How much does a divorce cost in Colorado?

Court costs (Colorado Judicial Branch fee schedule)

Can I get the fees waived?

Yes, if your household income is below 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline (for one person, $2,078 a month or $24,938 a year as of January 2026), or automatically if you receive SNAP, TANF, SSI, Old Age Pension, Aid to the Needy Disabled or Aid to the Blind. File JDF 205 (Motion to Waive Fees) with the petition; the court answers on JDF 206. There is also a route for people slightly above the guideline with very few assets and expenses that exceed income.

Professional fees, honestly

The house costs nobody budgets for

• Selling: about 7 to 9 percent of the price. On the Denver-metro detached median of $649,500 that is roughly $42,000. The full breakdown.
• Buying out: a refinance that replaces a 3 percent loan with a 7 percent loan can raise the payment from $1,476 to $3,308 a month on a $350,000 balance plus a $150,000 buyout. The buyout math.
• Carrying two households during the case: rent for one spouse plus the mortgage on the house is the single biggest cash drain in most divorces.
• Taxes on the sale: usually zero if the gain is under $250,000 each, but a long-held home sold after the decree can trigger a bill that selling before would have avoided. The timing rule.
• Credit damage: one missed joint mortgage payment can cost about 100 points and thousands in higher rates later.

How to keep the cost down

• Agree on the house first. It is the biggest number and the one that drags everything else into litigation.
• Get the financial documents together before you meet anyone. Every hour a professional spends chasing statements is billed. The checklist.
• Use the self-help center. Every judicial district has one. They cannot give legal advice but they will make sure the forms are right.
• Mediate early. Two sessions at $300 an hour is cheaper than one contested hearing.
• Do not let the divorce fund itself with home equity you will need later.

Questions people ask on this page