“How much is this actually going to cost us?”
How much does a divorce cost in Minnesota?
The short answer
$390 to $405 to file, depending on your county, plus whatever professionals you hire. With us, mediation is $1,695 per person, flat, on Zoom. In Ramsey County, filing jointly, that's $3,795 for the two of you, all in, before any optional attorney review.
4.9 from 292 Google reviewsBy the Flannel People Mediation team. Updated November 1, 2026. Facts checked November 1, 2026. Who wrote this
Where are you right now?
“I haven't said anything yet. I just need to know if we can even afford this.”
Fair question to ask first. The parts you can know today: $390 to $405 to file, depending on your county, and $1,695 per person for flat-fee mediation with us. Use the calculator below with your county. Nothing here commits you to anything.
Work out your numberWho this is for
This page is for two people who want the real number before they start.
We help two people who don't agree on really tricky issues come to an agreement and put that agreement in writing. We don't draft court documents, we don't file, we don't do anything with the courts, and we don't give legal advice.
This is for you if…
- Two spouses in Minnesota who want to know the whole number before anyone is hired.
- You disagree on real things, like the house, the retirement accounts, or the kids' schedule, but you can both sit in a structured conversation from your own rooms.
- You'd rather pay one flat fee for a prepared process than two hourly bills for people arguing opposite sides.
It isn’t for you if…
- There's abuse or coercion, or you're afraid of your spouse. Start with the safety section below.
- You need advice about your own legal rights. That's an attorney's job, not a mediator's.
- You want someone to decide for you. In mediation, the two of you decide.
- You need court papers drafted or filed. We don't draft court documents or file anything.
Worked example
Ramsey County, filing together: $3,795.
Here’s the whole sum, so you can check it.
- Spouse 1, mediation$1,695
- Spouse 2, mediation$1,695
- Ramsey filing fee$405
- Total$3,795
That covers a private call with each of you, the written prep, and one prepared three-hour session on Zoom, including the time to write your agreement together if you reach one. It doesn't cover anything billed by the court beyond filing, or by an attorney or appraiser you choose to hire.
Your number, worked out
- Mediation, spouse 1Flat, on Zoom$1,695
- Mediation, spouse 2Flat, on Zoom$1,695
- Ramsey County filing fee$340 + $50 + $15 law library$405
Filing fees as read on the Minnesota Judicial Branch fee schedule, September 21, 2026. Fees change; confirm with the court before you file. General information, not legal advice.
The Flannel Three-Part Process
Three hours, engineered from the first 17 seconds.
Plenty of mediation starts with an intake form and a date. Ours starts with a plan. Engineered like a performance car: every part in its place, in its order, for a reason.
Before the session
- 1The one-on-ones · 15 to 45 minutes each · private
Your mediator meets with each of you, separately.
Usually about two days before the session. You say what you're worried about and what you think will be hard. Your spouse does the same. Neither of you hears the other's call.
Why we do it this way
So neither of you walks in cold, and the hard things get said once, privately, before anyone is on the spot.
- 2The homework · Two halves · before you meet
Numbers first, then your questions.
No binders, no stack of statements: accounts and balances, which go into one shared balance sheet. Then a short set of questions your mediator writes after both private calls.
Why we do it this way
So nobody meets a hard question for the first time in the middle of the session, and the session goes to deciding, not untangling.
One three-hour session, together. Tap a marker.
A positive start
We build every opening around the first 17 seconds: starting on a positive note, and building positive rapport.
Running the whole three hours
Talk time
Who talks, and for how long. We keep track of it, so each of you gets your share of the air.
Interruptions
How often each of you gets cut off. We notice it and we manage it, so each of you can finish a thought.
Being heard
When one of you speaks, it gets received and acknowledged before we move on. Receive first, then validate.
Why we do it this way
One prepared sitting, instead of a meter running across weeks of hourly meetings.
Every mediation runs on it, in this order, on purpose.
It all starts with a free 15-minute call.
You can book it on your own. It’s free, it’s fifteen minutes, and you don’t agree to anything on the call.
What a session looks like
Before, during, and after the session.
This is the view from our side of the Zoom.
Before the session
- 01Each of you signs the participation agreementSame link, once each, on your own device and in your own time. It sets out what mediation is, what your mediator does and doesn't do, and what stays confidential.
- 02The invoice is paidOne invoice for the matter. Who pays it, and how you split it, is between the two of you.
- 03Then we scheduleEvenings and weekends included.
- 04If you need a number from a professionalUsually it's the house: an appraisal, or whether one of you can assume or refinance the mortgage, which means a conversation with a loan officer. If you need a number like that first, you'll hear it on your private call, before the session.
In the session
- 01An agenda you build togetherWe come in with a plan for which topics to take first. The two of you shape it into an agenda you both name and agree on, so the order belongs to you, not to us.
