Ohio Divorce Cost Calculator

Ohio divorce filing fee

Ohio divorce filing fees are set county by county. In Franklin County, the fee is $275. (source)

Each county clerk sets its own filing deposit, and many treat it as a deposit toward final court costs. Franklin County charges $275 for a divorce with or without children and $225 for a dissolution (the joint route); Cuyahoga County's deposit is $200 without children and $300 with children.

The case is filed in the Ohio Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division (county clerk of courts).

Serving divorce papers in Ohio

Your spouse can sign the Waiver of Service of Summons (Uniform Domestic Relations Form 30) instead of being served, which costs nothing. (form)

Service by the sheriff costs $30 (Franklin County Clerk of Courts service fee for Franklin County Sheriff service ($10 by certified mail; $75 for a sheriff outside Franklin County)). (source)

Fee waiver in Ohio

If you cannot afford the fees, file the Civil Fee Waiver Affidavit and Order (Supreme Court of Ohio form) (R.C. 2323.311). The court decides whether the applicant is an indigent litigant; the affidavit lets an applicant show receipt of listed public benefits with gross income not over 187.5% of the federal poverty guidelines, or give income, expense and asset details. (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 Ohio

Clio reports an average billed family-law rate of $268 an hour in Ohio 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 Franklin County run from about $275 on the cheapest route to $305 or more on a contested case with sheriff service; other counties in Ohio charge different amounts.