Today marks national divorce day, the point of the year when married couples are most likely to start breaking up.
Getting a divorce can be expensive - £14,561 on average, according to insurer Aviva.
Government figures show that around 42% of marriages end in divorce, with many of us divorcing more than once in our lives.
All those divorces add up to a potentially huge bill.
This bill varies hugely, from a few hundred pounds to many thousands.
And that's just for normal people - Amazon boss Jeff Bezos paid £26billion for his divorce last year.
But the good news is there are ways to bring down the cost of divorce - provided that is right for you.
How much has divorce cost you? Let us know in the comments below
The first bill divorcees face is the court-filing fee to bring the divorce.
This is £593 in England and Wales, and is paid by the person filing for divorce.
There is some good news though. Those on low incomes, on benefits or with few savings can apply for a discount of up to 100 percent.
You can apply for money off the £593 fee if either spouse gets the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit guarantee credit
- Working Tax Credit but not Child Tax Credit
In theory you can get a DIY divorce for free if you get this discount, both sides don't argue about who gets what and you file all paperwork online , correctly and on time, including:
- Divorce petition
- Statement of Arrangements for Children (if any)
- Divorce affidavit
- Application for directions for trial
- Application for decree absolute
Getting a free divorce also involves a court actually granting it, which they might not do.
But in practice, paying for a help is the more common way to go when married couples break up.
The cheapest way to do this is by using an online divorce firm, which tends to charge from around £50 to £200.
They guide you through the process, but you still file all the paperwork yourself.
Alternatively you can hire a solicitor to do this, although this adds more to the cost.
Solicitors are sometimes unavoidable in divorce for other reasons - normally if divorces are complicated.
Complicated divorces happen when splits are contested, involve children or include large amounts of property and money.
One of the former partners may find themselves paying an ongoing financial sum to the other - particularly if children are involved.
However, even if you do manage to get a 'free' divorce, there are other costs that can quickly rack up.
If you live with your spouse, breaking up means finding somewhere to live. That in turn means extra money spent on moving, renting or buying a property all over again.
