What an Illinois divorce actually costs to file.
Not a range, not an estimate, not a lawyer’s blog. Every figure below is traced to a statute, a court fee schedule, or a clerk’s own published page — and linked to it.
See a different stateIllinois
Illinois does not have one single number. Below is what is actually published, where it comes from, and what it does not cover.
Worth knowing before you file. Illinois charges the responding spouse a second, near-equal fee: 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b)(1) authorizes an APPEARANCE fee of up to $235 in Cook and up to $196 elsewhere on top of the petitioner’s filing fee, and dissolution cases are expressly in Schedule 1 for appearances. In Madison County that is $319.00 + $194.00 = $513.00 in clerk fees for a two-participant divorce. The other surprise is that a granted fee waiver reaches beyond the courthouse: it forces any Illinois sheriff to serve the papers for free and excuses the otherwise-mandatory parenting class fee.
The short version7 points · tap one to jump to it
- Where the money goes
- How it changes by county — Kane and Will Counties may add a further fee of up to $30 per party at first filing under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b-5) and § 5-1101.3 of the Counties Code.
- What the filing fee does not cover — The filing fee is usually the smallest predictable number in a divorce.
- If you cannot afford to file — More people qualify than apply.
- What we could not find out
- How we know this — Where nothing is published, we leave it blank.
- What people actually report paying — Here is the other side of it — and a warning about how to read it.
In this subject 7
Where the money goes
The short version7 points · tap one to jump to it
- Where the money goes
- How it changes by county — Kane and Will Counties may add a further fee of up to $30 per party at first filing under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b-5) and § 5-1101.3 of the Counties Code.
- What the filing fee does not cover — The filing fee is usually the smallest predictable number in a divorce.
- If you cannot afford to file — More people qualify than apply.
- What we could not find out
- How we know this — Where nothing is published, we leave it blank.
- What people actually report paying — Here is the other side of it — and a warning about how to read it.
In this subject 7
Illinois publishes the component breakdown in the statute itself, which is unusual and is reproduced above. It does not publish a single statewide dollar figure, because 705 ILCS 105/27.1b only sets ceilings and each county board sets the actual amount.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| SCHEDULE 1 filing fee for a complaint, petition or other pleading initiating a civil action (dissolution cases fall in Schedule 1)The statute sets a CEILING, not a price; the actual amount is fixed by county board ordinance or resolution. That dissolution cases sit in Schedule 1 is confirmed by a county board resolution reproduced in the Madison County Circuit Clerk’s fee book, which lists “DISSOLUTION (DC) and (DN) cases” under the heading “(705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1)) SCHEDULE 1.” 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1) | not to exceed $371.00 (county of 3,000,000+) / not to exceed $321.00 (all other counties) |
| Statutory sub-allocation of the Schedule 1 filing fee – clerk’s retained shareRetained by the clerk, with Supreme Court approval, for court automation, court document storage and administrative purposes. 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1)(A) | not to exceed $55.00 (county of 3,000,000+) / not to exceed $45.00 (all other counties) |
| Statutory sub-allocation – remitted to the State TreasurerSplit as: up to $10 to the Mandatory Arbitration Fund; $2 to the Access to Justice Fund; $5 to the Guardianship and Advocacy Fund; $9 to the Supreme Court Special Purposes Fund. 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1)(B) | up to $26.00 |
| Statutory sub-allocation – remitted to the County TreasurerThis is the portion “specified by ordinance or resolution passed by the county board” – the part that actually differs between the 102 counties. 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1)(C) | not to exceed $290.00 (county of 3,000,000+) / not to exceed $250.00 (all other counties) |
| Appearance fee paid by the responding spouse (Schedule 1)A separate, second fee. Madison County’s confirmed figure is $194.00; dissolution cases are expressly listed under Schedule 1 for appearances too. 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b)(1) | not to exceed $235.00 (county of 3,000,000+) / not to exceed $196.00 (all other counties) |
How it changes by county
Genuinely county-set, but within tight statutory ceilings and with only TWO population tiers, not a graduated schedule. 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1) sets one ceiling for counties of 3,000,000 or more (Cook is the only such county) and a single different ceiling for “any other county,” and provides that “the amount of a fee shall be determined by ordinance or resolution of the county board.” So the Schedule 1 filing fee itself is capped at $321 (non-Cook ceiling) and $371 (Cook ceiling), with counties free to charge less. The totals clerks publish are higher, because separately authorized add-ons are collected with it: Cook $388, DuPage $355, Kane $369 ($459 with children). Kane and Will Counties may add a further fee of up to $30 per party at first filing under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b-5) and § 5-1101.3 of the Counties Code.
