Cost of a divorce - Figuring Out The Costs Of A Divorce

Figuring Out The Costs Of A Divorce When facing a divorce, you might find yourself asking, as many of us did, how much the divorce will cost. In general, a divorce will end up costing a lot. You’ll need to plan and budget for it as you would for a new house or a wedding. As you begin talking to attorneys, you’ll find that the costs of the divorce will vary from one situation to another. Getting a specific answer can be tricky because there are so many factors that can influence the cost of a divorce.

One factor affecting the cost of your divorce is whether you and your spouse can work together or you are fighting with each other over every detail. The more that you can get along and agree about the custody of your kids, the amount of child support to pay, who gets what, and so on, the less you will have to pay the attorneys. Speaking of the attorneys, you don’t want to get caught up in paying as little as possible. If tensions are high between you and your spouse, then the quality of service you get from the attorneys can have a huge effect on the rest of your life. Don’t skimp on your attorney.

If you and your spouse have kids, then you’ll have more costs to face. You may be surprised to find out that psychiatric evaluations could be required and those costs will be added to the cost of your divorce.

Other things like separate legal representation for your kids or witnesses such as doctors and child psychologists can all add to the cost of a divorce. You might face the same type of costs if you also have a dog or other pet that you want to have custody of.

Any experts that are required to settle your divorce will be added to the costs that you pay. Some divorces need the services of a real estate appraiser, mental health professionals, and accountants are just a few examples. The more expert witnesses that you have to call in the higher your costs are going to be. Once again, you can kind of reduce these expenses if you and your spouse can agree as much as possible.

You’ll also find that the attitude of your attorney and the attitude of the attorney hired by your spouse can affect how much you end up paying. If one or both of the attorneys are very aggressive, then you might end up paying more than you want to. You do want to have an attorney who will watch out for your needs and goals throughout the divorce process, but you also don’t want to end up fighting with your spouse about every detail. So, how much does a divorce cost? I really think that the key to remember is that the more you get along throughout the divorce process the less you will have to pay in the end.

One last thought: While the financial costs of the divorce can be high, so can the emotional costs, especially when you have kids involved. Finding a good attorney can help to make the process a bit easier, so that the emotional toll isn’t as bad.