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Court filing fees in District of Columbia

What the court charges to start a divorce or an adult name change in District of Columbia, as stated in the fee schedule or statute. Lawyer fees, service of papers and newspaper costs are extra.

The details

Fee to file for divorce

It costs $80.00 to file a complaint, unless you get permission not to pay the fee because you cannot afford it.¹

Same fee statewide.

The newest source we could read for this fee is from 2014. Confirm the current fee with the clerk.

From a handbook prepared in 2014. The Family Filing Fees page could not be read.

Fee to respond to a divorce

No answer fee listed¹

Handbook lists no fee for an answer.

Fee for an adult name change

The cost the filing and Application for Change of Name of an Adult is $60.00³²

Same fee statewide.

The newest source we could read for this fee is from 2014. Confirm the current fee with the clerk.

Newspaper publication for a name change

The adult application does not mention newspaper publication. It requires service on creditors and interested parties by personal service or certified mail.³

Court that handles divorce

Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Family Court. Adult name changes go to the Civil Actions Branch.¹⁴

If you cannot afford the fee

Application to Waive Court Costs and Fees (in forma pauperis): For applicants who qualify based on low income.³⁴ Get the form

Sources

1. Family Court Handbook for People Representing Themselves in Domestic Relations Cases, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, checked 1 November 2026
2. Civil Filing Fees, DC Courts, checked 1 November 2026
3. Application for Change of Name for an Adult (Revised December 2023), DC Courts, checked 1 November 2026
4. Application for Name Change, DC Courts, checked 1 November 2026

Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source we used only because the official page could not be read.