No fixed statewide amount. The statutory ceiling on the Schedule 1 filing fee itself is $321 in counties under 3 million and $371 in Cook County (since July 1, 2026, under P.A. 104-468, Article 65, which amended 705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(1) and raised each ceiling by $5; read 17 October 2026), but the totals clerks publish include separate add-ons and run higher: Cook $388, DuPage $355, Kane $369 without children. Kane County's $459 for a dissolution with children exceeds the base cap because it adds locally authorized components on top of the statutory filing fee.
| County | What you pay to file | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | $388 (matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Cook County Sheriff: $60 per service per defendant if the summons is e-filed, $95 if filed in person or by mail. A $10 mileage fee is included. |
| DuPage | $355 | Not listed in the Prothonotary-equivalent fee book; the DuPage County Sheriff publishes civil process fees separately |
| Lake | $339 | Not published on the fee schedule |
| Will | $369 | Not published on the simplified fee schedule |
| Kane | $369 without children; $459 with children | Not published on the fee schedule |
| McHenry | $319 (effective October 1, 2026, per the clerk's fee list read 17 October 2026; the earlier fee was $314) | Not published on the fee schedule |
| Winnebago | $347 | Not published on the fee list |
| St. Clair | $316 (matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Not itemized for divorce service on the Fee Book's civil pages |
| Madison | $319 to file; $513 for the couple all in | Not published on the divorce information page |
| Champaign | $306 (matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Not published on the civil fee schedule |
| Sangamon | $331 | Not published on the fee schedule |
| McLean | $337 | Not published on the fee schedule |
| Bureau | $326 (matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Not itemized for dissolution |
| Randolph | $306 (the source prints no date; matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Not published on the fee schedule page |
| Woodford | $312 (the source prints no date; matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | Not published on the filing fees page |
| Clinton | $311 (the source prints no date; read 17 October 2026) | Not itemized for dissolution service |
The spread: Across the 16 Illinois counties we confirmed, the cheapest is $306, a tie between Champaign and Randolph, both matching the county's own current document, read 17 October 2026 (Randolph's prints no date). The most expensive is Kane County at $459 for a dissolution with children ($369 without, schedule effective 9/1/2026). Cook County is $388, the highest among the big-population counties, and Cook is also the only one whose statutory ceiling is higher because it has more than 3,000,000 residents.
What makes up each of these numbers
- Cook — Schedule 1 new-case filing fee. The Clerk's Domestic Relations Division guide states 'The regular fee for filing all cases in the Division is $388.00.' The responding spouse pays a separate $250 Schedule 1 appearance fee. Alias summons (re-service) $6. The Division's own fee schedule (CCDR 0703, page footer dated 1/1/2022) lists Petition for Dissolution of Marriage at $388.00 filing and $250.00 appearance; this matches the county's own current document, read 17 October 2026, and the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source · fee schedule
- DuPage — New-case filing fee for DC (with children age 18 or younger or a disabled child) and DN (without minor children) alike. Filing fee $355. Respondent's appearance fee $230. Filing Fee Book revised 8/11/2026, fees effective September 11, 2026. source
- Lake — Schedule 1 new-case filing fee for both DC and DN. Filing fee $339; appearance fee $214. Fee schedule effective 09/16/2026. source
- Will — Court filing fee by case type, fee schedule effective 07/12/2026, updated 09/03/2026. Dissolution With Children and Dissolution Without Children are both $369; family appearance fee $244. source
- Kane — 16th Judicial Circuit fee schedule effective 9/1/2026. DC (dissolution with children) $459, DN (dissolution without children) $369. Appearance/answer $244. Kane separately charges a $90 Kids Divorce Educational Program fee under General Order 16-17 — this is why the with-children number is $90 higher. source