- 02The issues a divorce coversSpousal support. Child support. Parenting time, and the terms and provisions of your parenting plan. Dividing your assets, and dividing your debts. The three hours are for all of it, one topic at a time, in the order you set.
- 03A break at about an hourUsually about an hour in, we stop. Stand up, refill the coffee, step away from the screen. Then back to the next item on your agenda.
- 04One balance sheet, on screenYou both look at the same document, so you're working from the same numbers instead of two versions of them.
- 05Private breakout roomsIf a moment needs it, your mediator can talk with each of you separately in a breakout room, then bring you back together.
- 06Separate devices, separate roomsEach of you joins from your own device and your own space, even if you still live in the same house.
- 07AI translation, if it helpsSessions are conducted in English. AI translation is available if English isn't one spouse's first language.
- 08Putting it in writing, togetherIf you reach an agreement, we shift our energy to putting it into writing, in a way you both still agree to. You co-write it yourselves, in your own words and plain language.
After the session
If you reached an agreement, you leave with the one you wrote together, in your own words. It's your agreement in writing, not a court filing.
Either of you can have an attorney review it, or use it to self-file.
If a few things are still open, a follow-up session is available.
Decision tool
Is mediation worth the money for the two of you?
Price isn’t the test. Fit is. Five questions, honest answers, and a straight next step.
60-second fit check · 0/5
1. Could the two of you sit in a structured conversation, each from your own room, for a few hours?
2. Can each of you get your own account and debt balances?
3. Is there abuse, coercion, or are you afraid of your spouse?
4. Do you need someone to tell you what you're legally entitled to?
5. Do you want someone to decide for you?
From our side of the Zoom
What we tell people about cost, before they ask.
You're not paying for hours. You're paying for a process that does the organizing before you sit down, so the session is spent deciding, not untangling.
I set it up as a flat fee because the hourly meter is the thing people dread most. You know the number on day one, and nobody has an incentive to drag things out.
Some divorces need more than one sitting. If yours looks like it will, you'll hear it plainly before anything else is scheduled, so there's no surprise bill.
The outside number people usually need first is the house: an appraisal, or whether one of you qualifies to assume or refinance the mortgage. Usually that's a conversation with a loan officer. It's a small step.
One invoice for the matter. Who pays it, and how you split it, is between the two of you.
“Fair price, quick timeline, solid process, clear communication, easy scheduling. Knows what he is doing and makes the experience as good as it can be, all things considered.”
“Ryan was extremely helpful and professional. He saved us from having a more expensive and drawn out divorce process.”
“Simple and easy way to come up with a plan and get support while preparing for a divorce. Ryan was helpful in answering questions and explaining the process and to my surprise we finished in one session and are both feeling ready to move forward!”
From the Minnesota Judicial Branch
Minnesota divorce filing fee by county (2026)
Every county charges the same $340 base fee and $50 surcharge. The only difference is the county law library fee, from $0 to $15.
$400
47 of 87 counties
$402
Hennepin County
$405
Ramsey County
Every county, A to Z · 87 counties
| County | Law library fee | Total to file |
|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | $12 | $402 |
| Anoka | $15 | $405 |
| Becker | $10 | $400 |
| Beltrami | $10 | $400 |
| Benton | $15 | $405 |
| Big Stone | $10 | $400 |
| Blue Earth | $10 | $400 |
| Brown | $10 | $400 |
| Carlton | $10 | $400 |
| Carver | $15 | $405 |
| Cass | $10 | $400 |
| Chippewa | None | $390 |
| Chisago | $10 | $400 |
| Clay | $10 | $400 |
| Clearwater | $10 | $400 |
| Cook | $10 | $400 |
| Cottonwood | $5 | $395 |
| Crow Wing | $10 | $400 |
| Dakota | $15 | $405 |
| Dodge | $10 | $400 |
| Douglas | $10 | $400 |
| Faribault | $10 | $400 |
| Fillmore | $5 | $395 |
| Freeborn | $6 | $396 |
| Goodhue | $13 | $403 |
| Grant | None | $390 |
| Hennepin | $12 | $402 |
| Houston | None | $390 |
| Hubbard | $10 | $400 |
| Isanti | $10 | $400 |
| Itasca | $10 | $400 |
| Jackson | $15 | $405 |
| Kanabec | $10 | $400 |
| Kandiyohi | $15 | $405 |
| Kittson | $15 | $405 |
| Koochiching | $15 | $405 |
| Lac Qui Parle | None | $390 |
| Lake | $10 | $400 |
| Lake of the Woods | $15 | $405 |
| Le Sueur | $10 | $400 |
| Lincoln | $10 | $400 |
