Divorce cost · OH
Cost of divorce in Ohio
Ohio separates divorce, where one spouse sues the other, from dissolution, where both ask together, and the two are priced and timed differently.
Rules read on official Ohio pages on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Filing fee
- $275
- county (Franklin County)
- Response fee
- $43
- Waiting period
- 42 days
- Fees read on
- October 8, 2026
In Franklin County, Ohio's most populous county, the Domestic Relations court asks a $275 deposit to open a divorce and $225 to open a dissolution of marriage, under Local Rule 2 effective October 27, 2025. These are deposits for court costs, not final fees: the clerk draws costs against them and the final bill can differ. A spouse who files a counterclaim deposits $43, and personal service inside the county is $30. Dissolution suits couples who already agree: they file one petition with a signed separation agreement and must appear before the court between 30 and 90 days after filing. A divorce cannot be heard until 42 days after service under Civil Rule 75(K). The plaintiff must have lived in Ohio six months, parents with minor children attend a seminar, and an affidavit of indigency replaces the deposit.
Estimated cost of a divorce in Ohio
$275
of which $275 in court fees · earliest final decree after 42 days
| Court filing fee (petition) | $275 |
Low income? Court fees can be waived in Ohio: Affidavit of Indigency (Franklin County Domestic Relations form E5145-4800, 02-2025).
Court fees are the official Ohio amounts; attorney, mediation and service costs are the figures you enter. How this is calculated.
Divorce or dissolution: two price tags
Ohio law gives couples a choice most states do not label so sharply. A divorce under Chapter 3105 is a lawsuit: one spouse files a complaint, the other is served and may answer or counterclaim. A dissolution is a joint petition with the whole deal attached, the separation agreement covering property, support and parenting. In Franklin County Local Rule 2 the deposit for a divorce is $275, for a dissolution $225. The dissolution saves more than the difference, because there is no service on an opponent and usually no contested hearing.
What the deposit covers
Ohio courts call these sums "security for costs". Costs are charged against the deposit as the case moves, so the final figure is known only at the end. A post-judgment motion to modify or enforce an order later requires a fresh $175 deposit. A spouse who cannot pay files the Affidavit of Indigency (Franklin County Domestic Relations form E5145-4800, 02-2025) and the case goes forward without the deposit.
The 42-day rule and the dissolution window
No action for divorce may be heard and decided until 42 days after service of process, or 28 days after the last publication of notice (Ohio Civ.R. 75(K)). In a dissolution, both spouses must appear before the court not less than 30 nor more than 90 days after the petition is filed (R.C. 3105.64(A)). The dissolution window works the other way: the hearing cannot be sooner than 30 days or later than 90, so an agreed couple knows the range from the day they file. Both spouses must still affirm the agreement under oath at that hearing (R.C. 3105.64), so it is the moment a dissolution is decided.
The plaintiff in an action for divorce or annulment must have been a resident of Ohio for at least six months immediately before filing the complaint (R.C. 3105.03).
Children and the separating parents seminar
Franklin County: all parents in divorce, legal separation or dissolution actions with minor children must attend the seminar for separating parents within 45 days before or after filing or service; completion is required before the final hearing unless waived for good cause (Franklin County Dom. Rel. Local Rule 26). Requirement is set by local rule and varies by county. Each Ohio county sets its own requirement by local rule, so a family filing in another county should read that court's rules.
Comparing the two routes
Picture a Columbus couple. As a contested divorce with an answer that includes a counterclaim and personal service, the deposits come to $318 plus $30 of service, $348 in all. As a dissolution with one lawyer drafting the agreement at an invented $300 an hour for 7 hours, the total is about $2,325; enter your own rate and hours above. Ohio child support starts from gross income on the Ohio child support page. Neighboring Pennsylvania and Michigan handle agreed cases through other procedures.
The Ohio fees and rules this calculator applies
| Court fee | Ohio |
|---|---|
| Petition for divorce | $275 |
| Response or answer | $43 |
| Petition for dissolution, security for costs (Franklin County Local Rule 2) | $225 |
| Personal service within Franklin County (Local Rule 2) | $30 |
| Post-judgment motion to modify, vacate or enforce (Local Rule 2) | $175 |
Filing fee. Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, Local Rule 2 (Security for costs), effective 10/27/2025: deposit of $275.00 to institute a divorce, $225.00 for a dissolution, $200.00 for legal separation or annulment; $43.00 deposit by a party instituting a counterclaim. source
Fee waiver. Affidavit of Indigency (Franklin County Domestic Relations form E5145-4800, 02-2025). source
Residency. The plaintiff in an action for divorce or annulment must have been a resident of Ohio for at least six months immediately before filing the complaint (R.C. 3105.03). source
Waiting period. No action for divorce may be heard and decided until 42 days after service of process, or 28 days after the last publication of notice (Ohio Civ.R. 75(K)). In a dissolution, both spouses must appear before the court not less than 30 nor more than 90 days after the petition is filed (R.C. 3105.64(A)). source
Simplified procedure. Dissolution of marriage: a joint petition with a signed separation agreement; both spouses appear and acknowledge the agreement under oath 30 to 90 days after filing (R.C. 3105.61 to 3105.64). source
Parenting class. Franklin County: all parents in divorce, legal separation or dissolution actions with minor children must attend the seminar for separating parents within 45 days before or after filing or service; completion is required before the final hearing unless waived for good cause (Franklin County Dom. Rel. Local Rule 26). Requirement is set by local rule and varies by county. source