- McHenry — New-case filing fee for DC and DN alike; filing fee $319, appearance fee $194, per the clerk's fee list effective October 1, 2026 (read 17 October 2026). The earlier schedule, effective October 1, 2025, had filing $314 and appearance $189. The schedule footer mentions a "PA 104-468 $5 Guardianship & Advocacy Fee"; whether other counties' posted figures reflect the $5 rise in the state ceiling is not stated in their documents. source · October 2026 schedule
- Winnebago — 17th Judicial Circuit fee schedule effective September 9, 2026. DC and DN both $347; appearance $222. source
- St. Clair — The Fee Book spells out the mechanics: 'Clerks of the Courts Act Schedule 1 – Fee is $316.00,' and Schedule 1 expressly includes 'Dissolution with Children (DC) cases' and 'Dissolution without Children (DN) cases.' Civil appearance fee Schedule 1 is $189. Fee Book revised October 01, 2025; the figure matches the county's own current document, read 17 October 2026, and the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source
- Madison — The Circuit Clerk states it directly: 'The fee to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Civil Union) is $319.00. The other party in the case will have to pay an answer fee of $194.00 for a total of $513.00.' source
- Champaign — Civil fee ordinance No. 2025-18, effective January 1, 2026. Dissolution of Marriage with Children and No Children are both $306. Entry of Appearance/Answer fee $181. It matches the county's own current document, read 17 October 2026; the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source
- Sangamon — Fee schedule updated 09/21/2026. Dissolution with children and without children both $331 (Schedule 1); appearance $206. Change of venue in a dissolution $40. source
- McLean — Best-itemized in Illinois. Civil fee schedule effective September 17, 2026 (rev. 9.21.26): filing fee $337 for DC, DN and FA; appearance $212. The schedule notes 'Filing/Appearance fees include Law Library fee $10.00 & Neutral Site Custody Exchange fee $8.00.' The county code (Article I, Clerk of the Circuit Court Fees and Assessments) shows the money splitting into the Court Automation Fund, Court Document Storage Fund, Circuit Clerk Operation and Administrative Fund, and the county treasurer. $337 is McLean's own published figure. Its schedule does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling that took effect July 1, 2026 (P.A. 104-468), so we do not say that it does. We previously showed $332. source
- Bureau — Small rural county, and its schedule is the clearest explanation of the statute anywhere: 'SCHEDULE 1 (705 ILCS 105.27.1b(a)(1)) … FILING FEE DUE $326.00' with 'DISSOLUTION (DN) & (DC) cases' listed among the Schedule 1 categories. Appearance fee $201. Effective 1/1/2022; the figure matches the county's own current document, read 17 October 2026, and the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source
- Randolph — Rural southern Illinois county. Circuit Clerk fee schedule: Dissolution filing fee $306, appearance fee $181. The source prints no date; the figure matches the county's own page, read 17 October 2026, and the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source
- Woodford — Small central Illinois county. DC (dissolution with children) $312 and DN (dissolution without children) $312; appearance fee $187. The source prints no date; the figure matches the county's own page, read 17 October 2026, and the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. source
- Clinton — Clerk’s fee page, which prints no date; read 17 October 2026. DC – Dissolution with Children petition $311, answer $186; DN – Dissolution without Children petition $311, answer $186. This schedule also lists the statutory authority for every component: circuit clerk fee (705 ILCS 105/27.1a), county court fee (55 ILCS 5/5-1101), court automation fee (705 ILCS 105/27.3a), law library fee (55 ILCS 5/5-39001), court security fee (55 ILCS 5/5-1103), document storage fee (705 ILCS 105/27.3c) and Access to Justice fund (705 ILCS 105/27.3g). The current figures are $5 above the $306 and $181 this page showed before, in line with the July 1, 2026 increase. source
What catches people out
- Your spouse gets a bill too. Illinois charges the responding party a separate APPEARANCE fee, and it is not small: $250 in Cook, $244 in Kane and Will, $230 in DuPage, $222 in Winnebago, $214 in Lake, $212 in McLean, $194 in McHenry and $189 in St. Clair. Madison County spells out the real household cost: $319 to file plus $194 to answer equals $513.
- In most Illinois counties children do NOT change the filing fee — but Kane County is the exception, and it is honest about why. Kane charges $459 with children versus $369 without, because a $90 Kids Divorce Educational Program fee is folded in.
