What is the cost of a divorce, dissolution of marriage, or agreement to terminate a domestic partnership?
Each attorney sets his or her own fees. Costs and payment arrangements can vary quite a bit. I usually refuse to give a specific “price” or estimate for the costs of a divorce, dissolution of marriage, or agreement to terminate a domestic partnership because there are so many factors that influence the amount of time it will take to complete the work for my client. There may also be court costs, depending on the type of case it is.
Fees are based on an hourly rate. The amount of time I spend on a case will increase with the number of issues which are disputed, and with the complexity of those issues.
Factors that affect the amount of time required, and thus the cost of a proceeding are:
- Whether or not the parties are inclined to work together to reach a settlementIf the parties can agree it typically takes much less time to complete the negotiations, and finalize the paperwork. Therefore the costs are less. Tools like collaboration, or mediation are often very useful when working with parties who are committed to reaching an amicable settlement. That can cut the time needed to reach resolution to a minimum.Generally, a dissolution takes less time to finalize than a divorce because the parties enter the negations with the sincere desire to reach an agreement. However, with a divorce some matters are generally contested and the process is typically more expensive. If the parties wish to argue with one another, hearings are missed, and/or the negotiations become protracted, the time expenditure increases.If the parties approach the situation with hostility. Attitude plays a major role in the ability of parties to reach settlement. What are minor issues for a couple which communicating well, can become major issues (and take a great deal of time to resolve) when the parties are feeling anger, betrayal or have hurt one another deeply.
- Whether or not the issues are complicatedIf research is required for unusual issues, or a great deal of historical information must be assembled the time expenditure can increase. If the case goes to trial, the preparation time is high, and the time in court may be extensive, depending on the issues involved.
- Whether or not there are children involvedWhen children are involved, the parties may be able to reach an agreement about custody vs. shared parenting, visitation, and responsibilities. However, disagreements about the children and what is in their “best interest” sometimes take a great deal of time to resolve.[<br><br>]
- Whether or not my client has the address of the other party. If the whereabouts of the other party are unknown, a great deal of time can be spent giving them notice of the proceedings.
It is necessary to discuss fees with me during the Initial Interview. Once I have a better understanding of the situation and its complexities, I will be able to give you a “ball park” figure of the costs you can expect. I am totally committed to explaining the charges involved, including retainers and hourly rates, court costs, and payment arrangements. I will not file any paperwork with the court, or take any action on any case until I have received an agreed-upon retainer, and we have both signed a Fee Agreement.
