or more on a contested case with sheriff service; other counties in Missouri charge different amounts.