Costs of Divorce
The Cost of a Divorce Increases Every Year
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It is very expensive to live today, maintaining a household, raising children, paying mortgages, car payments, etc. Things can be very difficult to manage financially and there are times when it all feels overwhelming. But if you decide to end your marriage and get a divorce, you may find that your expenses increase exponentially. You may find that you now have possibly two or more households to maintain!Although marriages are hoped to last a lifetime, they don’t always work out that way. They end for various reasons and divorce quickly becomes a real situation, accompanied with all of the expenses and costs that go with it. Within the costs of divorce are the initial expenses for attorney fees, filing fees with the court and then the aftermath expenses that can include alimony and child support expenses. There are online websites that deal specifically with the issues of divorce and remarriage. One such website is http://www.maritalstatus.com, which reports the industry has an expense of about $28 billion a year. The average cost of a divorce is about $20,000.
Although the costs of divorce can be relatively high through the standard process of courts and attorneys, there are other options that you can consider that will significantly reduce your costs. One other option is the do-it-yourself route where you can use a kit to file for a divorce and manage your expenses. These kits typically cover personal areas like property, real estate and alimony and are filed within the state of the originator. The divorce is finalized once a judge signs the documents. The kits range in cost from $25 to $70 and are valid in many states and Washington.If you choose to go the standard route of using an attorney to file for divorce, prepare for your costs to be significantly higher. The services of an experienced attorney can also be beneficial to ensure that matters are handled legally and equitably concerning children, property and assets. Attorney fees can range from $100 to $450 an hour, but can also be as little as $75 an hour with an up front retainer of $500 to $10,000. Costs of divorce involve more than lawyer fees and expenses and can also include:
Although the costs of divorce can be relatively high through the standard process of courts and attorneys, there are other options that you can consider that will significantly reduce your costs. One other option is the do-it-yourself route where you can use a kit to file for a divorce and manage your expenses. These kits typically cover personal areas like property, real estate and alimony and are filed within the state of the originator. The divorce is finalized once a judge signs the documents. The kits range in cost from $25 to $70 and are valid in many states and Washington.If you choose to go the standard route of using an attorney to file for divorce, prepare for your costs to be significantly higher. The services of an experienced attorney can also be beneficial to ensure that matters are handled legally and equitably concerning children, property and assets. Attorney fees can range from $100 to $450 an hour, but can also be as little as $75 an hour with an up front retainer of $500 to $10,000. Costs of divorce involve more than lawyer fees and expenses and can also include:
- Court filing fees
- Process serving and subpoenas
- Witness preparation
- Research and discovery
- Administration Fees: faxing, photocopying, travel expenses and phone calls.
