How Much Will My Florida Divorce Cost?
One of the most common questions we hear from clients is how much they can expect a divorce to cost. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a universal answer to this question, as each case is unique and so will come with its own challenges in providing this kind of estimation. For a better idea of how much your own divorce will cost, please call our experienced Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyers today.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Divorce
There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of obtaining a divorce in Florida. A divorce is, for instance, more likely to be expensive if a couple’s relationship is contentious, as the parties could take longer to resolve divorce-related issues, like property division, alimony, and child custody. Generally, the longer these issues take to resolve, the more a couple can expect to spend during the process. For this reason, contested divorces, which occur when couples litigate divorce-related matters, rather than negotiating an agreement, tend to take longer and be more expensive than their uncontested counterparts. Other factors that could affect the cost of divorce include:
- Whether children are involved, as child custody-related issues often prove to be some of the most contentious and lengthy that a couple encounters;
- Whether the couple owns extensive, valuable, or rare assets, which can make dividing that property more difficult and time-consuming; and
- Whether a couple disagrees over the issue of spousal maintenance.
For help determining how these factors could affect the cost of your own divorce, please reach out to our office today.
Reducing the Cost of Divorce
Fortunately, there are a few steps that couples can take when getting divorced to reduce the cost of the proceedings, including:
- Carefully preparing divorce-related documentation, including records about income, marital assets, and expenses ahead of time;
- Promptly responding to requests for documents from the other party;
- Attempting to negotiate an out-of-court agreement in good faith, which could include the use of mediation or other collaborative divorce processes;
- Refraining from making decisions based only on emotion, which can delay divorce proceedings indefinitely; and
- Communicating regularly and clearly with each other and their attorneys.
Taking these precautions doesn’t guarantee that a divorce will go smoothly. In fact, there is really no way to make such a guarantee. It can go a long way, however, towards resolving issues at an early date and helping cut down on the cost of ending a marriage.
Call Today for Help with Your Case
Determining how much a divorce will cost in advance can be difficult. It is often easier, however, for couples to get a better understanding of these costs by speaking with an attorney early on in the proceedings, so if you are thinking about ending your marriage, please reach out to experienced Florida divorce lawyer Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. for a free evaluation of your own case. Call our Fort Lauderdale office at 954-945-7591 to learn more.
Resource:
usatoday.com/story/money/2018/11/26/how-much-does-cost-get-divorce-most-expensive-states/38446243/
https://www.sandrabonfiglio.com/the-benefits-of-hiring-a-professional-appraiser-during-divorce/
