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Educational information about court costs and procedure only — not legal advice and not a substitute for an attorney or your court clerk. Fees change; always confirm current figures with the clerk of the court where you file.

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West Virginia court costs guide

Filing for divorce in West Virginia costs $135 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in West Virginia — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.

West Virginia at a glanceFigure
CourtCircuit Court
Divorce filing fee$135 under W. Va. Code §59-1-11(a)(3).
Name change filing fee$200 — a name change is instituted as a civil action, so the general civil fee applies.
Name-change publicationRequired — Required — §48-25-101(b): a Class I legal advertisement at least 10 days before the hearing (with an identity-protection exception).
General civil filing fee$200 general civil fee (medical liability actions $280).
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Divorce filing fees

$135 under W. Va. Code §59-1-11(a)(3).

See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.

Name change: fee and publication

$200 — a name change is instituted as a civil action, so the general civil fee applies.

Publication: Required — §48-25-101(b): a Class I legal advertisement at least 10 days before the hearing (with an identity-protection exception).

Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.

General civil filing fees

$200 general civil fee (medical liability actions $280).

Probate court costs

No probate filing figure for West Virginia appears on the official schedules we read — in many states probate fees are set at county level (a register of wills or probate court fee schedule) rather than statewide. Confirm the current fee with the probate court where the estate will be filed. Our probate cost guide explains the cost layers every estate pays.

How filing works in West Virginia

  1. Prepare the petition or complaint for the Circuit Court — most West Virginia courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
  2. File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
  3. Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
  4. Complete any publication the rules require — for a West Virginia name change: required.
  5. Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.

Worked total: what a divorce filing costs

ItemCost
Filing fee$135
Service of process (typical private process server)$50–$100
Estimated total to file$185–$235

Filing fee plus service for one respondent, before any mediation, parenting-class, or copy charges described in the guides. Run your own combination in the cost calculator.

Sources: W. Va. Code §59-1-11 — WV Legislature · W. Va. Code §48-25-101 — WV Legislature. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.

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