How much does a divorce cost?
I am being tongue in cheek here, but my lawyer did mention something like “your divorce will cost you as much as you can afford”. Personally, I would say it could cost you more than you can afford. Every discussion, every negotiation, every disagreement will cost you or someone time and, hence, money. Mediation can help keep costs in control, but it takes two to mediate effectively. Update: I remember what he said – it was almost 20 years ago. I was inquiring about some issue in contention and he said: “Do you want to give me your house?
The filing fee is $147 ($145 if no minor children). The cost of serving the other person in New Hampshire is approximately $12-45. Legal fees can vary substantially, depending on how much lawyering you need and your lawyer’s hourly rate. Your choice of decision-making methods makes a difference (See Question #4 above). Litigation is the most expensive method. If your case is simple (no children, house, or pension) and all issues worked out before you hire the lawyer, you might find a lawyer who would do it for about $500. In many of my cases, the fees are between $2,000-$8,000. If you have a parenting fight or major dispute over another issue, your legal fees could easily be $15,000 to $30,000 (or $50,000). High asset cases can cost more.
It depends on local court costs, if the divorce is contested, if you have a lot of assets it will cost more, and if you have children it usually costs more. There’s a lot more paperwork involved with contested divorces, big assets and children. They also tend to take longer. Talk to an attorney, they should be able to get an estimate.
Divorce attorneys generally charge at an hourly rate. Most Michigan divorce lawyers will require you to pay a retainer fee up front. The retainer fee is like a “deposit” on your case. How much your divorce will cost, depends upon the filing fees and other costs involved, how much time your attorney spends on your case and the difficulty of your case.
