These days, it’s pretty much common knowledge that divorce can be rather expensive. The question is: Just how expensive can it get? It’s natural for people faced with divorce to panic at the notion of forking over thousands of dollars in legal fees, not to mention parting with a significant percentage of their personal assets. As a family law attorney who has been helping South Carolina clients with their divorce proceedings for three decades, Rusty Applegate is familiar with the various costs involved in divorce. Some of the greatest expenses include the following:
Legal fees
The legal fees involved in a divorce proceeding will vary greatly based on the attorney selected. Some attorneys out there bill their clients on an hourly basis and charge for every single little thing that they do, from listening to voice messages to answering emails. On top of this, any divorce attorney is going to have to pass the cost of court and filing fees onto his clients. The proceedings can therefore result in quite the hefty legal bill, depending on the extent of the necessary negotiations.
Child protection
When young children are involved in a divorce proceeding, the court will appoint an attorney to essentially represent the children and look out for their best interests throughout the process. This “guardian”-type attorney cannot be the same person who is representing either the mother or the father during the divorce proceedings, as that would constitute a conflict of interest. However, in such situations, it is the parents of the young children who are still forced to foot that attorney bill. Furthermore, the attorney assigned to represent the interests of the children might be forced to travel or do a fair amount of legwork in order to fully “investigate” the parents. Even if the attorney’s inquiries result in some unfavorable opinions about either or both of the parents, they are still responsible for paying his fees.
Detective work
It’s an unfortunate fact that plenty of divorces tend to turn nasty at some point during the proceedings. To this end, a person might take the extra step of hiring a private detective to catch his spouse doing “unfavorable” things that can be brought up during the negotiations and worked to his advantage. Of course, private investigations can get expensive, and despite the fact that such efforts are often fruitless, Applegate can’t help but notice that more and more people seem to be turning to this option.
Of course, these are only some of the costs involved in getting divorced. Other expenses, such as temporary lodging for the displaced spouse, can vary greatly based from person to person. So where does this leave soon-to-be divorced folks looking to emerge from their situations with as little financial damage as possible? According to Applegate, they have a series of choices to make, from selecting the right attorney to being reasonable in their demands and negotiation tactics. The more a couple can agree on items such as child custody and the division of assets, the smoother and less expensive the process is bound to be. A couple can also reduce costs by “keeping things clean.” Instead of going out of their way to dig up dirt on one another, soon-to-be divorced spouses can focus their efforts on working with their respective attorneys to come up with financial and logistical solutions to expedite the process. Remember, no rules state that divorce has to be emotionally-draining and expensive. So, with a bit of effort and maturity, couples can work together to make the process all the more bearable.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
