Call our Alabama Uncontested Divorce Attorneys today at (205) 201-1789
The Harris Firm LLC has charged a flat attorney fee for Alabama uncontested divorces since 2007, the same price at all four offices and in all 67 counties. Phone consultations for uncontested divorce are free; in-person consultations are $100.
In short: An Alabama uncontested divorce at The Harris Firm LLC costs a flat attorney fee of $690 without minor children or $890 with minor children, plus the county filing fee, which runs roughly $200 to $340 depending on where you file. For most couples the entire divorce lands between $900 and $1,250 out of pocket.
What the fee is not: It is not a retainer, not a deposit, and not an estimate. Hourly billing only starts if the case turns contested, and we tell you before that happens. The flat fee is the same whether your paperwork takes us two hours or ten.
The Alabama framework: Court filing fees are set by statute plus county surcharges and an electronic filing charge, which is why they differ by county. The 30-day waiting period under Alabama Code § 30-2-8.1 runs from filing, so a longer case does not cost more. Documents like a quit claim deed ($750) or a QDRO are separate because the court treats them as separate.
The biggest mistake: Comparing our flat fee to a $150 online form site and calling it the same product. The form site does not review your agreement, does not sign your pleadings, and does not fix the rejected filing. The couples who come to us after trying that route usually pay more in total.
The Cost Section and Where to Go Next
The Total Cost of an Uncontested Divorce in Alabama
There are exactly two costs in a typical Alabama uncontested divorce: our attorney fee and the court’s filing fee. Everything else is optional or case-specific. Here is how those two add up in the counties where we file most often.
| County | Attorney fee (no children) | Attorney fee (with children) | Filing fee (approx.) | Typical total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson (Birmingham) | $690 | $890 | ~$215 | ~$905 to ~$1,105 |
| Shelby (Columbiana) | $690 | $890 | ~$295 | ~$985 to ~$1,185 |
| Madison (Huntsville) | $690 | $890 | ~$340 | ~$1,030 to ~$1,230 |
| Montgomery | $690 | $890 | ~$205 | ~$895 to ~$1,095 |
| Any other Alabama county | $690 | $890 | ~$200 to ~$340 | ~$890 to ~$1,230 |
Filing fees change when the Administrative Office of Courts adjusts them, so treat the court figures as approximate and we will confirm the current amount for your county at the free consultation. The attorney fee does not change by county. A Mobile County divorce and a Madison County divorce cost the same $690 or $890 from us; only the clerk’s charge differs.
Why We Charge a Flat Fee Instead of Billing by the Hour
An uncontested divorce is a defined piece of work. We know what documents it takes, we know what the court expects, and we have filed thousands of them since 2007. Billing that by the hour would punish clients for asking questions and reward nobody. A flat fee lets you plan, lets you compare, and lets you call us as many times as you need without watching a meter.
It also keeps the incentive right. When the fee is fixed, our interest is in getting your case filed cleanly and finished on schedule, which is exactly your interest. The only way the price changes is if the case stops being uncontested, and what the flat fee covers explains exactly where that line sits.
The $690 and $890 figures are attorney fees only. The county filing fee is paid to the Circuit Clerk. We advance it at filing and you reimburse us before the case is submitted.
The Jefferson County courthouse in Birmingham. The clerk’s filing fee here is about $215, among the lower fees in the state. Madison County, at about $340, is the highest.
Costs That Apply Only in Some Cases
Most couples pay nothing beyond the attorney fee and the filing fee. A minority of cases involve one or more of the items below, and each is a separate charge because it is a separate document or a separate service. None of them is hidden inside the flat fee, and none of them is required unless your facts call for it.
Quit claim deed: $750 flat
If one spouse keeps the house, the other signs a deed transferring their interest. We draft it, notarize it, and record it with the county probate office for a locked $750. It is the most common add-on.
QDRO: separate fee
Dividing a 401(k), pension, or similar plan requires a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, a separate court order that the plan administrator must approve. Quoted at the consultation based on the plan.
Parenting class: paid to the provider
A handful of Alabama counties require divorcing parents to complete a parenting class. The fee goes to the class provider, not to us, and we tell you at the consultation whether your county is one of them.
Certified copies
Your flat fee includes a certified copy of the decree. Extra certified copies for the Social Security office, the DMV, or a lender run a few dollars each at the clerk’s office.
The full list, with the third-party ranges we see in practice, is on the filing fees and other court costs page.
