How Much Will My Divorce Cost?

Few occurrences in adulthood can bring about as much financial uncertainty and hardship as a divorce.  Separating two households and losing the benefit of pooling resources to pay necessary bills often will put the strain on even robust budgets.  Cutting costs and refining budgetary needs is a must-do for most divorcing spouses.  The cost of the divorce itself is an important consideration as well, as divorce litigation is notoriously long and can be costly.

The question of how much a divorce case will cost is difficult, if not impossible, to answer at the beginning of a case.  There are far too many variables to consider.  The longer a divorce lasts, typically the more expensive it will be.  Moreover, if there are many contentious issues to be litigated, the divorce will probably last longer.  For example, a divorce that involves very little property and no children will typically be a faster and less costly divorce than one involving lots of assets, an argument for spousal support, and child custody.  The willingness of the parties to reach an agreement will also greatly impact the ultimate cost of the divorce case.  If the parties are able to come to an agreement on all or at least some of the issues, the divorce will be concluded sooner, thereby costing the spouses less in attorney’s fees.

That said, there are some techniques you may employ to help keep the cost of your divorce case lower, even in situations where there are many issues and the fight is contentious.  First is to attempt to work together to resolve as many issues with your spouse as possible.  The cost of an uncontested divorce is far lower than that of a contested divorce.  Next, retaining an attorney that is within your budget is crucial.  When meeting with potential attorneys, be candid about your resources and ask questions about billing practices.  Third, although this may sound counter-intuitive, you will want to hire an attorney.  Hiring an attorney to do your divorce the first time can absolutely save you money in the long run.  Attempting to complete a divorce without the assistance of a lawyer can often lead to mistakes.  Having a lawyer come in after-the-fact to fix those mistakes will be more costly than it would have been to simply hire a lawyer to do it right the first time.

We have extensive experience helping our clients with divorce, and working within their budgetary concerns. Call us today at 619-800-0384 for an appointment so we can discuss divorce and your case.