What It Will Cost
If you plan to hire legal representation and have some details to iron out, you should know that you may have to invest quite a lot to make your divorce final. Most lawyers charge between $100 and $400 an hour for their work. And in the world of divorce, these hours can quickly add up. In fact, experts say that the total average cost of ending a marriage in the United States can fall in the range of $15,000 and $30,000. But this is just a middle of the road estimate. You can also spend a lot less, or a lot more, depending on what you have and need to work out, how angry you and/or your spouse both are, and the lawyer’s rate, approach and style.
For instance, if you and your spouse will have an uncomplicated divorce and think you can work together, you may want to go for the less expensive, and probably quicker, do-it-yourself divorce. You can do a search online to get the paperwork you will need, or you can purchase a divorce kit from various websites for between $25 and $150. This is an easy and cost-effective strategy. The kits generally include all of the legal forms you will need for the process. Just keep in mind that the laws vary by state, so you will want to be sure that you select a kit that is applicable where you live.
If do-it-yourself isn’t for you and you need someone to help you both agree on the fine points, then you might consider hiring a mediator to bridge your differences. This can cost about $5,000 or even less, depending on what’s involved in your settlement. A collaborative divorce involves hiring two lawyers (one for each of you), so it can be a little more expensive than using one mediator but is still significantly cheaper than a traditional divorce. Figure about $6,000 to $10,000 for this process from start to finish.
But if you and your spouse can’t even be in the same room to talk things out, you may find you cannot avoid having to go to court to hash things out with the help of your lawyers. This is usually the most expensive route, so it requires more of your lawyer’s time and also incurs court fees as well. A long, drawn out court case can cost as much as $100,000 or more from start to finish.
The Bottom Line: The average cost of a divorce is between $15,000 and $30,000 but you can also spend as little as $25 (plus filing fees) for a do-it-yourself divorce or as much as $100,000 for a long, complicated court battle.
Other Expenses
In addition to paying for your lawyer, there are other costs you will need to consider. This includes: filing in court, serving papers and sending subpoenas, paying for expert testimony, investigators and a mediator. If your case makes it to court, you will also need to pay for preparing witnesses and other court-related costs. Keep in mind that all of these expenses can vary depending on where you live.
You should also know that most lawyers will ask you to pay a retainer for their services. This means that they ask for a specified sum of money up front and they will deduct the cost of the time you use from this amount. So if you give a $10,000 retainer and your lawyer charges $100 an hour, your deposit will cover 100 hours of his or her time and when that runs out, you will need to put more in to cover your tab. But always ask if you will get the balance back if you don’t use the full amount, since there are different ways of handling this situation.