- Cook County's sheriff charges $60 per defendant if you e-file the summons but $95 if you walk it in or mail it. Filing on paper in Cook costs you an extra $35 for no benefit.
- The filing fee is not the whole bill even in a county that only lists one number. Law library, court automation, document storage, court security and Access to Justice assessments are baked in — McLean County is unusual in telling you so ($10 law library, $8 neutral site custody exchange).
- Fee schedules in Illinois change often and mid-year. Of the counties we checked, Will's took effect 7/12/2026 (updated 9/3/2026), Kane's 9/1/2026, Winnebago's 9/9/2026, DuPage's 9/11/2026 and Lake's 9/16/2026; Sangamon's was updated 9/21/2026, and McHenry's took effect 10/1/2026. A figure from even last year may be stale.
- A Joint Simplified Dissolution can save time but not filing fees — the filing fee is the same Schedule 1 amount. What it saves is the second appearance fee and months of process, if you qualify (short marriage, no children, low income and property).
What we could not confirm
- Peoria County's $331.00 (effective November 1, 2022) is shown in the table below from the county's posted fee schedule, a scanned PDF that we read on 17 October 2026. The schedule does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026. If you are filing in Peoria, call the Circuit Clerk. We also could not find published sheriff service fees for most Illinois counties; only Cook publishes its numbers plainly. Assume roughly $30 to $95 per person served and ask your county sheriff's civil process division.
16 counties confirmed against the clerk’s own published schedule. Fee schedules change without notice — call before you drive over.
The published range
Confirmed county base filing fees: $306.00 (Champaign, Randolph) to $388.00 (Cook), on a plain filing basis; Kane is higher with children at $459.00 ($369.00 without), across the counties we were able to confirm from official sources. Separately, the statutory Schedule 1 ceilings before local add-ons are $371.00 in Cook and $321.00 elsewhere.
| County | Published fee | Schedule dated |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $319.00 filing fee for DC and DN (dissolution) cases; $194.00 appearance fee | No effective date printed; the fee book file is dated 9-8-26 and lists the $319.00 filing and $194.00 appearance feesofficial source |
| Cook | $388.00 filing / $250.00 appearance for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026) | 1/1/2022 (printed in the Domestic Relations Division fee schedule's page footer)official source |
| DuPage | $355.00 filing fee for DC and DN (dissolution) cases; $230.00 appearance fee | Fees effective September 11, 2026 (Filing Fee Book revised 8/11/2026)official source |
| Lake | $339.00 filing fee for DC and DN (dissolution) cases; $214.00 appearance fee | Effective 09/16/2026official source |
| Peoria | $331.00 (Dissolution of Marriage). Peoria prints both case codes on one line at one price — DC with children, DN without — so children do not change the filing fee. Sheriff service $40.00 plus a $5.00 return and $1.00 a mile, within Peoria County. Certified mailing $12.00, posting $9.00. (Peoria County Fee Schedule, a scanned PDF, read 17 October 2026; the document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026.) | Effective November 1, 2022official source |
What the filing fee does not cover
The filing fee is usually the smallest predictable number in a divorce. This is where the rest of the budget lives — and where “not published” appears most often.
What it costs to file it electronically
- Portal fee
- No mandatory statewide e-filing fee. The AOIC's official flyer states that two providers charge nothing extra: 'Odyssey and i2File do not charge extra fees for using their services.' The judiciary's EFSP list shows Odyssey eFileIL, Odyssey Guide & File, 1 eFile, FileTime and i2File as free (i2File free 'if the Circuit Clerk is subscribed to i2File.net'); other EFSPs charge.
