The cost of divorce in France: what is regulated, what is negotiated
The charges set by the State are small; lawyers’ fees make up most of the price.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
The price of a French divorce falls into two very different blocks. The first is regulated and the same for everyone: €49.44 including VAT for filing a mutual consent agreement with a notary (€41.20 before VAT), a partition duty of 1.10 % of the net assets when there is property, €2,200 for €200,000 divided, and the notary’s proportional fee if real estate changes hands. The second block, lawyers’ fees, is unregulated: each spouse must have their own lawyer, who sets the fee in a written agreement, fixed or hourly. We publish no fee range because there is no official source for one: the calculator lets you enter your quotes and computes the rest. If you come from a country where one solicitor can act for an uncontested divorce, note that this is not possible in France. Legal aid can cover part or all of these costs depending on your income.
Price of a divorce: regulated fees and lawyers
Total cost of the divorce
€3,049
| Filing the agreement with a notary | €49.44 |
| Partition duty | €0 |
| Both lawyers’ fees | €3,000 |
| Per spouse, split in half | €1,525 |
Lawyers’ fees are not regulated: replace the figures with your quotes.
Regulated charges, procedure by procedure
| Charge | Mutual consent, no court | Divorce in court |
|---|---|---|
| Filing the agreement with a notary | €49.44 incl. VAT | not applicable |
| Partition duty | 1.10 % of net assets, €25 minimum | 1.10 % of net assets, €25 minimum |
| Notarial deed of partition (real estate) | regulated proportional fee | regulated proportional fee |
| Bringing the case to court | not applicable | no court fee; bailiff’s acts on a regulated tariff |
Partition duty is often the largest regulated item: on net assets of €300,000 it reaches €3,300, whatever the type of divorce. It is not due if there is nothing to divide, which the agreement records in a declaration.
Lawyers’ fees: how they are set
Since the 2015 law on growth and economic activity, a written fee agreement is compulsory, divorce included. It states the method, fixed fee or hourly rate, costs and disbursements, and what is excluded, such as an appeal or a complex liquidation. A low fixed fee that excludes winding up the property regime or the compensatory payment can end up dearer than a complete one. The calculator adds both lawyers’ quotes to the regulated charges, then shows each spouse’s share if costs are split in half.
Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle)
Legal aid: how much is covered?
Share of costs paid by the State
55 %
| Ceiling for full aid | €12,957 |
| Ceiling at 55% | €15,316 |
| Ceiling at 25% | €19,433 |
Assets count too: above their ceilings, no aid at all.
| Household | Full aid | 55% aid | 25% aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | ≤ €12,957 | ≤ €15,316 | ≤ €19,433 |
| 2 people | ≤ €15,289 | ≤ €17,648 | ≤ €21,765 |
| 3 people | ≤ €17,621 | ≤ €19,980 | ≤ €24,097 |
| 4 people | ≤ €19,095 | ≤ €21,454 | ≤ €25,570 |
| 5 people | ≤ €20,568 | ≤ €22,927 | ≤ €27,044 |
With full aid, the State pays the lawyer and the notary for the covered acts, including some liquidation costs. With partial aid, part remains payable by the beneficiary under an agreement with the lawyer. You apply with the official Cerfa form to the legal aid office, and can do so before choosing a lawyer. Foreign nationals living lawfully and habitually in France can apply on the same terms.
What really moves the bill
Three factors weigh more than the procedure: real estate, which brings in a notary and a deed of partition; a compensatory payment to negotiate; and disagreement, which turns a matter of weeks into years of proceedings. Mutual consent divorce remains the cheapest when there is agreement; fault-based divorce the longest. Online divorce offers are simply a way of billing the former.