Going through a divorce can be stressful. Regardless of the situation, everyone’s lives are going to be rearranged. Many people try to handle a divorce by themselves without the assistance of a lawyer. They do this because they worry that they cannot afford an attorney. However, not all divorces are the same, and affording an attorney for your divorce may be easier than you think. In fact, having a skilled Salt Lake City divorce attorney by your side will end up saving you money in the long run.
Affording a Salt Lake City divorce lawyer
When we turn to an article from Business Insider, we can see that a recent study determined that the average cost of a divorce in the United States is around $15,000 per person. However, we need to point out that no two divorce cases are alike. Many divorces will cost much less than $15,000, and the cost of divorce also varies greatly by geographic location across the country.
What goes into the costs associated with a Salt Lake City divorce?
First, there is a filing fee for divorces in Utah. However, if you cannot afford the filing fees, it may be possible to petition the judge to waive them. To have these fees waived, you want to be able to prove to the court that you are unable to pay them.
When looking at attorney fees for divorce cases, there will be a difference in costs between a contested divorce and an uncontested divorce.
For an uncontested divorce in Salt Lake City, one in which both parties agree on the issues involved in the separation, and more importantly there are no children involved and there are no assets of any kind to divide, the process will be less complicated. Uncontested divorces tend to be resolved much quicker, which means it will cost less. However, a divorce that is “uncontested” today, can become contested tomorrow, so please be very careful with unreasonable expectations. You can only control your own behavior. The other party is not controllable and could be using this as a tactic to bamboozle you into agreeing to less than you are otherwise entitled to under the law.
Almost divorces are contested (and should be) and so the cost is relative depending on the parties, the issues at stake, and the parties’ income. When there are issues of child custody, alimony, child support, or a division of assets, at stake the case is more complicated and likely needs to be worked and then mediated, and in rare instances could end up going to trial. Yes, paying for a divorce attorney could end up costing you more than you anticipated. However, the fees you pay to an attorney could end up saving you money in the long term when it comes to fair and equitable handling of child custody, the division of assets and debts, properly calculating child support and alimony payments, and a lot more. Think of it this way: If you needed brain or heart surgery would you be doing it yourself? Quibbling about money? Getting the least experienced and cheapest surgeon? Absolutely not. It is essential that one retains a very experienced attorney and the cost will be commensurate with that experience. Emy Cordano has 21 years of experience and charges extremely reasonable rates on a sliding scale and typically no higher than attorneys with a quarter of her experience.
Contact us for a consultation of your case today
If you are going through a divorce, or are considering starting the divorce process, you should speak to an attorney for a legal consultation about your case. When you turn to Emy Cordano for help with your divorce, you are getting an attorney with extensive experience handling all divorces including complex divorces. Attorney Emy Cordano will patiently answer your questions and work to get you through your case for the best possible outcome. When you need a Salt Lake City divorce attorney, you can contact us by clicking here or call us at (801) 901-8159 for a legal initial consultation.