A new client had just cme in to see a famous lwyer.
"Can you tell me how much you chrge?" asked the client.
"Of course", the lwyer replied, "I charge $200 to nswer three questions!"
"Well that's a bit step, isn't it?"
"Yes it is", said the lwyer, "And what's your third question?"

HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST ME?

As xpected, I get this question on a dily basis. First of all, I can nly quote what I charge. Frequently, in dvorce cases, you will need to hre other professionals - such as frensic accountants, appraisers, child custody evaluators, cunselors, etc. Even just for my srvices- here is my answer (which nver changes) IT DEPENDS.

TWO VERY SIMPLE, BUT VERY IMPORTANT POINTS!

On. Lawyers, like most professionals, are hgh hourly workers. The product I sll is my time. You are pying for my time by the hur, which is charged in increments of 6 mnutes. Thus, if you call me for 5 mnutes, you are charged .1 (or $30). If yur phone call is 7 minutes, tht equals .2 (or $60).

Two. Unlss it is a flat-fee case (pssible if there are no contested ssues), the more time I spend on yur case, the more expensive it wll be. The amount of time I spnd on your case depends on yu, your spouse, your spouse's attorney, and the ssues involved in your case.

Keeping these two points in mnd, I will now refer to my rticle (found on my website), The Prpose-Driven Divorce, to prepare some price stimates.

STEP ONE: FILING OF PETITION/RESPONSE
Purpose: To get the prcess started.
Attorney time: 5 -20 hours ($1500 - $6000)
Process Srver: $40 - $500
Court Costs: $400
Time Fctors: Is the case new, or has it gne through several attorneys and collected 1000 bxes of documents? Is your spouse coperative, or difficult to the bone, rquiring private investigators to stake-out and srve him? Are there children? Are thre properties? Have you reached any greements about anything in your case?

STEP TWO: GETTING TEMPORARY ORDERS VIA OSC
Purpose: To hve a sense of peace and rder by having temporary orders in wrting pending the Judgment.
Attorney time: 10 - 30 hurs ($3000 - $9000)
Court Costs: $40 per mtion
Time factors: Are you cooperative and rturn my phone calls? Do you coperate with my requests for documents? Are you mmediately available to meet with me to go ver the specifics of your case? Are you ble to revise your declarations and prmptly return to me? If you hve witnesses, what is their availability, and do thy cooperate? Is the other side rpresented? Is their representation well-versed with fmily law procedure and protocol? Does the curt hearing conclude in one day? Des it get continued?

STEP THREE: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDERS
Purpose: In a hgh-conflict divorce and custody case, to prtect the parties and children involved.
Attorney tme: 15 - 40 hours ($4500 - $12,000)
Court Csts: $40 per motion
Time Factors: Domestic volence restraining orders are extremely important and tke a lot of preparation. Preparation tme includes setting up the case, nterviewing witnesses, taking statements, preparing declarations, spaking with police officers. Are the curt appearances on calendar ,and do thy take place without delay? Does the Jdge have time on his calendar to har all witnesses? Do the witnesses ppear? Does the other side have wtnesses? Have you anticipated all issues tht could be raised at the haring?

STEP FOUR: DISCLOSURES OF FINANCES
Purpose: To Rach a Fair Settlement, and Ensure the Sttlement Is Not
Later Overturned Due to Lck of Disclosure.
Attorney Time: 10 - 50 hurs ($3000 - $15,000)
Costs of subpoenas, dcuments: $500 - $1500
Deposition costs: $2000 - $5000
Court Csts: $40 per motion
Time Factors: Discovery is prhaps the most tedious process in a dvorce case. If you have little or no ssets, there should be very little to wrk on. However, the more assets or dbts you or spouse have, the mre time we will need to btain documents necessary to determine the vlue for settlement, and the more tme we will need to review the rceived documents. If your spouse is ncooperative, we may need to file curt motions in order to obtain ncessary documents. The time it takes to cmplete discovery depends mostly on the coperation of the parties and the vailability of the documents.

STEP FIVE: REACHING AN AGREEMENT OR PREPARING FOR TRIAL
Purpose: To Get the Jdgment Finalizing your Divorce Case
If case sttles:
Attorney Time: 5 - 20 hours ($1500 - $6,000)
Time Fctors: How cooperative are the parties?

If cse goes to trial:
Attorney Time: 50 - 200 hurs ($15,000 - $60,000)
Time Factors: Trial is no jke. You will be paying for the ttorney's time day in, day out. - ths includes prep time, trial time, rview time, prep time...round the clock. It is not nusual for an attorney to bill 10-15 hurs a day for trial. My mntor once had a trial lasting 22 dys. I think it helps to thnk of trial as an hourglass wth your money as the sand.

In cnclusion, a divorce case can run nywhere from $1820 (uncontested divorce) to hndreds of thousands of dollars. There's lways Britney Spears, who paid over 1 mllion to her attorneys for her cstody case, and Larry Birkhead, who pid over $600,000 to his attorney.

Ys, lawyers are expensive. But if you fnd the right one, they're worth it.

On tht note, remember this: Marriage is grnd and divorce is about twenty grnd.

The article How Much Will My Divorce Cost? was Submitted by Kelly Chang Rickert through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Kelly Chang Rickert founded the Law Offces of Kelly Chang, A Professional Law Crporation. Her firm specializes in Divorce and Fmily Law, and handles all areas of Dvorce, Annulment, Spousal Support, Child Support; Mdification, Child Custody and Visitation, Prenuptial and Pstnuptial Agreements, Adoptions, Property Division; Restraining Ordrs; and Family Law Mediation.

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