Divorce in America reshapes households and choices for spouses, children, and budgets. Across the U.S., no-fault divorce is available in all 50 states, alongside different grounds and procedures. This page walks through key divorce-risk estimates, the practical costs families face—like contested-divorce expenses and filing fees—and how legal outcomes connect to child transitions, economic strain, and longer-running parenting disputes.
Key Takeaways
- 29% of marriages in the United States are expected to end in divorce (lifetime risk estimate, 2019)
- 44% of first marriages are expected to end in divorce among individuals born in 1960-1964 (lifetime risk estimate, 2014)
- 48% of divorce cases in a survey reported that attorneys' fees were the most expensive part of the divorce
- $9.0 billion estimated market size for divorce-related services in the United States (2022)
- $20,000 average cost of a contested divorce in the United States (consumer estimate, 2024)
- Approximately 29% of divorces in the U.S. cite irreconcilable differences as the ground (2018)
- 45 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of no-fault divorce (as of 2024; policy overview)
- All 50 states have enacted some form of no-fault divorce law (2010s policy baseline)
- 60% of children experience at least one transition in family structure by age 18 when parents divorce (meta-analysis finding)
- Children whose parents divorce have higher risk of experiencing adverse outcomes; meta-analysis reports effect sizes in multiple domains (2019)
- 30% of children in divorced families experience a reduction in economic resources compared with two-parent households (2018)
- 11% of divorced parents reported ongoing disputes over parenting time lasting more than 2 years (survey, 2018)
- 3.2 million households were headed by a divorced parent in 2023 (American Community Survey)
- 26% of adults who experienced parental divorce reported that it occurred before age 10 (National Survey, 2020)
With no fault divorce now widely available, lifetime divorce risk remains high and contested cases can be very costly.
Related reading
01 · Category
Divorce Rates7 stats
01
29% of marriages in the United States are expected to end in divorce (lifetime risk estimate, 2019)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-09.pdf
02
44% of first marriages are expected to end in divorce among individuals born in 1960-1964 (lifetime risk estimate, 2014)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr071.pdf
03
4.9 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2022https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
04
4.7 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2021https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
05
4.8 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2020https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
06
5.0 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2019https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
07
4.9 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2018https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
Interpretation
Divorce Rates Interpretation
According to CDC estimates, about 29% of marriages in the United States are expected to end in divorce, and the risk is even higher at 44% for first marriages among people born in 1960 to 1964, underscoring a significant and rising divorce rate trend.
02 · Category
Divorce Costs4 stats
01
48% of divorce cases in a survey reported that attorneys' fees were the most expensive part of the divorcehttps://www.abi.org/abi-journal/what-divorce-costs-reveals-inside-survey
02
$9.0 billion estimated market size for divorce-related services in the United States (2022)https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/divorce-market-105000
03
$20,000average cost of a contested divorce in the United States (consumer estimate, 2024)https://www.valuepenguin.com/divorce-cost
04
65% of divorce-related survey respondents reported spending money on legal help or formshttps://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/divorce/
Interpretation
Divorce Costs Interpretation
Across America, divorce costs are heavily driven by legal support, with 48% of cases citing attorneys’ fees as the biggest expense and 65% of respondents reporting they spent money on legal help or forms, contributing to an estimated $20,000 average for a contested divorce and a $9.0 billion divorce-services market in 2022.
03 · Category
Legal & Policy7 stats
01
Approximately 29% of divorces in the U.S. cite irreconcilable differences as the ground (2018)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7710195/
02
45 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of no-fault divorce (as of 2024; policy overview)https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/no-fault-divorce
03
All 50 states have enacted some form of no-fault divorce law (2010s policy baseline)https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/divorce-laws
04
Divorce filing fee of $35in New York for certain e-filing/document filing types (2024 court fee schedule)https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/isc/fees/
05
$360median cost of filing a divorce complaint in selected major counties (survey estimate, 2022)https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=0f5d0d6a-7b3a-4c1d-9b6c-8b1c7c3c0c2a
06
84% of U.S. family law attorneys report using mediation frequently (2021 survey)https://www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/publications/blt/2021/04/family-law-alternative-dispute-resolution/
07
31% of adults report they have personally been affected by divorce (survey, 2019)https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/11/divorce
Interpretation
Legal & Policy Interpretation
Legal and policy changes clearly drive modern divorce practice, with all 50 states having adopted no-fault divorce by the 2010s and 45 states plus DC allowing it in some form by 2024, while only about 29% of divorces still cite irreconcilable differences as the ground.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographics & Outcomes4 stats
01
60% of children experience at least one transition in family structure by age 18 when parents divorce (meta-analysis finding)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-52631-001
02
Children whose parents divorce have higher risk of experiencing adverse outcomes; meta-analysis reports effect sizes in multiple domains (2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6856423/
03
30% of children in divorced families experience a reduction in economic resources compared with two-parent households (2018)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6235106/
04
55% of divorced mothers reported an increase in work hours post-divorce (2016 study)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5050108/
Interpretation
Demographics & Outcomes Interpretation
From a demographics and outcomes perspective, divorce is linked to widespread family restructuring and lasting disadvantages, with 60% of children experiencing at least one transition by age 18 and 30% facing reduced economic resources compared with two-parent households.
05 · Category
Family Impact3 stats
01
11% of divorced parents reported ongoing disputes over parenting time lasting more than 2 years (survey, 2018)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6643410/
02
3.2 million households were headed by a divorced parent in 2023 (American Community Survey)https://data.census.gov/table?q=divorced%20householder%20presence%20of%20children&g=0100000US.*&y=2023
03
26% of adults who experienced parental divorce reported that it occurred before age 10 (National Survey, 2020)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-national-survey
Interpretation
Family Impact Interpretation
From a family impact perspective, lingering parenting-time conflicts affect 11% of divorced parents for over two years while 3.2 million households were led by divorced parents in 2023 and 26% of adults whose parents divorced say it happened before age 10.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). America Divorce Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/america-divorce-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "America Divorce Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/america-divorce-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "America Divorce Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/america-divorce-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)