This sits on top of the filing fee above, and a percentage surcharge on a few hundred dollars is not small. Whether you have to e-file at all is on the Illinois kit.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Service of process by sheriff, per respondentMadison County’s fee book carries a “MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CIVIL PROCESS SERVICE FEES” table priced per municipality (e.g. Alton $62, Madison $64, Maryville $54), plus mileage. Critically, the Illinois Supreme Court’s own divorce instructions state that “If the Sheriff is in Illinois, the Sheriff must honor the waiver” – i.e. an Order for Waiver of Court Fees eliminates the sheriff’s fee anywhere in the state. | County-set; confirmed example Madison County $48.00 – $70.00 depending on the municipality of service |
| Parenting/parent-education class, if requiredMANDATORY with minor children. The Illinois Supreme Court’s own statewide instructions (form DV-I 102.3, “How To Get a Divorce with Children”, rev. 11/24) state: “The law requires that parents complete a class about parenting and divorce when they have minor children.” The same page says “There is normally a fee for the class. If you have an Order for Waiver of Court Fees you do not have to pay the fee.” No dollar amount is published statewide – filers are told to “Ask the Circuit Clerk for the name and contact information for the court approved class” – so no amount is given here. | not published |
| Court-ordered mediationThe Supreme Court’s divorce-with-children instructions warn that the judge “may order mediation or other things to be done before the case can be ended,” but publish no price. Mediation programs are established by local circuit rule, so no statewide amount exists. | not published |
| E-filing or credit-card surchargeE-filing is mandatory in Illinois civil cases and the Supreme Court instructions route all filers to it, but no e-filing fee or card surcharge is published in 705 ILCS 105/27.1b or in the Supreme Court’s materials. Any charge is levied by the litigant’s chosen eFileIL service provider, not by the court, so no amount is given. | not published |
If you cannot afford to file
More people qualify than apply. If this section applies to you it is the most useful thing on this page.
Illinois has a way to file without paying up front
This is a normal court procedure, not a favor you have to plead for.
- Who qualifies: Receipt of any of the listed public benefits – SSI (not Social Security), SNAP/Food Stamps, AABD, TANF, or a General Assistance Program / Transitional Assistance / State Children and Family Assistance – qualifies the applicant for a FULL fee waiver automatically: the form instructs such applicants to “Skip section 4 and section 5 … You qualify for a full fee waiver. (735 ILCS 5/5-105(a)(2)(i), (b)(1)).” Applicants without those benefits complete a financial section reporting monthly and 12-month gross income, assets including real estate, and expenses; the specific income cut-off is set by 735 ILCS 5/5-105, which was not read directly.
- What it covers: Court fees and assessments under 735 ILCS 5/5-105 and 5/5-105.5. In addition, the Illinois Supreme Court’s divorce instructions state that an Order for Waiver of Court Fees also removes the sheriff’s service fee (“If the Sheriff is in Illinois, the Sheriff must honor the waiver”) and the parenting-class fee (“If you have an Order for Waiver of Court Fees you do not have to pay the fee”).
- What to ask for: ATJ 601.9, Application For Waiver of Court Fees (revision code (08/25) printed in the page footer) – “approved by the Illinois Supreme Court and … required to be used in all Illinois Circuit Courts.” Companion forms: ATJ 601.9 Instructions and Order.
- How it works: Application for Waiver of Court Fees, filed with the Circuit Clerk; the judge rules on it by an Order on Application for Waiver of Court Fees.
What we could not find out
Open questions on this page
- Cook, DuPage and Lake County dissolution fees are confirmed from each circuit clerk's own published schedule: Cook $388.00 filing / $250.00 appearance (Domestic Relations Division Fee Schedule, CCDR 0703, footer dated 1/1/2022; matches the county's own current fee document, read 17 October 2026; that document does not say whether the figure reflects the $5 rise in the state ceiling effective July 1, 2026); DuPage $355.00 / $230.00 (Filing Fee Book, fees effective September 11, 2026); Lake $339.00 / $214.00 (lakecountycircuitclerk.org fee schedule effective 09/16/2026). Peoria County's posted schedule, a scanned PDF, was read on 17 October 2026.
- The statutory income cut-off in 735 ILCS 5/5-105 for applicants who do not receive public benefits was not read directly and is not quoted.
- No dollar amount is published statewide for the mandatory parenting class or for court-ordered mediation.
- No e-filing fee or card surcharge is published by the courts.
