Independent legal cost calculators — free to use, no data selling, and no affiliation with any law firm.
Published by Brenda Kay, Founder and Publisher · Last updated: September 2026
Legal costs are one of the most opaque expenses in American life. When you're facing a divorce, a DUI, an estate planning decision, or a business formation, you shouldn't have to call three attorneys just to get a ballpark number. The existing resources are either vague, buried behind lead-generation forms that hand your information to law firms, or produced by the very services trying to sell you something.
FreeLegalIQ exists to change that. We built plain-language calculators that create planning ranges based on your state, situation, and choices — with no email required and no data sold to attorneys or legal services companies. You can use the tools without requesting a quote or speaking with a salesperson.
FreeLegalIQ is an independent consumer-information publisher founded and published by Brenda Kay. We organize public fee information and broad market benchmarks into plain-language planning tools. We are not a law firm, and our material is not reviewed or approved by a lawyer unless a page expressly identifies that reviewer.
Brenda oversees FreeLegalIQ's mission, publishing standards, corrections channel, and separation between free calculator use and optional monetized links. This role does not represent Brenda as an attorney, and the site does not provide legal advice.
The FreeLegalIQ Editorial Team researches, writes, tests, and maintains the calculators and guides. We prefer official court and agency publications for legal rules and fixed fees, distinguish those figures from variable market estimates, and document each tool's limits. See Methodology & Sources.
Primary starting sources include USCIS, U.S. Courts, state judicial branches, state motor-vehicle agencies, state business-filing offices, and the federal Office of Child Support Services. Variable professional costs are broad planning ranges rather than government-set prices. Our source directory links readers to the responsible authorities.
FreeLegalIQ is independently operated and is not a law firm. No attorney, law firm, or legal platform controls our calculator methods or results. We may earn commissions from clearly disclosed affiliate links to books or legal resources, but compensation never changes a calculator result or determines our editorial conclusions.
FreeLegalIQ is supported by display advertising and affiliate links. Google manages the display ads shown on the site. When a link is an affiliate link, we identify it near the recommendation; if you make a qualifying purchase or sign up through that link, FreeLegalIQ may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Every calculator and its complete results remain free to use. Advertising and affiliate relationships do not influence calculator formulas, estimated results, or our editorial conclusions. Following an affiliate link is optional, separate from using a calculator, and always the visitor's independent choice. This revenue helps us operate the site without paywalls, required email sign-ups, or subscription fees. We do not sell calculator inputs or personal information to attorneys or legal services.
FreeLegalIQ currently offers 10 free legal cost calculators covering the situations people search for most. Each calculator was built from a combination of court filing fee schedules, state-published data, U.S. government agency fee charts, and industry surveys of attorney billing rates.
FreeLegalIQ's calculators provide estimates only. They are educational tools designed to help you understand the range of costs you might face — not substitutes for professional legal advice. Actual legal costs vary significantly based on your specific circumstances, the complexity of your case, the attorneys you choose, and the jurisdiction where your matter is filed.
Before making any legal decision, consult with a licensed attorney in your state. Nothing on this site creates an attorney-client relationship, and no content on FreeLegalIQ should be construed as legal advice. For immigration matters specifically, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) accredited representative.
We update our data regularly, but court fees, attorney rates, and legal requirements change. Always verify costs with your court, your attorney, or the relevant government agency before making financial decisions.