How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Canada? Fees by Province

In a 2026 BMO survey (opens in a new tab), Canadians who had divorced or separated put the average cost at $4,863, not counting support payments or any property they gave up. Sixty percent said it cost more than they expected.

The court fees for a divorce in Canada are a small part of that, a few hundred dollars in most provinces. Lawyers are what make a divorce expensive, so the total depends mostly on how much you and your spouse can settle without them.

How much does a divorce cost in Canada?

If you and your spouse agree on everything and do the paperwork yourselves, a divorce costs little more than the court fees. With a lawyer, the price climbs quickly. In Canadian Lawyer magazine’s 2024 survey of 347 law firms (opens in a new tab), the median fee was $1,500 for an uncontested divorce and $10,000 for a contested one.

These are one lawyer’s fees for one client, before court fees. If you each hire a lawyer, you each pay your own. A separation agreement settles property, support and parenting in writing, so there’s nothing left to argue about when you file for the divorce.

What are the court fees for a divorce in each province?

Each province and territory sets its own court fees. For a simple divorce they range from $100 in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to $724 for a sole application in Quebec. Some courts charge twice: once when you file, and again when you ask for the divorce order.

Fees are as of October 2026, from each court’s fee schedule. Saskatchewan’s come from the province’s January 2019 fee chart, the newest official list we could find. Every divorce application also carries a $10 federal fee for the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings (opens in a new tab). Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador include it in the figures above. Elsewhere, the court registry can tell you whether it’s added on top. A certificate of divorce, if you want one, costs $7 to $30 extra in several provinces.

If you can’t afford the fees, ask the court registry about a fee waiver. Ontario, Alberta and Yukon are among the provinces and territories that offer one.

How much does a divorce cost in Ontario, Quebec, BC and Alberta?

Court fees in the four biggest provinces run from $241 for a joint application in Quebec to $724 for a sole one, and Ontario charges $669. Mediation can change your total far more than those fees. All four provinces offer it free or at a subsidized rate, and settling things in mediation costs much less than paying two lawyers to negotiate.

Ontario

Ontario charges $224 to file a divorce application, including the $10 federal fee, and $445 more when you ask a judge for the divorce order, for $669 in all. Family mediation (opens in a new tab) is free at the courthouse on the day your case is scheduled. Off-site, through the court’s mediation service, it costs between $5 and $105 an hour if you earn less than $60,000 a year, depending on your income and dependants.

Quebec

A joint application with an agreement that settles everything costs $241 in court fees. A sole application costs $362 to file and another $362 to ask for judgment. Couples with dependent children get up to five free hours with an accredited mediator, plus a free parenting information session, according to the Quebec government (opens in a new tab). Couples without children get up to three free hours (opens in a new tab). Extra hours, and the fees for getting the judgment, are yours to pay.

British Columbia

BC charges $200 to file and $80 to ask for the divorce order, $280 in all. It waives the $200 (opens in a new tab) when the person filing includes a certificate from a qualified mediator showing the spouses tried mediation first. Family Justice Counsellors (opens in a new tab) help with parenting arrangements and child and spousal support at no charge.

Alberta

Alberta charges $310 to file a statement of claim for divorce, including the $10 federal fee. Its family mediation program (opens in a new tab) is free if you have at least one dependent child and either parent earns $60,000 a year or less.

How much does an uncontested divorce cost?

As little as the court fees, if you fill out and file the forms yourselves. An uncontested divorce is one your spouse doesn’t oppose. You either apply together, or one of you applies and the other doesn’t respond.

Everything else has to be settled first. Under the Divorce Act (opens in a new tab), a judge has to be satisfied that reasonable arrangements have been made to support your children, and holds off on the divorce until they are. Property and spousal support are much cheaper to settle in a signed agreement than in a courtroom. Each province publishes its own forms and instructions, and Justice Canada keeps a list (opens in a new tab) of the family justice services each one offers.

Why does a contested divorce cost so much more?

Because almost all of the cost is lawyers’ time, and every issue you can’t settle adds hours: gathering and exchanging financial records, negotiating, court motions and, at the end, a trial. That’s why a contested divorce’s median fee is almost seven times an uncontested one’s, and a five-day trial costs more than 30 times as much.

Money is a big part of the fight. In BMO’s survey, 57% of people who had divorced or separated said financial conflict made the process longer and more stressful. The most common disagreements were over child-related expenses (26%), dividing assets (25%) and spousal support (22%). And 17% said their divorce cost $10,000 or more, including 7% who paid more than $25,000.

How do you budget for a divorce?

Save during the year you spend apart. You can apply as soon as you’re living apart, but on the usual ground you must have been separated for at least a year before a judge can grant the divorce, according to Justice Canada (opens in a new tab). Setting money aside over those 12 months spreads the cost out:

That’s straight division, before any interest. The court fees run from the lowest to the highest in the table above, so use your own province’s figure, and the lawyer fees are the 2024 medians for one lawyer.

Where to keep the money

In a savings account in your own name, separate from anything you share. On a joint account, each holder can usually withdraw money, and you share responsibility for every transaction, overdrafts included, according to the FCAC (opens in a new tab). Co-borrowers on a joint credit card are equally responsible for the balance (opens in a new tab).

If you have children, tell the CRA once you’ve lived apart for more than 90 days, because your Canada Child Benefit is then based on your own income.

A divorce fund that earns you draw tickets

Setting money aside is hard when you’re suddenly paying for two homes, and the progress can feel slow. Lodavo is a free app that rewards you for saving. Connect the savings account you’re building the fund in, and the bigger your balance, the more tickets you get in a weekly draw for prizes up to $10,000. At least $100 goes to a user every week.

Lodavo doesn’t hold or move your money, so the fund stays in your own account, ready when the lawyer’s invoice arrives. Get it free on the Apple App Store (opens in a new tab) or Google Play Store (opens in a new tab).

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. A family lawyer, or your province’s family justice services, can tell you how the rules apply to you.

Terms and conditions apply. No purchase necessary (alternate method of entry available). Skill-testing question required. Open to legal residents of Canada who are the age of majority. Odds depend on the number of eligible entries received. Full rules and odds at our contest rules.