How Much Does a
Prenup Cost?
Short answer: $1,500 to $10,000+ in attorney fees for a straightforward agreement, depending on your state — and well past $10,000 when both partners retain lawyers and negotiate. Or $349 $249 one-time for a jurisdiction-specific prenup online.
Why the range is so wide
What actually drives the cost of a prenup
One lawyer or two
Most of the cost is people, not paper. Every added hour of negotiation between two attorneys shows up on two bills. Couples who agree on the terms before anyone is retained pay a fraction of what a contested negotiation costs.
Where you live
Family-law hourly rates track local cost of living. A straightforward agreement in Arkansas or Alabama is routinely quoted under $3,500, while the same document from a Los Angeles, Manhattan or Toronto firm starts higher and climbs quickly. The table below gives the typical range we see quoted in each jurisdiction.
What you own
A business, stock options, real estate in more than one place, a trust, or an expected inheritance each adds drafting time. Spousal-support waivers and sunset clauses add more, because they are the terms courts scrutinise most closely.
Execution requirements
Notarisation, witnesses and (in Canada) a certificate of independent legal advice are small line items on their own, but they are easy to forget when comparing quotes. A prenup that skips a required formality can cost far more later.
Four ways to get one
Prenup cost by route
Generic template
- Typical cost
- $0 – $100
- Time
- An evening
- What you get
- Not written for your state or province. Missing disclosure schedules and state-specific execution rules are the most common reasons a template prenup is thrown out.
prenups.ai (online, jurisdiction-specific)
- Typical cost
- $249 (CA$339 in Canada)
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- What you get
- Drafted for the law of your state or province, with the disclosure schedules and signing instructions a court expects. Edit it as many times as you like. No subscription.
Online draft + attorney review
- Typical cost
- $249 + roughly $300 – $1,000
- Time
- 1 – 2 weeks
- What you get
- Have a local family lawyer review the finished agreement instead of drafting from a blank page. In Canada this is also how each partner gets their certificate of independent legal advice.
Attorney-drafted, one lawyer
- Typical cost
- $1,500 – $5,000+
- Time
- 2 – 6 weeks
- What you get
- One attorney drafts for one partner; the other partner is usually advised to get their own review, which is a separate bill.
Attorney-drafted, both represented
- Typical cost
- $5,000 – $20,000+
- Time
- 1 – 3 months
- What you get
- Two firms, two retainers and rounds of redlines. Common for couples with businesses, significant assets or a large income gap.
By jurisdiction
Prenup cost by state and province
Typical attorney-drafted ranges for a straightforward agreement, as quoted on our jurisdiction guides. Complex finances or two-lawyer negotiations exceed these ranges. Click a jurisdiction for its specific requirements.
United States
| Jurisdiction | Attorney-drafted (typical) | prenups.ai (one-time) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Alaska prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Arizona prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Arkansas prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| California prenup | $3,000 – $8,000 | $249 |
| Colorado prenup | $2,500 – $6,000 | $249 |
| Connecticut prenup | $3,000 – $8,000 | $249 |
| Delaware prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| District of Columbia prenup | $3,000 – $8,000 | $249 |
| Florida prenup | $1,500 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Georgia prenup | $1,500 – $4,000 | $249 |
| Hawaii prenup | $2,500 – $6,000 | $249 |
| Idaho prenup | $1,200 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Illinois prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Indiana prenup | $1,200 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Iowa prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Kansas prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Kentucky prenup | $1,200 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Louisiana prenup | $1,500 – $4,000 | $249 |
| Maine prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Maryland prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Massachusetts prenup | $3,000 – $8,000 | $249 |
| Michigan prenup | $1,500 – $4,000 | $249 |
| Minnesota prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| Mississippi prenup | $1,000 – $2,500 | $249 |
| Missouri prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Montana prenup | $1,000 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Nebraska prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Nevada prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| New Hampshire prenup | $1,500 – $3,000 | $249 |
| New Jersey prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| New Mexico prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| New York prenup | $5,000 – $10,000 | $249 |
| North Carolina prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| North Dakota prenup | $1,200 – $2,500 | $249 |
| Ohio prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Oklahoma prenup | $1,000 – $2,500 | $249 |
| Oregon prenup | $1,500 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Pennsylvania prenup | $1,500 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Rhode Island prenup | $1,200 – $2,500 | $249 |
| South Carolina prenup | $1,000 – $2,500 | $249 |
| South Dakota prenup | $900 – $2,000 | $249 |
| Tennessee prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Texas prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Utah prenup | $1,200 – $2,500 | $249 |
| Vermont prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Virginia prenup | $1,500 – $4,000 | $249 |
| Washington prenup | $2,000 – $5,000 | $249 |
| West Virginia prenup | $1,200 – $3,000 | $249 |
| Wisconsin prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
| Wyoming prenup | $1,500 – $3,500 | $249 |
Canada (CAD)
| Jurisdiction | Attorney-drafted (typical) | prenups.ai (one-time) |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta prenup | CA$2,500 – CA$6,000 | CA$339 |
| British Columbia prenup | CA$2,000 – CA$5,000 | CA$339 |
| Manitoba prenup | CA$1,500 – CA$4,000 | CA$339 |
| New Brunswick prenup | CA$1,200 – CA$3,000 | CA$339 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador prenup | CA$1,200 – CA$3,000 | CA$339 |
| Northwest Territories prenup | CA$2,000 – CA$4,000 | CA$339 |
| Nova Scotia prenup | CA$1,500 – CA$3,500 | CA$339 |
| Nunavut prenup | CA$2,500 – CA$5,000 | CA$339 |
| Ontario prenup | CA$2,000 – CA$5,000 | CA$339 |
| Prince Edward Island prenup | CA$1,200 – CA$2,500 | CA$339 |
| Saskatchewan prenup | CA$1,500 – CA$3,500 | CA$339 |
| Yukon prenup | CA$2,000 – CA$4,000 | CA$339 |
Spend less, protect more
Five ways to lower the cost of a prenup
- 1
Agree on the big terms before anyone bills an hour
Decide together what stays separate (the house, the business, the inheritance), how you will treat income earned during the marriage, and whether either of you wants a spousal-support waiver. Lawyers charge the same whether they are drafting or refereeing; walking in with answers removes most of the refereeing.
