admin Divorce costs can greatly vary from case to case. You could end up paying several hundred dollars or thousands depending on a variety of factors. Most of the time, each spouse will be responsible for paying fees, but there are exceptions. Sometimes one spouse will have to pay some or all of the other spouse’s costs as well, if he or she earns the lion’s share of the income. A prime example would be a stay at home mom, as she wouldn’t be able to pay the divorce costs herself.
Factors
Simply put, the less contested a divorce is, the less you’ll likely have to pay. In other words, if you and your spouse can agree on division of property, alimony, child custody, and so on, then the attorney’s fees will be dramatically decreased. If the all the issues are agreed to, then you may not need an attorney at all. In this case, the cost of divorce could be several hundred dollars or less.
This is the ideal scenario, but not always realistic as the relationship could be damaged to such a degree that both parties would rather just settle in court.
The lawyer you hire also determines your total cost of divorce. The more experienced and successful he or she is, the more you’ll pay. This rule applies to just about every service provided. For example, if you hire one of the most famous interior designers in the world, expect to pay a small ransom.
As you might have noticed, celebrities pay a small fortune to hire the best divorce lawyers out there. They do this because they recognize the importance of having a great lawyer. Any attorney worth their salt is going to charge higher rates. While a good lawyer is not going to be cheap, they usually pay for themselves. So hire the best attorney you can.
The amount of assets and debts involved in the divorce will also play a part in the overall cost. If you and your spouse both own a lot of property for example, then matters will be a bit more complicated. Some couples have businesses, investments, and a ton of assets that have to be split up. In these cases, there is more work to be done. More work equals more money.
Again, if you and your spouse can agree on how to divide the assets, it will lower the costs for both parties. The incentive goes both ways, so both sides have motivation to work together.