Undoing the legal, financial, and emotional ties that bind a couple in marriage can be a lengthy and costly process. The more numerous and complex the ties, the more expensive it is to undo them. A long marriage, minor children, multiple properties, businesses, retirement accounts, a history of domestic abuse, the involvement of the courts, and a host of unusual situations can all increase the cost of splitting up.
Flat Fee for Divorce
Once all the entanglements described above are sorted out, the divorce itself is relatively inexpensive. Our firm charges a flat fee of $750 plus court and service costs ($275-$285) for obtaining a Judgment of Absolute Divorce once claims for Equitable Distribution, Child Support, Child Custody, Post-Separation Support, and Alimony are resolved either through agreement or the courts. Unless your circumstances are unusual, this is something you can handle yourself without much risk – the reason to hire an attorney to do it for you is to save yourself time, trouble, and stress. Please see our page on Absolute Divorce for more information.
Initial Consultation
The first step is the initial consultation, which lasts around an hour and costs $350. At the end of that we will have a sense of the details of your situation, and you will have answers to some of your questions about what to expect.
Hourly Billing
To negotiate and draft a Separation and Property Settlement Agreement out of court, including an inventory and analysis of the property to be divided, we bill hourly. After your initial consultation, we will be able to determine an appropriate advance payment.
We will hold this advance payment in trust, paying your monthly invoices from it. For most negotiated settlements we request an advance payment of $2,500. If your situation is particularly simple and you have already agreed to terms with your ex, your actual cost may be significantly lower; if property transfers, division of retirement accounts, or significant negotiation is required, the reverse is true.
Appropriate Hourly Rates
Our litigation team consists of a lead attorney and two legal assistants, all of whom have different hourly rates. We do our best to keep your costs down by making sure that the work gets done by the appropriate – and least expensive – person.