| Lyon | $10 | $400 |
| Mahnomen | $10 | $400 |
| Marshall | $10 | $400 |
| Martin | $10 | $400 |
| McLeod | $5 | $395 |
| Meeker | $15 | $405 |
| Mille Lacs | $10 | $400 |
| Morrison | $10 | $400 |
| Mower | $10 | $400 |
| Murray | $10 | $400 |
| Nicollet | $5 | $395 |
| Nobles | $10 | $400 |
| Norman | $10 | $400 |
| Olmsted | $15 | $405 |
| Otter Tail | $10 | $400 |
| Pennington | $10 | $400 |
| Pine | $10 | $400 |
| Pipestone | $10 | $400 |
| Polk | $10 | $400 |
| Pope | $12 | $402 |
| Ramsey | $15 | $405 |
| Red Lake | $10 | $400 |
| Redwood | $10 | $400 |
| Renville | $5 | $395 |
| Rice | $15 | $405 |
| Rock | $10 | $400 |
| Roseau | $10 | $400 |
| Scott | $13 | $403 |
| Sherburne | $10 | $400 |
| Sibley | $10 | $400 |
| St. Louis | $15 | $405 |
| Stearns | $14 | $404 |
| Steele | None | $390 |
| Stevens | $10 | $400 |
| Swift | $15 | $405 |
| Todd | $10 | $400 |
| Traverse | $15 | $405 |
| Wabasha | None | $390 |
| Wadena | $15 | $405 |
| Waseca | None | $390 |
| Washington | $15 | $405 |
| Watonwan | $5 | $395 |
| Wilkin | None | $390 |
| Winona | $10 | $400 |
| Wright | $10 | $400 |
| Yellow Medicine | None | $390 |
Source: the Minnesota Judicial Branch district court fee schedule, "Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) with or without Children," read county by county on September 21, 2026. Fees set by Minn. Stat. § 357.021 and § 134A.09. One filing on a joint petition. General information, not legal advice.
One fee if you file together
If you can't afford it
Fees change
Outside the fee
What sits outside any mediator’s fee
Whoever you hire, these may still come up. None of them are billed by us.
Attorney review
Parent education
Outside professionals
Refinancing and moving
Flat fee, hourly, or two attorneys?
Columns are categories, not firms. The last row is one a mediator loses.
| Flat-fee mediation (us) | Hourly mediation | Two attorneys | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | $1,695 per person, flat | Hourly; depends on the hours | A retainer each, then hourly |
| You know the total before you start | Yes | No | No |
| Meter on prep, calls and emails | None | Usually billed | Usually billed |
| Who decides | The two of you | The two of you | A judge, if you don't settle |
| Advice about your own rights | No | No | Yes |
Flat-fee mediation (us)
- What it costs
- $1,695 per person, flat
- You know the total before you start
- Yes
- Meter on prep, calls and emails
- None
- Who decides
- The two of you
- Advice about your own rights
- No
Hourly mediation
- What it costs
- Hourly; depends on the hours
- You know the total before you start
- No
- Meter on prep, calls and emails
- Usually billed
- Who decides
- The two of you
- Advice about your own rights
- No
Two attorneys
- What it costs
- A retainer each, then hourly
- You know the total before you start
- No
- Meter on prep, calls and emails
- Usually billed
- Who decides
- A judge, if you don't settle
- Advice about your own rights
- Yes
Why we won’t quote an average
We haven’t found a Minnesota court or state agency that publishes one. The “average cost” figures online rarely say where the number came from, and they disagree with each other widely. Ask every professional for their number in writing. If all they can give you is a range, the range is the answer.
Watch: what mediation costs in Minnesota
Safety
When mediation isn't the right fit, at any price
If there's abuse, coercion, or one spouse won't share information honestly, mediation may not be safe or useful, and a cheaper process isn't a better one.
Your mediator talks with each of you privately before any joint session, partly to check for exactly this, and either of you can stop at any time. Minnesota law also bars a court from requiring custody mediation when it finds probable cause of physical or sexual abuse (Minn. Stat. § 518.619, subd. 2).
If you are in danger, call 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. In Minnesota, the Day One crisis line is 1-866-223-1111.
FAQ
Divorce cost in Minnesota: frequently asked questions
Educational information only, not legal advice. Flannel People Mediation provides mediation services and does not provide legal representation.
How much does a divorce cost in Minnesota?
Filing a dissolution costs $390 to $405 depending on the county: a $340 base fee, a $50 surcharge, and the county law library fee of $0 to $15. Everything past that is professional time. Divorce mediation at Flannel People Mediation is $1,695 per person, flat, on Zoom. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does divorce mediation cost in Minnesota?
Mediators set their own prices, so it varies. At Flannel People Mediation it's $1,695 per person, flat, or $3,390 for a couple, covering a private call with each spouse, written prep, and one prepared 3-hour session on Zoom.
