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California court costs guide

By the Court Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

Filing for divorce in California costs $435 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in California — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.

California at a glanceFigure
CourtSuperior Court
Divorce filing fee$435 first-paper filing fee for a petition for dissolution of marriage under the Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026).
Name change filing fee$435 first-paper fee for a petition for change of name. A few counties add a surcharge that can take the total toward $450 — the schedule figure is $435.
Name-change publicationRequired — Required — the Order to Show Cause is published once a week for 4 weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. Exceptions include gender-identity petitions and Safe at Home participants.
General civil filing feeUnlimited civil (over $35,000): $435. Limited civil: $370 ($10,001–$35,000) and $225 ($10,000 or less).
Probate filing fee$435 — first petition for letters testamentary or administration on the statewide schedule.

Divorce filing fees

$435 first-paper filing fee for a petition for dissolution of marriage under the Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026).

See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide and the California divorce filing cost deep dive.

Name change: fee and publication

$435 first-paper fee for a petition for change of name. A few counties add a surcharge that can take the total toward $450 — the schedule figure is $435.

Publication: Required — the Order to Show Cause is published once a week for 4 weeks in a newspaper of general circulation. Exceptions include gender-identity petitions and Safe at Home participants.

Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.

General civil filing fees

Unlimited civil (over $35,000): $435. Limited civil: $370 ($10,001–$35,000) and $225 ($10,000 or less).

Probate court costs

$435 — first petition for letters testamentary or administration on the statewide schedule.

How filing works in California

  1. Prepare the petition or complaint for the Superior Court — most California courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
  2. File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
  3. Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
  4. Complete any publication the rules require — for a California name change: required.
  5. Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.

Worked total: what a divorce filing costs

ItemCost
Filing fee$435
Service of process (typical private process server)$50–$100
Estimated total to file$485–$535

Filing fee plus service for one respondent, before any mediation, parenting-class, or copy charges described in the guides. Run your own combination in the cost calculator.

Sources: Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (eff. 1/1/2026) — California Courts · California Courts Self-Help — Change of Name. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.

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