How much will my divorce cost? When I speak to divorce clients, that is one of the first two questions they typically ask. The other is how long will it take. Unfortunately, there is no single answer to these questions. No two divorces are ever alike.
The lowest cost divorce in Texas is a do-it-yourself (DIY) with forms provided by the Supreme Court of the state of Texas. The forms can be found online at texaslawhelp.org. The filing fees are approximately $250, depending on the specific locality. There are different forms for with children, without children, and without children and property. DIY filing and managing the entire process can be complicated and we often end scheduling consultations with couples who get stuck.
For uncontested divorces in which the parties have reached agreement on all issues, our firm offers our fixed fee DivorceXpressTM and DivorceXpress PlusTM. In the former procedure, our Board Certified paralegals draft all the documents and guide clients through the divorce process. The latter procedure is similar and also includes two hours of attorney time.
Uncontested divorces are a minority of our cases. In most cases, disagreements involving children and/or the division of assets require the full attention of the attorney with assistance from her paralegals.
At the upper end of the cost spectrum are high net worth divorces, which can involve family owned business, ranches, farms, multiple properties or homes, trusts and inheritances, etc. To address these situations, we use experts in asset valuations, forensic accountants, etc. which can result in a very expensive divorce.
The cost of contested divorce cases can vary by 2-4 times, depending on the number and age of the children, the amount of property and assets that must be divided, and the degree of contentiousness between the parties. We promote mediation as a vehicle to complete the divorce as quickly and efficiently as possible and reduce client cost. Mediation tends to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with divorce.
Cases which are litigated in front of a judge are more time consuming and costly. The rare cases argued in front of a jury tend to be the lengthiest and most costly. Our website has a Fee Structure page which address the retainers required for different types of cases.