Is the $1,695 per person or per couple?
Per person. Each spouse pays $1,695, so the total for a couple is $3,390. It's a flat fee, not hourly. It comes as one invoice, and who pays it is between the two of you.
What does a full worked example look like?
In Ramsey County, with a joint petition: $1,695 + $1,695 for mediation, plus the $405 filing fee, is $3,795 for the two of you. Attorney review, if either of you wants it, is billed by whoever you hire.
What isn't included in the mediation fee?
The court's filing fee, any attorney either of you hires to review the agreement, and outside professionals such as appraisers or financial planners. Those are billed by the court or by those professionals.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Minnesota?
$390 to $405 depending on the county, for one filing on a joint petition. If one spouse files and the other responds, the responding spouse generally pays a filing fee too. Confirm your county's current fee with the Minnesota Judicial Branch before filing.
What is the filing fee in Hennepin and Ramsey County?
On the Minnesota Judicial Branch fee schedule we read on September 21, 2026, Hennepin County was $402 and Ramsey County was $405 for a dissolution of marriage. Fees change, so check the current schedule before you file.
Can the court waive the divorce filing fee?
Minnesota law lets a court allow a person to start or defend a civil case without paying fees if they make an affidavit about their finances (Minn. Stat. § 563.01, subd. 3). The Minnesota Judicial Branch explains the process on its court fees pages.
What is the average cost of a divorce in Minnesota?
No Minnesota court or state agency that we've found publishes one, and online averages are estimates that disagree with each other. What you can pin down is the price each professional puts in writing before you hire them.
Do we still have to file with the court if we mediate?
Yes. Mediation helps you reach agreement, but the court handles divorce filings and final orders. We don't prepare court documents. If you reach an agreement, the two of you write it together during the session, in your own words, and either of you can review it with your own attorney if you choose.
Is in-person mediation more expensive?
Sessions are on Zoom at $1,695 per person. In-person options may be available on request, for an additional fee.
Who wrote this
By the Flannel People Mediation team.
Written from how we actually run mediations, with every Minnesota fee and rule linked to the official source. Updated November 1, 2026. Facts checked November 1, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Flannel People Mediation doesn’t practice law or give legal advice, and doesn’t draft court papers or file anything with a court.
Your mediator is Ryan or Kate.
Ryan McLaughlin
Mediator and founder
Ryan founded Flannel People Mediation and designed the Three-Part Process. He is a mediator; he doesn't practice law or give legal advice.
Kate McLaughlin
Mediator
Kate is a trained restorative mediator and a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice.
Sources we checked
Primary sources, read at the source. Filing fees read county by county on September 21, 2026; statutes and rules checked November 1, 2026.
- 01Minnesota Judicial Branch: District Court FeesThe fee schedule for a Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) filing, county by county. Read Sept 21, 2026.
- 02Minn. Stat. § 357.021 (court administrator fees)Sets the base civil filing fee and the surcharge that every county charges to file a divorce. Read Oct 30, 2026.
- 03Minn. Stat. § 134A.09 (county law library fee)Lets each county add its own law library fee to a filing, which is why the total varies by county. Read Oct 30, 2026.
- 04Minn. Stat. § 563.01, subd. 3 (court fee waiver)A court may let a person start or defend a civil case without paying fees, on an affidavit about their finances. Read Oct 30, 2026.
- 05Minn. Stat. § 518.157 (parent education program)Eight-hour parent education when custody or parenting time isn't agreed, timing, fees, and notice of the private-mediation option.
- 06Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 310 (ADR in family law matters)Family cases are subject to ADR, with exceptions for domestic abuse, contempt, some public-agency support cases, and prior impasse.
- 07Minn. Stat. § 518.619 (custody or parenting time mediation)When custody disputes may be set for mediation, the abuse exception, privacy of records, and how a mediated agreement reaches the court.
- 08Minnesota Judicial Branch: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)The courts' plain-language ADR page and the Rule 114 roster of Qualified Neutrals.
- 09Minnesota Judicial Branch: Divorce/DissolutionResidency (180 days), where to file, and the courts' note that a divorce can take several months to become final.
Keep reading
- Online divorce mediation on ZoomSeparate devices, private breakout rooms, one document on screen.
- The divorce mediation process, step by stepEvery stage, from the first call to the written agreement.
- Is mediation required in Minnesota?Rule 310, the exceptions, and what a court referral means.
- Child custody mediation in MinnesotaBuilding a parenting plan the two of you agree on.
- Post-decree mediationChanging a parenting schedule after the divorce.
Next step
Get your full number on a free call
Tell us your county and roughly what the two of you need to sort out. In 15 minutes you'll know whether mediation fits and your full number: $1,695 per person, plus your county's filing fee.