Ontario Divorce Cost Estimator

An uncontested divorce in Ontario costs approximately CAD $1,750, while contested divorces average CAD $20,000 or more based on provincial data from 14,223 annual filings. Court filing fees total CAD $669, and attorney fees range from CAD $300–$700 per hour. Total costs depend on whether issues like property division under the Family Law Act (RSO 1990, c F.3) or parenting arrangements require litigation.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice charges CAD $214 to file a divorce application and CAD $445 to place the matter on the hearing list, totalling CAD $669 under O. Reg. 417/95 (https://www.ontario.ca/page/family-court-fees). An additional CAD $10 federal government fee applies, and a divorce certificate costs CAD $25. Ontario Court of Justice family proceedings carry no filing fees. As of January 2026 — verify with your local clerk.

Ontario divorce attorneys charge CAD $300–$700 per hour, with the provincial median at approximately CAD $450 per hour. Toronto family lawyers command higher rates of CAD $400–$700 per hour. Initial retainers range from CAD $1,000–$5,000 for uncontested cases and CAD $5,000–$30,000 for contested proceedings involving property division or parenting disputes.

Ontario courts grant fee waivers through Fee Waiver Certificate (FW-A) forms for applicants with very low income and limited assets, waiving all court fees except the CAD $10 federal divorce fee (https://www.ontario.ca/page/have-your-court-fees-waived). Legal Aid Ontario provides family duty counsel services for households earning under CAD $45,440 annually as of March 2025, though Legal Aid Certificates rarely cover divorce itself.

Ontario does not mandate mediation for all divorces, but the Mandatory Information Program (MIP) is required within 45 days of filing contested family matters and is free. Government-subsidized off-site mediation costs CAD $5–$105 per hour on a sliding income scale through the Ministry of the Attorney General (https://www.ontario.ca/page/family-mediation). Private mediators charge CAD $150–$600 per hour, with experienced Toronto mediators averaging CAD $300 or more.

An uncontested (simple joint) divorce in Ontario typically costs CAD $1,500–$5,000 total, including CAD $669 in court filing fees and CAD $1,000–$3,000 in legal fees. Many Ontario firms offer flat-fee uncontested divorce packages starting around CAD $1,800 inclusive of HST and government fees. Self-represented applicants can complete the process for under CAD $700 using Ontario Court Forms (https://ontariocourtforms.on.ca/en/family-law-rules-forms/).

Ontario divorce hidden costs include real estate appraisals at CAD $400–$800 per property, business valuations at CAD $1,500–$7,500, custody assessments costing several thousand dollars, and process server fees. Contested matters may require expert witnesses at CAD $1,500–$5,000 each. The CAD $445 hearing placement fee often surprises applicants who only budget for the initial CAD $214 filing fee.

Ontario allows self-represented divorce applications filed through the Superior Court of Justice, with forms available at ontariocourtforms.on.ca. The minimum cost is CAD $669 in court fees plus the CAD $10 federal fee. Ontario courts offer a self-help centre (https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/areas-of-law/family/help-self-represented/) and free on-site mediation. E-filing is available at ontario.ca/page/file-family-court-documents-online for certain family court documents.