The days of the $500 divorce a long gone, especially when couples are involved in a contested divorce. Lawyers’ fees have risen sharply, as have the costs for any additional services, filing fees, and document preparation that may be required to prove someone’s case in a contested divorce. It is important to consider those costs carefully and decide if a contested divorce is really worth the investment.
Top Costs
The primary cost of a contested divorce is found in the legal fees required by the divorce lawyer. In a no-fault divorce, those fees may be as low as $1,500. However, in a contested divorce, they may reach $25,000 for a flat-rate divorce or $50,000 to $180,000 for complex cases based on hourly rates.
Those figures alone can be difficult to consider, without calculating additional costs, which can include:
- Filing fees, court costs, process servers, and subpoenas, totaling several hundred dollars
- Witness preparation
- Temporary court orders
- Discovery (sharing evidence)
- Expert witnesses and investigators which are not included in attorney’s fees, which may add up to $7,500 or more
Many of these elements cannot be specifically calculated ahead of time since they vary so widely depending on the people and conflicts involved, as well as the state or region in which the divorce is filed.
Additional Costs
Anyone who goes through a divorce, especially one in which there are divisive issues, must be prepared for the drastic lifestyle changes after the divorce, as well. Most women face more than a 30% drop in income after a divorce. Housing adjustments, moving costs, utility deposits and installation fees, childcare, replacing property that was awarded to the other party and more must also be considered. That does not measure the emotional costs, either. For some, that may lead to medical expenses for an unspecified period of time, and even counseling for the children.
Alternatives
There are alternatives that parties may explore to save money on their divorce.
- Mediation instead of a contested trial
- Consulting a divorce attorney on an as-needed basis rather than throughout the process
- Collaborative divorce, whereby attorneys agree to advise and assist couples in their negotiations for a settlement agreement without continuing with a case that is headed to court.
Getting Legal Help with Limiting the Cost of a Contested Divorce
While few divorces involve sufficient financial issues to justify the costs of a contested divorce, those that do may require a lawyer who will negotiate for a flat rate in order to limit those costs. In addition, some issues are worth more than money. Child custody may make a contested divorce worth whatever costs they incur. However, it may be worth investigating some of the alternatives before heading to court and draining the funds that may be needed to support that child.
