How Much Will It Cost to Get Divorced?
I am very candid with my clients about the cost of divorce. Litigation can be expensive, and since you and your spouse will soon be maintaining two households instead of one, you need to know what to expect.
Cost is often the most difficult question for an attorney to answer because so much of the expense involved in a divorce case depends on the conduct of the other party. For a truly uncontested divorce, I may charge a flat fee. However, if your spouse decides to make matters difficult and won't agree to reasonable requests, divorce can be a long and expensive process. The number one issue that runs up divorce fees is a spouse (and/or opposing attorney) who won't cooperate and work in an amicable manner to resolve the case.
Giving You an Estimate of Your Expenses
During our initial consultation, I will give you a complete breakdown of attorney fees and my billing practices. For contested divorce, I always give a fee range. Because I understand that money is important, I will keep you fully informed of the charges that you are incurring through periodic statements. These statements will include attorney fees as well as fees paid to third parties such as experts to testify about child custody or financial issues. I will get your approval first before I spend money on experts or other third parties such as investigators. You will also be responsible for court filing costs.
Divorce Doesn't Have to Be Expensive
Many divorces are worked out in a relatively short time among the parties and the role of the attorneys is simply to facilitate the legal process of the divorce. As your lawyer, I will do everything I can to avoid needless conflict that will only add to the pain and financial drain of divorce.
