Every claim, verifiable.
We present statistics factually and cite each one to its original source. Figures are estimates that vary by state, complexity, and individual case. Where a number is an estimate or projection rather than a hard count, we say so.
- [1]
~$11,300
Average attorney’s fees for a divorce handled by a lawyer — legal fees alone.
Median was $7,000; the average rises to roughly $20,400 when a contested issue goes to trial (2019 survey).
- [2]
$15K–$50K+
Typical range for a contested divorce — higher where alimony, property, or custody are disputed.
- [3]
$100,000+
Complex high-net-worth divorces — businesses, real estate, investments, or custody disputes — in legal fees.
Practitioners report total litigation costs commonly reaching $100,000–$500,000+ per party.
- [4]
670,000+
Divorces occur each year in the United States.
CDC recorded 672,502 divorces in 2023 across 45 reporting states and D.C. — the true national total is higher.
- [5]
40–50%
Estimated share of first marriages projected to end in divorce.
A long-cited estimate; recent demographic work places first-marriage divorce risk near the lower end.
- [6]
~70%
Of divorces in heterosexual marriages are initiated by women.
A nationally representative study found women initiated 69% of divorces.
↗ American Sociological Association — Rosenfeld (2015) — Women More Likely Than Men to Initiate Divorces https://www.asanet.org/women-more-likely-men-initiate-divorces-not-non-marital-breakups/ ↗ Stanford University — Michael J. Rosenfeld — Who Wants the Breakup? Gender and Breakup in Heterosexual Couples https://web.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/Rosenfeld_gender_of_breakup.pdf - [7]
~80%
Of custodial parents are mothers — shaping long-term child-support obligations under state law.
A note on methodology
Cost figures reflect attorney-fee surveys (Nolo / Martindale-Nolo) and ranges reported by family-law practitioners (FindLaw and others); actual costs depend heavily on jurisdiction, conflict level, and asset complexity. Divorce counts and rates are from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics; the annual figure reflects 45 reporting states plus D.C., so the true national total is higher. The 40–50% first-marriage figure is a long-cited estimate (American Psychological Association); recent demographic research places first-marriage divorce risk nearer the lower end of that range. Divorce-initiation data is from a nationally representative study by Michael J. Rosenfeld (Stanford), presented through the American Sociological Association. Custodial-parent data is from the U.S. Census Bureau.
WealthGuard is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. These statistics are provided for general information.