2026 state court fee data · California
Divorce in California
Recorded at $435 - mid-pack among the civil filings in California, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Divorce in California: $435 on max-fee among states for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, California sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($435). California records a long end of the waiting-period distribution for this filing (180 days). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (7 steps). California lists the highest divorce filing-fee ceiling at $435 among 10 states for this filing; that is not the longest wait: North Carolina records 365 days on a $225 ceiling.
Divorce figures for California are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among California civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in California - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare divorce with another state
Start with California, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where divorce sits among California filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in California, divorce ranks 7 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in California. Neighbours: Eviction at $450 and Name Change at $435.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
8 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; California records 180 days.
The California row lists 7 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
Petition fee $435. Response fee $435 if contested. Fee waivers (FW-001) available.
California's high-band fee among states
California sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $435 (rank #1 of 10 by max fee).
Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →
Key Requirements
- File FL-100 (petition) and FL-110 (summons)
- Serve spouse within 60 days
- File financial disclosures (FL-140, FL-150)
- Wait mandatory 6-month cooling-off period
- File judgment of dissolution
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
File petition (FL-100) in Superior Court
- 2
Serve spouse within 60 days of filing
- 3
Spouse has 30 days to respond
- 4
Exchange financial disclosures
- 5
Negotiate or litigate terms
- 6
Submit marital settlement agreement
- 7
Judgment entered after 6-month waiting period
Important Notes
California is a community property state. Mandatory fee waivers available.
Grounds / Eligibility
No-fault (irreconcilable differences) or incurable insanity
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- STANDARD schedule band
- Wait stamp
- HOLD clock band
- Filing Fee
- $435
- Residency
- 6 months in California, 3 months in county where filing
- Waiting Period
- 180 days
- Typical Timeline
- 6 months minimum, 12-18+ months if contested
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in California
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's STANDARD stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with divorce in California's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for divorce How to file for divorce
- See how every state compares on divorce filing fees View state rankings
- Check where this fee sits against every other filing we track Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |