When a couple gets married they usually think that the marriage is for life. However, after a few months, years or even decades, either spouse may decide that they will be happier if they divorce from each other. In some cases, both spouses agree to the divorce resulting in an uncontested divorce, while in other cases, one spouse may not agree to the divorce, so it will be contested. A divorce is stressful for both the husband and wife, affecting their life financially,socially and professionally. Hence couples planning to divorce would like to find out the cost divorce lawyer in Singapore so that they can plan their finances accordingly. Some factors affecting the divorce lawyer cost are discussed below.
Divorce type
The legal cost will vary greatly depending on whether the divorce is contested or uncontested divorces. In case of uncontested divorces, the couple has agreed to amicably separate from each other. They are also willing to discuss the division of the assets and custody issues. In this case the lawyer will only have to draft the legal documents and complete the legal formalities involved submitting documents to the Singapore Family Justice court. After the legal formalities are complete the divorce lawyer will also get the divorce documents for his client. Typically the fees charged are $1500.
In case of contested divorces the fees charged will be significantly higher, since the lawyer will have to spend his time to study the evidence which is available. Then using the evidence available, the lawyer will prepare the divorce documents. The divorce documents will then have to be served on the other spouse, who may or may not hire a lawyer. After this the matter will be argued in the court. Often there are multiple court hearings. Depending on the lawyer hired, he may charge an hourly fee for representing his client, or a lump-sum for the entire divorce.
Child custody
If the couple has one or more children and do not agree on the child custody, their dispute will be resolved in court. For this each spouse will have to hire a lawyer to represent them in the court of law,increasing the legal expenses. While usually younger children live with their mother in case of divorce, their father also has the right to visit them. The father is also expected to pay maintenance to the mother who is looking after the child, so that she can easily pay the expenses like food,clothes,and education. The maintenance cost is also decided by the court.
Division of assets
In case of contested divorce, one of the factors which greatly increases the legal expenses, are the disputes regarding the division of the couples assets. In some cases, one spouse, especially the husband will not reveal some of his assets to deny the other spouse her share. So in addition to legal expenses, the lawyer will also hire a detective for asset tracing and this will greatly increase the cost of the lawyer. In other cases, one spouse may want a greater share of assets, and this issue will be resolved in court, increasing legal fees.