The court fee: $1,170 (or $390)
The Federal Circuit and Family Court sets the divorce application fee each July. From 1 July 2026 it is $1,170. It's the same for joint and sole applications, it's paid when the application is filed, there's no GST on it, and it isn't refunded if you change your mind after filing.
The reduced fee of $390 applies if you hold a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card or certain other cards, receive Legal Aid, are under 18, or can show financial hardship. On a joint application both of you must qualify. We check this in the eligibility quiz and prepare the reduced-fee application at no charge.
Option 1 — Do it yourself: $1,170 + your time
You can file through the Commonwealth Courts Portal without a lawyer. It costs only the court fee. The catch is the process: understanding the questions, dates and jurisdiction, describing children's arrangements adequately, uploading the right documents, serving your ex correctly and on time, and knowing whether you need to attend. If your situation is simple and you're comfortable with forms, DIY is a legitimate choice.
Option 2 — Template websites: about $500–$1,100 + court fee + extras
National “online divorce” websites typically charge $499–$699 for a joint application and$675–$1,105 for a sole one. Most are questionnaire services: you type in your answers, they populate the form and lodge it. Read the inclusions closely. Common extras: children under 18, separated under one roof, service of documents, overseas spouse, hearing attendance, priority, and phone support. Some are run by law firms; some aren't. Ask who is actually checking your application and what happens if it's rejected.
Option 3 — A fixed-fee family law firm: $1,200–$1,650 + court fee
Melbourne family law firms that publish fixed fees charge roughly $1,200–$1,650 for a divorce application, plus the court fee and disbursements such as a process server. For that you get a lawyer checking eligibility, jurisdiction and children's arrangements, drafting and filing, and usually court attendance if needed. Some require an office appointment; some don't.
Our prices, line by line
divorce-lawyers.net.au sits in the fixed-fee-firm band, delivered entirely online:
- Joint application: $1,200 fixed professional fee (incl. GST) + $1,170 court fee = $2,370 all-in ($1,590 with the reduced fee).
- Sole application: $1,500 fixed professional fee (incl. GST) + $1,170 court fee = $2,670. Service on your former spouse by a process server, up to three attempts, is included in the sole application fee; a further round of up to three attempts is $260 (incl. GST) and only with your agreement.
Included in both: eligibility and jurisdiction check, lawyer review, drafting, e-signing, filing and court fee payment, our lawyer attending the first hearing of your application if the Court requires an appearance (any later hearing is separate work, quoted in writing first), your divorce order and post-divorce checklist, dashboard tracking, and phone and email support without per-call charges.
Extras - fixed fees, only if your situation needs them
Each of these is a fixed fee including GST, charged only if it applies to you, and only after we have told you in writing which one applies. Anything paid to a third party (registry fee, translator, overseas process server or postage) is charged at cost on top and we tell you the amount first.
| Circumstance | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| Separated under the same roof for any part of the 12 months | $350 |
| No marriage certificateaffidavit; replacement certificate is a disbursement at cost | $250 |
| Marriage certificate not in Englishtranslator's fee at cost | $150 |
| Further evidence about arrangements for children under 18 | $250 |
| Former spouse outside Australiaoverseas server or postage at cost | $250 |
| Former spouse cannot be foundsubstituted or dispensed service application | $900 |
| Names or details differ between your documents | $250 |
| Further evidence of jurisdiction | $250 |
| Changes after preparationswitching sole/joint, or correcting incomplete or incorrect information | $250 |
| Further round of up to three service attempts | $260 |
| Optional priority draftingdraft within two business days of complete documents, ahead of our standard queue; does not change the filing date or the Court's timetable | $300 |
Any hearing after the first hearing, a contested divorce, or an application to shorten the one month and one day period is quoted in writing and agreed before we start.
A file-storage fee of $150 per year applies only if you ask us to keep your file beyond seven years, agreed in writing first.
Refunds
If your initial eligibility check shows you cannot proceed, we refund in full. Unearned trust money is returned to your nominated bank account on written request — never through a card platform. Once the court fee is paid on filing it is non-refundable (the Court keeps it). It's all in your costs agreement before you pay.
Our guarantee
If the Court rejects an application we prepared because of our error, we fix and re-file it at no additional professional fee — and if that causes a second court fee, we pay it. Guarantee →
Divorce cost vs property settlement cost — don't confuse them
When people say my divorce cost $20,000, they almost always mean the property settlement or parenting dispute, not the divorce. The divorce is the fixed, predictable part. Property settlements range from a few thousand dollars for agreed consent orders to tens of thousands if litigated. They're separate from your divorce and, importantly, you have 12 months after your divorce becomes final to apply to the Court about property or spousal maintenance. After the 12 months, you can apply for an out of time application, however, there is no guarantee it will be accepted.