- 2
Draft online, then pay for review instead of drafting
An attorney reviewing a finished, jurisdiction-specific agreement typically needs one to two hours. The same attorney drafting from a blank page and exchanging redlines with the other side needs ten or more. The review route also gives each partner the independent advice that strengthens enforceability.
- 3
Prepare your financial disclosure yourself
Assemble the account statements, property valuations, debt balances and recent tax returns before the first meeting. Disclosure is required everywhere; having it ready turns billable assembly time into a quick check.
- 4
Keep the agreement focused
Clauses about chores, weight or social media make drafts longer and are unenforceable in most jurisdictions anyway. A prenup that covers property, debt and support in plain terms is cheaper to draft and easier to uphold.
- 5
Start early
Rush fees are real, and agreements signed in the final days before a wedding are the easiest to attack. Starting two to three months out means a calm review, no expedited billing and time for each partner to get advice.
Read the fine print
Costs that quotes leave out
Independent legal advice (ILA)
In Canadian provinces a marriage contract is far easier to challenge if either partner did not receive independent legal advice. Budget $300 – $800 per partner for an ILA certificate on top of drafting. In the US, independent counsel is not required in most states, but California presumes an agreement was involuntary unless the party it is enforced against had counsel or waived it in a separate signed writing.
Notary and witnesses
Notarisation runs $5 – $25 per signature in most US states, more for mobile or online notaries. A few states and all Canadian provinces expect witnesses as well. prenups.ai includes the execution instructions for your jurisdiction with every agreement.
Revisions after the first draft
Law firms bill revisions by the hour. Online, revisions are included — which matters, because most couples change at least one term after the first read-through.
Financial disclosure
Both partners must disclose assets, debts and income. Gathering statements is unpaid time for you, but if a lawyer prepares the schedules it is billable time for them. prenups.ai builds the disclosure schedules from your answers.
Starting too late
Rushed prenups cost more and are easier to attack. California requires at least seven days between receiving the final agreement and signing it; several other states look hard at agreements signed days before the wedding. Start 2 – 3 months out.
FAQ
Prenup cost: common questions
How much does a prenup cost with a lawyer?
Across the US, attorney-drafted prenups are typically quoted at $1,500 – $5,000 for a straightforward agreement with one lawyer, and $5,000 – $20,000 or more when both partners retain counsel and negotiate. Big-city firms and complex finances push the number up. See the state-by-state table on this page for the typical range where you live.
How much does a prenup cost online?
prenups.ai charges $249 one-time (limited-time sale, normally $349) for a complete prenuptial agreement drafted for your state or province, including financial disclosure schedules, plain-English explanations and signing instructions. Canadian couples pay CA$339 in Canadian dollars. There are no subscriptions or per-revision fees.
Why is a prenup so expensive at a law firm?
Because it is billed by the hour, usually by two firms. Intake meetings, drafting, exchanging financial disclosure, negotiating redlines and supervising execution can easily take 10 – 30 attorney hours at $250 – $600 an hour. The document itself is rarely the expensive part; the negotiation is.
Who pays for the prenup?
There is no rule. Many couples split the cost; where one partner has significantly more assets and is the one asking for the agreement, that partner often pays for both sides, including the other partner’s independent lawyer. Paying for your partner’s independent advice does not make the agreement less enforceable — it usually helps.
Is a cheap prenup enforceable?
Price is not what courts look at. They look at whether the agreement was in writing and signed voluntarily, whether both partners disclosed their finances, whether each had a chance to get independent advice, and whether the terms were unconscionable. An inexpensive agreement that meets those requirements for your jurisdiction is enforceable; an expensive one that was signed under pressure the night before the wedding may not be.
How much does a prenup cost in Canada?
Lawyer-drafted marriage contracts (the legal term for prenups in Ontario and most provinces) are commonly quoted at CA$2,500 – CA$5,000 when both partners retain counsel, and CA$1,500 – CA$10,000 depending on complexity. prenups.ai drafts a province-specific marriage contract or marriage agreement for CA$339; each partner then obtains independent legal advice locally, which is the step that makes a Canadian agreement hard to set aside.
Is a prenup worth the cost?
A contested divorce in the US commonly costs each spouse tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, most of it spent arguing about exactly the questions a prenup answers in advance: what is separate, what is shared, and whether support is owed. Even at law-firm prices a prenup is a small fraction of that; online it is less than the cost of one hour with a family-law attorney.
Related: Get a prenup online · Do I need a prenup? · Prenups in Canada · Already married? Postnup cost