Expect $600–$1,500 through an online service, $1,500–$4,000 with an attorney for straightforward finances, and $5,000–$15,000+ when a business, multiple properties, or a tough negotiation is involved. New York, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts sit at the high end.
Short answer: between $600 and $15,000 — and where you land has almost nothing to do with love, and almost everything to do with state, complexity, and how many rounds of back-and-forth your lawyers bill.
Here are the real 2026 numbers, where they come from, and the four line items that make couples’ eyes go wide.
The three routes (and what each costs)
| Route | Typical 2026 cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Online service (flat fee) | $600 – $1,500 | Straightforward finances: one house, one business-less couple, similar incomes |
| Online + attorney review | $1,200 – $2,500 | The sweet spot for most couples — flat-fee document, real lawyer checking it |
| Attorney-drafted, uncontested | $1,500 – $4,000 | Moderate complexity: property, kids from prior marriages, income gap |
| Attorney-drafted, contested | $5,000 – $15,000+ | Businesses, multiple properties, stock comp, or partners who can’t agree |
Attorneys bill hourly — $300–$500/hour in most major metros, $400–$600+ in New York, San Francisco, and Boston. A “simple” attorney-drafted prenup often takes 5–15 hours across drafting, review, negotiation, and execution. That’s where the range comes from.
Cost by state (attorney-drafted, typical range)
High cost-of-living states price accordingly. Ranges are for a standard, non-contested prenup drafted with counsel:
| State | Typical range | State | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $2,500 – $10,000 | Texas | $1,500 – $7,500 |
| New York | $3,000 – $12,000 | Florida | $1,500 – $7,000 |
| New Jersey | $2,500 – $9,000 | Illinois | $2,000 – $7,000 |
| Massachusetts | $2,500 – $9,000 | Pennsylvania | $2,000 – $7,500 |
| Connecticut | $2,000 – $7,500 | Washington | $2,000 – $7,500 |
| Maryland | $2,000 – $7,500 | Virginia | $2,000 – $7,500 |
| Colorado | $1,500 – $6,500 | Georgia | $1,500 – $6,000 |
| Arizona | $1,500 – $6,000 | Ohio | $1,500 – $6,000 |
| North Carolina | $1,500 – $6,000 | Michigan | $1,500 – $6,000 |
| Tennessee | $1,500 – $6,000 | Missouri | $1,200 – $5,000 |
| Indiana | $1,500 – $5,500 | Wisconsin | $1,500 – $6,500 |
| Alabama | $1,000 – $4,500 | Kansas | $1,200 – $5,000 |
Don’t see your state? The cost calculator has all 50 states plus D.C. — pick yours, pick your path, get the range.
The four line items that blow up the bill
1. Each partner hiring their own attorney
Sometimes required, sometimes just wise — but yes, it roughly doubles legal fees. It’s also the single strongest insurance that the agreement survives: courts scrutinize whether both sides had real opportunity for independent advice.
2. The negotiation rounds nobody quotes
The first draft is cheap. The three rounds of “change clause 7, and while you’re at it…” at $350/hour are not. Agree on the big terms before the lawyer starts typing — separate property, debt, what happens to the house — and most couples cut hours off the bill.
3. Complex assets
A business, rental properties in two states, RSUs that vest over four years, a family trust — each one adds valuation work, custom clauses, and review time. Complex estates don’t just cost more to write; they cost more to make enforceable.
4. Waiting until the wedding month
Rush fees are real, leverage is gone, and mistakes are expensive. Couples who start 3–6 months out routinely pay less than couples who start 3 weeks out — same document, fewer panicked billable hours.
How to keep a prenup cheap without cutting corners
- Start early. Three to six months before the wedding is the sweet spot.
- Do your disclosure homework first. Gather statements, deeds, and account lists before the first appointment.
- Agree on terms together — then pay the lawyer to document the agreement, not to discover it.
- Consider the online route if your finances are straightforward, and spend the savings on an hour of attorney review instead of full drafting.
- Don’t DIY the execution. Notarization, witnesses, and state formalities are where cheap documents die.
Ready for your number? Run the prenup cost calculator — your state, your path, five seconds, no email. Still deciding whether it’s worth it at all? Read Is a Prenup Worth It? first.