What Happens to the Price If the Case Turns Contested
The flat fee depends on one thing: both spouses signing the same agreement. If that agreement never comes together, or one spouse revokes before the judge signs, the case is contested and the pricing model changes completely. Contested divorces are billed hourly against a retainer that starts at $4,000, and the total depends on how long the other side fights.
That is not a threat, it is the reason the checklist on what you must agree on exists. The difference between a $905 divorce and a $4,000-and-up divorce is routinely one unfinished conversation. We would much rather help you finish that conversation than open a contested file.
Before any case turns contested, we tell you plainly what has changed and what it will cost. Nobody moves to hourly billing without knowing it first.
Our Flat Fee Versus the Online Form Sites
Search “cheap divorce Alabama” and you will find websites that sell divorce forms for $150 to $300. Here is what you get for that money: a set of documents generated from your answers. Here is what you do not get: a lawyer who reads your agreement, catches the clause that will cost you the house in three years, signs the pleadings, and fixes the filing when the clerk rejects it. Clerks reject self-prepared filings often, and every rejection is a lost week.
Our fee is $690 or $890 because an Alabama-licensed attorney handles your case from the first call to the certified decree. Same 30-day waiting period, same courthouse, same result on paper, with someone accountable for it. Our online and remote divorce page explains the mechanics of doing this with a real law firm rather than a form site.
How the Money Works, Start to Finish
Six steps, two payments, no invoices in between.
Free Phone Consultation
We confirm you qualify, identify your county, and quote the exact total: attorney fee plus that county’s current filing fee plus any add-on your facts require. That quote is the number.
Attorney Fee Paid
The flat fee is paid when we open the file. Credit card, check, or online through our secure payment link. No retainer agreement, no trust account accounting.
Documents Drafted and Signed
We prepare the Complaint, Marital Settlement Agreement, Answer and Waiver, and any child support forms. Both spouses sign. Questions along the way cost nothing extra.
Filing Fee Reimbursed
We advance the court’s filing fee when we file and you reimburse it before the case is submitted. This is the only other payment in a standard case.
The 30-Day Waiting Period
Nothing is billed while the statutory waiting period runs. A judge’s backlog that stretches the case to 45 or 60 days does not change your price.
Decree and Certified Copy
The judge signs, and your flat fee includes a certified copy of the Final Decree. Extra copies are a few dollars each at the clerk’s office if you need them.
Uncontested Divorce Cost FAQs
1.How much does an uncontested divorce cost in Alabama?
At The Harris Firm LLC, the attorney fee is a flat $690 without minor children or $890 with minor children, plus the county filing fee of roughly $200 to $340. Most couples pay a total of about $900 to $1,250 out of pocket for the entire divorce.
2.Is the $690 or $890 fee the same at every office?
Yes. The flat fee is identical at our Birmingham, Chelsea, Huntsville, and Montgomery offices and for clients anywhere in Alabama. Only the county filing fee varies, because each Circuit Clerk sets its own surcharge.
3.Do I pay more if the divorce takes longer than 30 days?
No. The flat fee covers the case through the final decree regardless of how long the court takes to sign it. Alabama’s 30-day waiting period is a minimum, and a slower docket in a busy county does not add to your bill.
4.Who pays the filing fee, me or my spouse?
The filing fee is a single case fee paid to the Circuit Clerk when the complaint is filed. Spouses usually decide between themselves who covers it, and the settlement agreement can say so. We advance it at filing and the client reimburses us before submission.
5.What if my spouse and I split the fee?
That is between the two of you and it happens often. We collect the flat fee from the client who retains us; how you and your spouse divide it privately is your arrangement. Either way, one attorney prepares the paperwork, which is what keeps the price where it is.
6.Is the consultation really free?
For uncontested divorce, yes. The phone consultation is free and usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. In-person consultations at any office are $100, which is applied toward the flat fee if you retain us.
Four Offices, Every Alabama County
Get the Exact Number for Your County
One free phone call and you leave with a total, not a range. Attorney fee, your county’s filing fee, and anything your facts add. That is the whole price.
The Flat Fee Covers
✓ Free phone consultation and every question along the way
✓ All drafting: Complaint, settlement agreement, answer and waiver, child support forms
✓ Filing with your county’s Circuit Clerk and the 30-day waiting period
✓ Certified copy of the Final Decree
$690 plus filing fee without minor children · $890 plus filing fee with minor children
Call the Office Nearest You
Birmingham: (205) 201-1789
Chelsea: (205) 677-5490
Huntsville: (256) 665-9473
Montgomery: (334) 782-9938
Not sure you qualify for the flat fee? Start with Do I Qualify.
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