Cheap divorce options exist in every state, and the cheapest one is usually a fee waiver: if you qualify by income or certain public benefits, the court filing fee, often the single biggest expense, disappears entirely. Short of a waiver, an uncontested case where both spouses agree keeps costs to the filing fee itself and, if you use one, a document-preparation fee. This guide covers how fast a divorce can legally move, how to get one for free, and what changes once you look at California or Florida specifically.
Key Takeaway: "Cheap" and "fast" are two different questions with two different answers. Cheap depends mostly on whether you qualify for a fee waiver and whether your case is uncontested. Fast depends almost entirely on your state's mandatory waiting period, which neither spouse can shorten by agreeing quickly. California requires at least six months from service. Florida requires at least 20 days from filing.
How Fast Can You Get a Divorce?
However you phrase it, how quickly can you get a divorce, how fast is a divorce process, how to get a speedy divorce, the honest answer is that speed is set by your state's statutes, not by how eager or agreeable you and your spouse are. Every state builds a minimum waiting period into the process, measured either from when the petition is filed or from when your spouse is served, and no amount of cooperation legally shortens it.
That is the difference between a quick, easy divorce and one that drags on for a reason. An uncontested case, where you and your spouse agree on everything, removes the delays caused by disputes, hearings, and trials, which is what people usually mean by a fast or easy divorce. It does not remove the state's built-in minimum wait.
The Cheapest Way to File for Divorce
The cheapest way to file for divorce combines two things: qualifying for a fee waiver if your income allows it, and keeping the case uncontested so you are not paying attorney hourly rates to argue over property, support, or custody. Filing the petition yourself, using free or low-cost document-preparation software to fill out the forms correctly, and serving your spouse through a waiver of service instead of a paid process server (when your spouse is cooperative) also keeps costs down without changing the legal outcome.
Getting a Divorce for Free
A completely free divorce online for $99 does not exist as an accurate description, since court fees are separate from whatever a document-preparation service charges, but a genuinely free filing does exist through the fee waiver process every state offers.
You generally qualify one of three ways: you receive certain public benefits (such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, or unemployment in California, or a comparable program elsewhere), your household income falls below the limit set on the fee waiver form, or you can show the court you cannot afford both your basic needs and the filing fee. Meeting any one of those is enough, not all three. A granted waiver can also cover the cost of serving your spouse and other court fees tied to your case, though it does not cover attorney fees or private mediation. Nonprofit legal aid organizations in many counties also offer free consultations or paperwork clinics for qualifying households, worth checking before assuming you have to pay full price.
What Makes a Divorce Simple or Easy
A simple divorce is one where both spouses agree on every issue: how property and debt are divided, spousal support, and custody and child support if you have children. Courts sometimes call this an uncontested or agreeable divorce. Because nothing is left for a judge to decide through a hearing, the case moves through mostly on paperwork.
An easy divorce in practice usually means the paperwork itself is manageable: the forms are filled out correctly the first time, both spouses cooperate on service, and no financial disclosure gets contested later. A complicated or contested case has the opposite shape: at least one unresolved issue, which typically adds hearings, formal discovery, and cost, regardless of who is right.
Quick, Easy Divorce Filed Online
Filing online generally means two separate things happening together: using software to prepare your forms accurately from your own answers, and e-filing those completed forms with the court if your county allows it. Neither step replaces the court process itself; a judge still reviews and signs your final judgment before the divorce is official, and the mandatory waiting period in your state still applies regardless of how quickly the paperwork itself gets done.
Average Cost of a Simple, Uncontested Divorce
For an uncontested case with no attorney on either side, the main cost is the state filing fee, typically a few hundred dollars, plus whatever you spend on document-preparation help, if any. Add a modest amount for serving your spouse if a waiver of service is not an option. Filing fees, and any add-on charges collected by the county clerk, are set by the state, so the real number depends on exactly where you file. A no-blame, uncontested case costs the same filing fee as any other divorce in the same court; agreeing on the terms does not lower the court's fee, it just avoids the added cost of litigating.
Low-Cost Divorce Help
Three low-cost resources exist in most areas. Your court's self-help center answers procedural questions and points you to the correct forms for free, though staff cannot give legal advice or complete forms for you. Nonprofit legal aid organizations offer free or income-based help for qualifying households, though demand often exceeds capacity. Document-preparation software fills in the official state forms from your answers for a flat fee well below what an attorney charges by the hour, which is where a service like Virdix fits, without replacing legal advice if your case becomes contested.
