Many couples are concerned about how much a divorce lawyer costs. You can save money by handling your own case or opting for an uncontested divorce process.
Legal costs can be the single greatest contributor to divorce costs, but other expenses like filing fees, forensic accountants and real estate appraisers may add up quickly as well.
Costs of a contested divorce
Contested divorce proceedings may take months or even years to resolve, leading to substantial legal fees. They also take valuable time away from work and family. Furthermore, you will likely need experts for matters like child custody, support payments and property division; on average these costs averaged $925 while median costs were only $300 in our survey.
To reduce these expenses, uncontested divorce petitions or mediation may help bring costs down significantly. Divorce mediation allows parties to come to an agreed-upon settlement without incurring attorney fees; limited-scope representation costs far less than full representation; in addition, filing fees vary by state and county – these options should help lower expenses significantly.
Costs of an uncontested divorce
When couples can agree on all issues when divorcing, the process can be much less expensive than one involving litigation and legal representation – court fees and attorney costs alone can quickly reach tens of thousands of dollars or even higher!
Couples who have reached an agreement on all major issues regarding spousal maintenance, custody of children and property division without filing a petition generally incur attorneys’ fees of around $1,500; this does not include filing fees which can be waived under financial hardship conditions.
As part of an uncontested divorce, one way to reduce costs is to limit your attorney’s services solely to reviewing papers – an approach known as limited scope representation that could save thousands in legal fees. You might even find an attorney offering this service for a fixed fee – further cutting expenses!
Costs of a divorce with children
Divorces involving children often incur significantly more legal expenses, including filing fees, court costs and attorney’s fees. There may also be costs related to child custody or visitation issues associated with this process.
These fees vary by state and county, but are typically several hundred dollars each. Some states waive these fees entirely if divorcing couples can reach agreement on all issues prior to filing or meet other qualifications for simplified divorce procedures.
While average divorce costs have been reported as approximately $17,100 for divorces without children and $25,600 for those with children, these estimates should only be seen as guidelines and may differ wildly based on an individual’s specific circumstances. For example, some people save money on legal fees by hiring an online divorce service to fill out paperwork and file documents instead of hiring a full-scope attorney.
Costs of a divorce with property
Divorce costs can vary widely depending on the circumstances and decisions of both parties involved, yet you can reduce them significantly by hiring an attorney to help prevent costly mistakes and help negotiate negotiations between spouses on key issues like property division, custody agreements and support payments. Attorney fees usually are charged hourly; expert witnesses such as forensic accountants and appraisers for real estate can add further expenses quickly. It may also be possible to save money through negotiations regarding these major issues as part of a divorce settlement;
Your next consideration should be whether or not you qualify for legal aid. If so, the legal aid office will provide an attorney at a reduced rate to represent your case. Furthermore, expect filing fees and court costs which can cost several hundred dollars; these expenses could increase should disagreement arise that leads to trial.