It will be easier for you to prepare for your marriage termination process if you can pre-calculate the money you are to spend on it. Whether you get an online divorce or decide to move your case to the court, wise money management in the process and afterward will lead you to success. Check out the average divorce cost to avoid financial hurdles when it comes to the end of your marriage.
What to Calculate in the Divorce Cost
If you wish to know how much a divorce costs for a case like yours, it is vital to consider several details. Check out the points you should include in your marriage termination calculations.
Filing Fees
When you decide to finish your marriage, a definite expense either you or your spouse have to cover is the filing fee. It varies from state to state and is usually paid by the plaintiff of the divorce process. Divorce fees are as low as $80 in North Dakota and may reach $435 in California. The fees are charged by the local family law office and may cover all the divorce-related official inquiries. In some, states you may be required to pay additional fees for every single point added to your filing process.
Attorney Fees
If you need to get divorced with the help of a family attorney, it may add a significant chunk to your divorce budget. It can be difficult to say how much you will spend on your attorney. It depends on different factors. The living cost level in your city, the complexity of your case, the time you will spend with the attorney, additional services provided.
Denver divorce attorneys at Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. can charge you between $200 and $2,000 per hour. Or if calculated for the whole process, the easier case with an attorney may cost $2,500, while a more complicated case may reach $50,000 of attorney fees only.
Divorce Platform Services
You can also get an uncontested divorce online using trustworthy divorce platforms. You will fill out the questionnaire and get your divorce papers ready for filing for as little as $129. The average cost of divorce online may go up to $400 and reach $800 if you choose more popular websites or use a wider range of services. Still, mind that you can only finalize your marriage online if you are ready for a peaceful termination.
Additional Disputes
It is obvious that additional disputes and issues you can predict may arise will add to the total cost of your divorce. If you plan to argue over alimony, the process may cost you $15,800 on average. With custody-related disputes, expect to waste around $15,000 as well. The more points you cannot agree on, the more you will have to pay to terminate your marriage.
Trials Included
The top expensive divorce for you will be the one you cannot keep out of the court. If your case includes a trial, it will cost you not less than $20,000. The more times you bring your divorce to the court, the more thousands it will add to your bill.
What Makes Divorce Less Expensive
Yet, getting divorced doesn’t mean you have to waste a fortune if you wish to terminate your marriage with maximum comfort and benefits. There are simple ways to get a cost-effective divorce where you will get the best services without paying extra. Check out the following tips to make your divorce less expensive but satisfactory in the end:
- opt for peaceful divorce whenever possible;
- don’t seek the most popular and expensive attorney but an experienced one;
- collect necessary papers on your own so that your attorney doesn’t charge you for extra services;
- use only trustworthy divorce platforms to get divorced online;
- cooperate with a mediator to settle your disputes quickly and beneficially;
- try to settle as many things on your own as you can;
- if you need it, request financial aid from the state or your spouse to help you cover some of the divorce expenses.
Still, remember that your aim is not to make your marriage termination as cheap as possible but to optimize it to reach your desired outcomes. After all, your future depends greatly on the results of your divorce. So, review the common divorce expenses, create a working divorce budget, and put an end to your marriage without much harm to your finances.