Answering the question, “How much does a divorce cost?” depends on many factors, such as whether or not it’s contested, if there are children involved, and whether or not a lawyer is required. According to a survey by Avvo, which was quoted in Forbes, the average cost of a divorce that goes to court is around $15,000. Because of the potential for such high costs, it pays to know what kind of cases end up in court, how to minimize the odds of that, and how you can cut your costs while still getting the best agreement possible. Here’s what you need to know about divorce costs.
How much does a divorce cost that’s contested?
If you and your ex can’t come to an agreement about how you’ll divide your assets, fair amounts for alimony and child support, plus, visitation rights and custody agreements when children are involved, you’ll end up needing the help of a mediator or lawyer. And the more of their time it takes to help you and your ex come to an agreement, the higher your bills for legal help will climb. If your case ends up in a nasty court battle, it gets even worse. Remember that $15,000 figure mentioned earlier. Not only do you end up with high legal bills, but you end up with larger emotional wounds that need healing, too. Because of this, it’s in your best interest to end your marriage amicably, if possible.
How to end up with an affordable divorce
As discussed previously, your divorce will be much more affordable if you and your spouse can come to an agreement on how to separate your assets, decide on support payments, and determine any child custody issues on your own. Consider seeing a counselor or mediator to help you and your spouse communicate with kindness and fairness – if it saves you from an expensive court battle and the associated legal fees, it’ll be well worth the time.
Once you and your spouse have come to an agreement on everything, you’ll need to formalize it via the correct legal documentation. Although many people are able to successfully represent themselves and complete the required paperwork on their own, most find it helpful to hire a legal document preparer. The good news is that hiring a document preparation service is far less expensive than hiring a lawyer. Although a legal document preparer can’t give you legal advice, they can be a huge asset to your team due to their ability to ensure that you completed all of the required forms, that all forms are filled out correctly, and that you are submitting them to the right place.
How much does a divorce cost depends on you and your ex
For some couples, it’s a relatively simple matter to separate their lives from one another and finalize their divorce inexpensively. For others, it’s not so easy, whether due to personality differences or simply the fact that children and lots of assets are involved. But either way, it’s well worth looking into all of your options to see if a reasonably priced divorce is an option for you. Consider reaching out to a legal document preparer to find out if you and your spouse might be candidates for a do-it-yourself, low-cost divorce using their services. With the savings at stake, it’s a good idea to look into this.