Cheap and Fast Divorce in California
California cannot be made fast in the way some other states can: state law requires at least six months from the date your spouse is served before a judgment can be entered, in every case, agreed or not. What you can control is cost. The statewide filing fee is $435, but Form FW-001 waives it entirely if you qualify by income, by certain public benefits, or by showing you cannot afford both basic needs and court fees. Keeping the case uncontested, and using a waiver of service instead of a paid process server when your spouse cooperates, keeps the rest of the cost down.
Our guides to cheap divorce in California and uncontested divorce in California walk through the full cost breakdown and the fee waiver process step by step.
Cheap and Fast Divorce in Florida
Florida can move considerably faster than California. State law only requires 20 days between filing the petition and entering a final judgment, so an uncontested case with no children or disputed property can sometimes finish within weeks of filing. The statewide base filing fee is $295, commonly closer to $400 once county add-on charges are included, and an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status can waive it for households at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Couples who agree on everything and have no minor children can use the Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage, Form 12.901(a), which is built specifically for a quick, uncontested case.
Our guide to cheap divorce and low cost paths in California covers the same fee waiver logic that applies in Florida; see the Florida divorce hub for the state-specific forms and timeline.
Cheap Divorce Options in Any Other State
Every state offers some version of a fee waiver, and most offer a simplified or summary process for straightforward, uncontested cases with no property or children to divide. What always varies from state to state is the residency requirement (how long you or your spouse must have lived there before filing) and the waiting period (how long the court must wait before it can finalize your case), so a timeline that applies in California or Florida will not automatically match your state. Confirm both with your state's court self-help website before assuming a specific cost or timeline. Our divorce by state directory is a starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to file for divorce?
A fee waiver is the cheapest possible route: if you qualify based on income, public benefits, or an inability to cover basic needs, the court filing fee is waived entirely. Short of a waiver, an uncontested case where both spouses agree, without hiring separate attorneys, is generally the least expensive path, since you are only paying the court filing fee and any document-preparation help you choose, not attorney hourly rates.
How fast can you actually get a divorce?
It depends entirely on your state, since every state sets its own minimum wait. California requires at least six months from the date your spouse is served, no matter how fast both of you agree, because state law builds in that waiting period. Florida has no comparable long wait: a final judgment generally cannot be entered until at least 20 days after filing, so an uncontested Florida case can sometimes finish in a matter of weeks.
How can I get a divorce for free?
You cannot skip the court process, but you can often skip the cost of it. Every state offers a fee waiver for people who cannot afford the filing fee, based on income, certain public benefits, or an inability to pay for basic needs and court fees at the same time. Some nonprofit legal aid organizations also offer free help completing the forms for qualifying households, though availability varies by location.
Is a $99 online divorce real?
Document-preparation services sometimes advertise a starting price for filling out your forms, and $99 has been used as a promotional starting price by some providers. That fee usually covers paperwork preparation only, not the separate court filing fee, which still runs several hundred dollars in most states unless you qualify for a waiver. Prices and promotions change, so check the current terms directly on any provider's site before assuming a quoted number is the full cost.
What makes a divorce simple instead of complicated?
A simple, or uncontested, divorce means both spouses agree on every issue: how to divide property and debt, support, and custody if there are children. No issue is left for a judge to decide after a hearing or trial. A complicated, contested divorce has at least one unresolved issue, which typically means more paperwork, more court dates, and more cost, whether or not either spouse hires an attorney.
What does a simple uncontested divorce actually cost?
The main cost is the state filing fee, generally a few hundred dollars, plus a modest fee if you use software to prepare your forms. In California the base filing fee is $435. In Florida it is $295 plus small add-on charges, commonly closer to $400. Add roughly $40 to $100 if your spouse needs to be formally served, though that is often skipped when both spouses cooperate.
Where can I find low-cost help with my divorce paperwork?
Your county's self-help center, run by the court itself, offers free guidance on which forms you need and how to file them, though staff there cannot give legal advice or fill out forms for you. Nonprofit legal aid organizations offer free or reduced-cost help for qualifying households. Document-preparation software like Virdix fills in the official forms from your answers for a flat fee well below attorney rates, without replacing legal advice for a contested case.
How Virdix Helps
Virdix fills in the official California or Florida court forms from your answers for a flat $79 through October 31, 2026, well under typical attorney rates, and flags contradictions before you file so an uncontested case stays uncontested. It does not shorten a state's mandatory waiting period, since no service can, but it keeps the paperwork itself from being the thing that slows you down.
Virdix does not replace an attorney for a contested case or any situation involving your safety.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed family law attorney in your state.
Sources: California Courts Self-Help Center (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov), Florida Statutes Sections 61.19, 28.241, and 57.082 (flsenate.gov), Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.901(a) (flcourts.gov)