You have agonized over this for weeks or even months. And you have now decided that you want to divorce your husband.
But money is tight already. You know it will get even tighter once you start living apart. You wonder, how much does it cost to file for divorce in Wyoming?
Can you afford it?
The Cost of Filing for Divorce in Wyoming
A divorce does not have to cost a lot, but it will almost always cost something. In this article, we will review some of the costs that you might incur.
Divorce Complaint Filing Fee
In Wyoming, divorces are filed in District Court. There is an $85.00 filing fee for all new district court cases, including divorces.
So $85.00 is usually the minimum cost to file for a divorce.*
Service of Process Costs
After you file the divorce, your spouse has to accept service of the Complaint and Summons. If your spouse does not want to sign the Acceptance of Service, then you will have to serve him.
Service of the Complaint and Summons generally costs $50.00, if it is done by a Sheriff in Wyoming.
If your spouse does not live in Wyoming, the cost of service could be more or less, depending on where he lives.
If you don’t know where your spouse lives, then you will have to serve him by publication. The cost of publishing the Notice of Complaint for Divorce is about $300 to $400.
Waiver of Filing Fees and Service of Process Fees
In some cases, the Court may waive the filing fees and service of process fees.
To find out if this will work for you, you must file an Affidavit of Indigency and Request for Waiver of Filing Fees and All Fees Associated Therewith. This is a standard court form. You basically provide a sworn statement detailing your finances to the Court. If you qualify, the Court will waive your filing fee and your service of process fee.
It can take several weeks to process your request for waiver of fees. So you have to decide if it is worth waiting to see if you can save a total of $135.00.
Conclusion
It will (usually) cost a minimum of $85.00 to file for divorce.*
If you have to serve your spouse in Wyoming, it will cost another $50.00. If you have to serve him out of state, or have to serve him by publication, then it will cost another $400 or so.
*However, and there always seems to be a however in the law, if you qualify, the Court can waive your filing and process service fees. In that case, it will cost $0.00 to file for divorce.
By Steve Harton