As a Florida divorce attorney, I know just how stressful the divorce process can be. One of the reasons that it is so stressful is that people don’t know how much it is going to cost. To help clear the air and provide my fellow Floridians with a bit more information, I’m using this blog post to lay out how much divorce costs in the Sunshine State and what factors can drive up the price tag.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Divorce
According to a survey conducted by Lawyers.com, the average divorce in Florida costs about $13,500. However, certain factors can drastically reduce or inflate the costs—as low as $4,000 and as high as $30,000 or more—so if you want to get a better idea of how much your divorce is going to cost, it’s critical to consider the details of your situation.
Here are a few factors that can affect how much you will pay your Florida divorce attorney.
Settling Differences
How well you and your spouse are able to settle your differences has a large impact on the cost of divorce. Spouses who can work through issues and come to an agreement quickly will pay less than spouses who cannot agree on anything. The reason for this is mainly how much time you take to work through your disagreements. The more time you take to work out an agreement, the more you will end up paying.
Child Custody
If you and your spouse have any children together, your divorce will cost more than if you did not have kids. When you don’t have children, you only have to worry about protecting your own best interests, but when you have children, you have to make sure that what you are doing is best for them, as well. Divorce cases that involve children also take longer than divorces that don’t involve them, which means the divorce will take longer.
Trial
Going to trial is more expensive than settling a divorce out of court. One of the reasons for this difference in cost is that your attorney will have to spend more time preparing your case. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing a divorce case for trial.
Because trial is so expensive, some couples who are able to work together to come to an agreement choose to go a different route—divorce mediation. In divorce mediation, a neutral third party helps divorcing spouses find a resolution. Not only does mediation usually cost less than if both spouses hire an attorney, but also it can be less traumatic for everyone involved.
Get the Right Florida Divorce Attorney for Your Case
Are you thinking about divorce but still unsure about the costs? Get in touch with me today so that we can go over the details of your case. I will work with you to identify your options and help you decide your best course of action.
About the Author: Helena Y. Farber is a Divorce attorney in Aventura, Florida, whose practice is concentrated in the areas of divorce and family law. She can be reached at (305) 520-9205 or via email at hyf@farberlawpa.com.
Disclaimer: The attorney makes this Blog available for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this blog site, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Blog. The Blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.