Maricopa County Family Law Filing Fees

If you plan on filing for divorce or undergoing any type of family law action in Arizona, you will be subject to base state fees as well as additional fees per jurisdiction. Here, we want to discuss what fees you can expect when you have a family law case in Maricopa County. Please understand that these fees may be different from county to county, so do not base your decisions on Maricopa County’s fees if you’re not in this county.

The Most Common Family Court Filing Fees

As we go over the list of the most common fees associated with family court filings in Maricopa County, we know that there may be additional fees that we do not have listed here. If you have a family court case filing coming up and do not see your particular type of filing on this list, you can click here for the Maricopa County Clerk of Court website. Navigate down to the “Family Court Fees” section and browse.

• Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Children) – $349
• Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (No Children) – $349
• Response to Dissolution (Children) – $274
• Response to Dissolution (No Children) – $274
• Request for Change of Venue to Maricopa County – $204
• Petition for Legal Separation – $349
• Response to Legal Separation – $274
• Petition for Annulment – $349
• Answer to Petition for Annulment – $274
• Simplified Child Support Modification – $89

The most common of these fees is filing for divorce and answering the divorce filing. However, please understand that these fees are just the starting point when it comes to initiating an action in civil court. Proceeding forward will certainly result in additional costs.

Even when a divorce is uncontested, meaning both parties agree on all points related to separation, it is recommended that both parties seek assistance from a skilled family law attorney who can review the points of the divorce decree.

However, most divorce cases are not uncontested. Some of the main hot-button issues include disputes related to child custody, asset division, spousal maintenance, child support, and more. If there is disagreement on any points related to the divorce, the process becomes much more challenging and far beyond the scope of simply filing and paying a fee.

A skilled divorce attorney will be able to help individuals through every aspect of the divorce process. They are an advocate on behalf of their client. This will, of course, result in additional costs. We encourage any individual seeking assistance with a family law matter to speak to an attorney about their costs. This could include a retainer fee (initial upfront costs) as well as hourly billing.

Another alternative dispute resolution method could include mediation. This means that a third-party mediator will listen to the disputed issues and then attempt to work out a resolution with both parties. Mediators in Maricopa County will typically bill by the hour or charge a flat fee. Mediation may cost less than working with an attorney for the divorce process, but there is no guarantee that a mediator will resolve the issues in dispute.