- Sources we could not read: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/199/Circuit-Court-Clerk (and /DocumentCenter, /2226/Fee-Schedule) – HTTP 403 with a Cloudflare “Just a moment…” managed JavaScript challenge. Not bypassed, as instructed.; https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/county-government/departments-a-i/circuit-clerk – HTTP 403.; https://www.ilcourthelp.gov/ – HTTP 403.; https://dupagecircuitclerk.gov/18thJudicial/fees – returns HTTP 200 but serves the site homepage, which carries the banner “Attention ! This is Test site.” Not treated as a usable source. The Lake, McHenry and DuPage figures above come instead from lakecountycircuitclerk.org, mchenrycircuitclerk.org and the DuPage clerk's Filing Fee Book PDF.
We would rather show you a blank than a plausible number. Everything above is a real limit on what Illinois’s own agencies publish, not an omission on our part.
How we know this
Every figure on this page came from a statute, a state court system, or a clerk’s own published fee schedule — never a law firm’s blog, a legal-forms company, or a fee aggregator. Where a state publishes no date on its fee schedule, we say so rather than implying the number is current. Where nothing is published, we leave it blank.
Court fees change, and they change without announcement. Confirm with your clerk before you write the check.
What people actually report paying
Everything above is the filing fee, traced to the statute. It is also the smallest number in a divorce. Here is the other side of it — and a warning about how to read it.
We read hundreds of public accounts from people who have been through it. Three findings held up across nearly all of them:
- The total is bimodal, not an average. Self-filers cluster around $300–$500. Anyone with two lawyers and a real disagreement clusters around $20,000–$30,000. Almost nobody reports the middle, so “the average divorce costs X” describes almost no actual divorce.
- Cost is driven by the other person’s conduct, not by how complicated your assets are. People with millions who agreed to split evenly reported paying filing fees only. People with one house and one child reported $45,000 because the case got dragged out.
- Every large surprise is a third professional. The guardian ad litem, the custody evaluator, the forensic accountant, the QDRO preparer — all billed separately from both lawyers, and often introduced by the court before anyone had budgeted for one.
These are anecdotes, not prices. People post about a divorce cost when the number shocked them, so the high figures are heavily over-represented and the ordinary divorce is nearly invisible. Every figure on the full page is labeled with how many people reported it.
See what people report paying →Know someone in Illinois staring at this number?
A straight answer about money is more useful than most advice, and it costs nothing to pass along. Nothing here asks for their real name, and nobody finds out they looked.
Now the part the fees don’t cover
The forms, the deadlines, the residency rule, and what actually happens next.
Or find someone to help
Illinois attorneys, mediators, CDFAs and therapists, credentials checked against the state’s own records. Nobody paid to be there.
The rest of what we have written about Illinois. Every figure is quoted from Illinois’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
Common questions about filing costs in Illinois
Short answers to what people ask most about this number. Everything here is drawn from the same sources as the figures above.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Illinois?
Varies by county to open the case. What the clerks actually publish is: Set by county: roughly $306 to $388 for the base filing fee (Cook $388), and Kane County charges $459 with children. Every figure on this page is traced to Illinois’s own statute or its courts’ published fee schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
Is the divorce filing fee the same in every Illinois county?
No. In Illinois the fee is set locally, county by county. Across the counties we checked it ran $306 – $388, from Champaign to Cook, on a plain filing basis. That is a real spread, not a rounding difference, so the county you file in matters.
Is the filing fee the whole cost of a divorce in Illinois?
No, and it is the small number. The filing fee is what it costs to open the case. Serving the papers, any required parenting class, copies and certifications, an attorney if you use one, and the cost of running two households instead of one are all separate — and together they are many times larger. The sections above set out what this figure does and does not buy.
What if I cannot afford the filing fee in Illinois?
There is a process for asking the court to waive or defer it, and this page sets out what Illinois requires. You do not have to have decided anything, or have a lawyer, to ask.
How current is this Illinois figure, and where does it come from?
It is quoted from the court’s own published schedule or the statute that sets it, with the date it was last checked shown on the page. Where a figure could not be confirmed from an official source, this site says so rather than estimating — and where a number could only be reached by arithmetic rather than read off a published schedule, it is left out rather than presented as published. That rule is why some rows here say “not published” instead of carrying a tidy figure, and it is the whole basis on which these pages can be reproduced. The full fifty-state comparison is at thecusp.app/divorce-costs/, free to reproduce under the license published there.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Looking for one county? See the divorce filing fee for each Illinois county we have checked, with a link to each clerk’s own fee schedule.