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Specialty tag(s): Pre-Divorce Guidance

How Much Does a Divorce Lawyer Cost?

Thomas A. Greenwald | November 11, 2022

When it appears that divorce has become an inevitable outcome in a marriage, one of the first things people want to know is how much a divorce will cost. Unfortunately, due to differences in individual divorce lawyer fees, as well as the unique complexities of each case, it is not possible to say exactly how much a divorce will cost from start to finish. However, it is possible to establish a broad view of what you may have to pay in legal fees throughout your divorce proceedings by carefully evaluating average divorce lawyer rates and the nature of your specific situation.

How Much Are Divorce Lawyer Rates?

One of the best ways to gauge how much a divorce may end up costing you is to evaluate divorce lawyer rates in your area. These are billed hourly and can vary a great deal from firm to firm. In general, divorce lawyer rates tend to range from roughly $300 an hour to more than $500 per hour. Factors such as a lawyer’s level of experience and the legal market in a specific area may have a significant impact on hourly rates.

Divorce lawyer rates are not the only thing to take into consideration when determining the cost of a divorce. Every aspect of your divorce can have an impact on how much it will ultimately cost.

Factors That Affect Divorce Lawyer Cost

More important than the rates themselves is how much time your lawyer will spend on your divorce. The more complicated and drawn out your case is, the more time your lawyer will have to put into the case and the higher your bill will ultimately be to bring the case to a conclusion.

There are many sources of dispute that can cause a divorce to take longer than expected and have an impact on your legal fees. These include:

• Child custody
• Child support
• Spousal support
• Dividing property
• Proving separate property

These topics can become extremely contentious and lead to heated debates between the opposing parties. The longer these issues take to resolve, the more expensive it will be to finalize the case. Finding ways to compromise on these matters with your spouse is a good way to help reduce legal fees.

If you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement on certain matters, the divorce may need to be resolved at mediation or a trial. A trial can significantly increase divorce lawyer fees. For this reason, it is often in your best interest to resolve as many issues outside of a trial as possible.

Flat-Fee Billing

Due to the uncertainty of the cost of a divorce, flat-fee billing is a common payment option. This particular billing model uses a fixed price that is set at the beginning of the case. The flat-fee billing model works best for agreed divorce cases. Flat-fee billing also includes the cost of all filing fees. It is an attractive option for anyone going through an agreed divorce on a budget and it also relieves some of the anxiety that surrounds the potential cost of a divorce including legal fees.

About the Author

Tom Greenwald is an experienced trial lawyer with more than 30 years of family law experience. He has been named Best Lawyers© Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Dallas/Fort Worth by Best Lawyers and named “Best Lawyers in Dallas: Family Law” by D Magazine six times, including 2022. Tom brings specialized expertise to complex divorces, including complicated compensation structures, property division, dealing with private business interests, separate property claims, business valuation, and child custody. His goal is to help clients find efficient and constructive solutions that will enable them to save money and maintain good working relationships in the future.

To learn more, contact Tom Greenwald at (214) 810-1560.