Divorce is as expensive as marriage: The cost of a contested divorce is eye-watering!
While the expenses for those wanting to get married are increasing, it has become clear that those wanting to divorce are facing a similar cost burden. The cost of a contested divorce is eye-watering.
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In recent years, those wishing to get married have been facing heavy expenses due to rising costs. According to the Istanbul Planning Agency (İPA), couples who decide to marry have to spend at least 600 thousand TL.
So, what is the situation with divorce costs? Data shows that divorce expenses have increased at least as much as marriage expenses.
So much so that even the costs of an uncontested divorce start at 75 thousand liras. If couples choose the path of a contested divorce, they need to set aside at least 110 thousand liras. While these figures are based on the 2025 attorney fee schedule, this does not include court fees. When custody cases and other claims are added, the costs rise even further.
NUMBER OF MARRIAGES FELL, NUMBER OF DIVORCES ROSE
According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), there has been a decline in the number of people getting married in Turkey in recent years. The number of divorces, however, is steadily increasing. The crude marriage rate, which represents the number of marriages per thousand population in Turkey, was 8.35 in 2021 and fell to 6.63 in 2023.
According to a report by Ekonomim, the cost of "setting up a home", which was approximately 32 thousand 500 TL in 2018, rose to 40 thousand liras in 2019. Despite the pandemic, the expenses for those getting married in 2020 increased by 100 percent to 80 thousand TL. The marriage cost, which was 99 thousand TL in 2021, rose to 150 thousand TL in 2022, an increase of nearly half.
While 2023 was a period when the reflection of costs on prices peaked, the cost of marriage reached 400 thousand TL with an increase rate of 167 percent.
According to the results of the research conducted by the Istanbul Planning Agency (İPA), it reached 600 thousand TL in 2024.
In the 7 years from 2018 to 2024, the increase is 1747 percent.
While a minimum wage earner had to work for 20 months for wedding expenses in 2018, this period became 35 months in 2024.
According to the attorney fee schedule, excluding court fees, the cost of filing for an uncontested divorce in 2018 was 5,140 TL, while the cost of a contested divorce case was 6,650 TL.
In the new 2025 schedules, an uncontested divorce costs 75 thousand TL, and a contested divorce costs 110 thousand TL. These amounts do not include custody cases if there are children involved. In 8 years, the cost of an uncontested divorce paid to an attorney has increased by 1,359 percent, and the cost of a contested divorce by 1,554 percent, outpacing the increase in the cost of marriage.