New York City divorces are filed in Manhattan at the New York County Supreme Court, Civil Term, the only court with authority over divorce, annulment, and equitable distribution for residents of the borough. Most filers handle paperwork through the County Clerk's office and the Help Center on the ground floor of 60 Centre Street, a block from Foley Square and the Manhattan Municipal Building. This page explains where to file, what it costs, how long it takes, and which New York statutes control the outcome.
Key facts for filing divorce in New York City
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County | New York County (Manhattan) |
| Filing court | New York County Supreme Court, Civil Term |
| Court address | 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 |
| Filing fee range | $210 index number; ~$335 total uncontested |
| Residency requirement | One year (most cases) under DRL § 230 |
| Waiting period | No mandatory cooling-off; six-month breakdown affidavit for no-fault |
| Property model | Equitable distribution (DRL § 236) |
How do I file for divorce in New York City, New York?
You file for divorce in New York City by purchasing a $210 index number from the New York County Clerk at 60 Centre Street, then filing Form UD-1 (Summons With Notice) or a summons and verified complaint under DRL § 210. Uncontested matrimonial cases can also be e-filed through the NYSCEF system at nycourts.gov/divorce.
Most New York City divorces proceed on the no-fault ground in DRL § 170(7), which requires one spouse to swear the marriage has been irretrievably broken for at least six months. All economic issues, including equitable distribution, maintenance, child support, and custody, must be resolved before a no-fault judgment is signed. The other six grounds in DRL § 170 are fault-based, covering cruelty, abandonment for one year, imprisonment for three years, adultery, and separation agreements. After filing, you serve your spouse, complete financial disclosure, and submit the judgment package to the Matrimonial Department.
Where do I file for divorce in New York City? (which courthouse)
New York City residents in Manhattan file at the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007, home of the Supreme Court, Civil Term. The County Clerk's cashier offices (Room 160 and Room 141B) sell index numbers, and the Help Center in Room 116 processes fee-waiver applications. The building sits on Foley Square in Lower Manhattan.
The County Clerk at 60 Centre Street records every divorce filing and assigns the index number that must appear on all later papers. Under CPLR 515, effective February 19, 2025, venue must be a county where a party or a child of the marriage resides, so Manhattan residents file here rather than in any borough they choose. Matrimonial records are not fully public under DRL § 235; only the parties or their attorneys may view a file, and a certified copy of a divorce costs $8. For uncontested cases, the full forms packet is available free at nycourts.gov/divorce, and many self-represented Manhattan filers use the e-filing portal instead of appearing in person.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in New York City?
A New York City divorce lawyer typically bills $350 to $650 per hour, with Manhattan firms often at the higher end. Uncontested cases handled flat-rate commonly run $1,500 to $3,500 in legal fees, while contested divorces with custody or property disputes frequently reach $15,000 to $40,000 or more, separate from court costs.
Court fees are predictable and separate from attorney fees. You pay a $210 index number, a $125 note of issue, and for contested matters a $95 Request for Judicial Intervention, plus $45 per motion and $8 per certified copy. Total court costs for an uncontested New York City divorce land around $335. Households below 125% of the federal poverty level (about $19,508 for one person in 2026) may qualify for a Poor Person fee waiver through the Help Center in Room 116. To estimate your own range, use the divorce cost estimator and the alimony estimator before you hire counsel.
How long does a divorce take in New York City?
An uncontested New York City divorce typically takes three to six months from filing to the signed judgment, while contested cases routinely run 12 to 24 months. New York imposes no mandatory waiting period between filing and finalization, so the timeline depends mainly on court backlog at 60 Centre Street and whether the parties resolve every economic issue.
The no-fault ground requires only that the marriage has been irretrievably broken for at least six months before filing, an affidavit requirement rather than a post-filing delay. The slowest stage in Manhattan is usually getting the judgment package reviewed by the Matrimonial Department after the note of issue is filed. Cases with contested custody under DRL § 240 or complex equitable distribution under DRL § 236 take longest because the court must decide each disputed item before granting judgment. You can map your own timeline with the divorce timeline tool.
What are the residency requirements to file in New York County?
To file for divorce in New York County, you must satisfy one of the five residency pathways in DRL § 230. The most common is one year of continuous residency by either spouse combined with a New York connection: you married in New York, lived in New York as spouses, or the grounds arose in New York. Two years of continuous residency qualifies with no other connection.
No minimum residency applies when both spouses currently live in New York and the grounds occurred in the state. This matters for New York City because many residents marry or relocate frequently, and the one-year pathways are the fastest route to filing at 60 Centre Street. New York is an equitable distribution state under DRL § 236, meaning marital property is divided fairly though not always equally across 13 statutory factors. Child support follows the Child Support Standards Act in DRL § 240, applying 17% of combined parental income for one child and 25% for two, on income up to the $193,000 cap effective March 1, 2026. The maintenance payor cap rose to $241,000 the same date.
Recent New York law changes affecting New York City filers
Several 2025 and 2026 updates affect Manhattan divorces. Effective March 1, 2026, the child support combined-income cap rose from $183,000 to $193,000 and the maintenance payor cap rose from $228,000 to $241,000, both indexed to the Consumer Price Index. Cases pending on that date use the new caps.
The No-Fault Separation Statute (Chapter 673, Laws of 2025) shortened the separation-based grounds in DRL § 170(5) and § 170(6) from one year to six months of living apart under a judgment or agreement. The Unified Court System also approved a revised Statement of Net Worth and a new spreadsheet-based Statement of Proposed Disposition effective December 1, 2025, requiring line-by-line disclosure of every asset, debt, and support item. Manhattan filers should download the current forms from nycourts.gov rather than reusing older versions. For the full statutory framework, see the New York equitable distribution statute and the grounds for divorce statute.