What a mutual consent divorce actually costs in India
What you are paying for in a mutual consent divorce is drafting and appearances. Not much else, which is why it is the cheapest way an Indian marriage ends.
Anyone quoting you a single confident figure before seeing the settlement is guessing.
What you are really paying for
| Drafting the petition, affidavits and settlement | The bulk of the work, and the part that decides whether the matter is simple |
| Appearance at the first motion | One hearing, both parties present |
| Appearance at the second motion | One hearing, six to eighteen months later |
| Certified copy of the decree | Applied for after the decree, and worth taking more than one |
Two hearings. That is the whole matter when it goes well, which is why it is worth a great deal of effort to keep a matter inside section 13B rather than letting it become contested.
What pushes it to the upper end
A settlement still being negotiated when the petition is drafted. Drafting against a moving target is the single biggest driver of cost, and it is the one most within your control.
Property in more than one name, or a loan. The flat is usually the most expensive clause in the document, because getting a name off a title and off a loan involves a lender, a transfer instrument and its own duty.
A maintenance figure neither side will move on. This is where matters stall, and a stalled matter is a matter being billed.
Pending proceedings. Each complaint or application that has to be dealt with is separate work.
One party abroad. Attestation, consular formalities, a power of attorney, and appearances scheduled across time zones. See divorce from abroad.
A waiver application. Extra drafting, and a hearing that may not succeed. Worth it where you have been apart for years; poor value if you are three months from the second motion anyway.
What we charge
| Guided session | ₹3,999 — fifty minutes online, your questions answered |
| Papers, self-serve | ₹99 |
| Mutual consent, both motions | From ₹30,000, fixed and agreed before we start |
| Contested | Priced on the issues |
Fixed and agreed before we start is the part that matters. A matrimonial matter billed by the hearing has an incentive structure nobody should accept.
The cost of getting it wrong
Worth putting alongside the fees, because it is usually larger:
- A settlement with an open term goes to mediation. Add weeks.
- A petition filed in the wrong court comes back. Add a listing cycle.
- The second motion missed past eighteen months and the petition lapses. You file again, and pay again.
Contested is a different order
A contested divorce is measured in years rather than months, with evidence, cross examination and interim applications. The honest answer on cost depends entirely on the grounds and how much is actually in dispute, and any figure quoted at the outset is a guess.
The reason this page is mostly about mutual consent is that mutual consent is almost always the better outcome, including financially, for two people who can still agree on anything at all.
What to do next
If you and your spouse agree the marriage is over, the cheapest thing you can do is finish the settlement before anything is drafted.
Book a guided session and find out what your matter actually involves before committing to anything.