For many people, divorce is one of the most difficult things that they will ever have to go through. That’s true for many reasons, not the least of which is the financial strain that ending a marriage can put on a family.
Some people take more time to end their marriage because they fear the financial impact, which is not necessarily unwise. Divorce is a big deal and you shouldn’t rush into it! If there is a way to save your marriage, that’s going to be the cheapest option. Mr. Palmer can take you through a marriage viability assessment to determine whether the marriage is able to be saved through our consultation process.
However, if you have explored all other options, and if you are convinced that divorce is the right course of action for you, then your next move is to get all of your questions answered so you know what to expect in your specific situation, one of those questions being how much you can expect the entire divorce to cost.
Why an exact number or average isn’t a good answer to this question
The problem with Googling questions like “How much does a divorce in Texas cost?” is that online research can only get you so far. Talking to friends or family you trust is another way to get an idea of costs, but the problem is that every divorce is different. You won’t know what your divorce will add up to until you talk with a professional, like a divorce attorney, who can give you a more precise idea of the costs.
So what’s this blog to do? We can’t tell you how much your divorce is going to cost without talking to you, and we can’t give you a standard answer because every divorce is different.
There are two things we can (and will) do:
- Tell you what factors increase or decrease the cost of your divorce – what contributes to the expenses you’ll face if you end your marriage – and
- Give you some numbers that may help you start to see some ballpark figures of what it could cost, although again, this won’t be necessarily applicable for your specific situation.
Here are those numbers: according to a fact-checked and legally reviewed article that cited information from USA Today, the average cost of a divorce in Texas is $15,600 if there are no kids involved and $23,500 if there are kids involved. This makes Texas the 5th highest in the nation for divorce costs.
However, don’t let that scare you too much yet – again, there are so many factors that influence what that number will be for you, and there are many things you can do to keep costs down!
Let’s dive into the cost breakdown of a Texas divorce and look at what factors influence how much a divorce in Texas will cost!
Filing fee (you have to pay this)
Every divorce includes a filing fee. This generally ranges from $250 – $350 or more, depending on the county where you live, and is more expensive if you have children.
Even if you and your spouse want to pursue a completely amicable, uncontested divorce, this fee is unavoidable and must be paid (either by the filer, or by both of you if you mutually agree to share the fee) in order for the divorce to be initiated officially.
Is your divorce going to court? (If so, you’ll pay more)
The single biggest factor in how expensive any divorce ends up being is whether or not the divorce is going to be resolved through litigation (in court) or resolved outside of court, through means like mediation or negotiation. Divorces that go to court are considered “contested”, while divorces that stay out of court are considered “uncontested”.
This is because cases that go to court require numerous court appearances (and there are fees that may be associated with that). Cases that go to court also take longer to resolve because the case moves at the speed of the court – which is sometimes slow. The longer your case takes to resolve, the more you will end up paying in attorney fees, and the more you will be spending in other areas (time is money!).
There’s another important point to mention when it comes to paying more in a litigated divorce, and that has to do with the fact that if your divorce goes to court, the court has the final say on the outcome.
For example, take how you and your spouse will split your money and possessions. In Texas, it’s not 50-50; it’s what the court considers “just and right”, and that could mean any number of things that are outside of your control. You may wind up with less if the court is unconvinced that it is right for property division to occur equally.
This is one of the many reasons why, at Palmer Law Group, we believe that divorce should end the fighting, not increase it. Our skills are terrific in the courtroom, but we believe they are even better used outside it, and in the vast majority of cases, we will attempt to keep our clients’ divorces out of court to increase their peace and decrease their costs!
How good is your attorney? (Good attorneys cost more, but that’s worth it)
They say that nothing good in life is free, and when it comes to having legal representation on your side, we’d agree! Many people think that they could save money on their divorce if they don’t work with an attorney and handle it themselves “for free”, but that’s not really free.
Lawyers are trained in the law – they study for years, pass a bar, and have to maintain certain standards in order to practice. Divorce is a complicated legal process, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be really easy to make mistakes. The problem is that those mistakes have serious implications for your financial future; the risks are high, in divorce, even amicable ones!
Attorney fees vary based on who you choose to work with and what your case is like. More experienced attorneys will charge more, and if you have a complex or high-asset case, it will require more effort and time which can escalate costs. In the end, though, you get what you pay for, and you want to have an experienced professional on your side.
Choosing a skilled, reputable, experienced attorney to represent you means that you may pay less in the long run because your divorce will be handled correctly, and in the most efficient way possible (as opposed to you doing it yourself or an attorney who doesn’t have as much experience).
Are you attempting mediation? (It costs, but not as much as litigation)
Mediation is meeting with a neutral third-party professional to reach agreement on the major issues in divorce. It is one way of resolving your divorce out of court. However, mediators are not able to give legal advice, meaning that they can’t tell you what is in your best interests. Their job is to keep the peace and facilitate a compromise. You can be represented by your attorney in mediation, though, so your rights are protected.
There are costs associated with mediation, depending on the mediator’s experience and the length of the sessions, but often mediation costs are significantly less than litigation, which makes it worth it for most couples. Many judges will actually order mediation anyway, so you may not have a choice of avoiding these fees even if you want your case to go to court.
Do you and your spouse have high net worths, own a business, or have complex assets? (If so, this will increase costs)
In most cases involving complicated financial issues, you will need to enlist experts like accountants, real estate appraisers, etc. to ensure everything is accounted for and valued fairly. This may be true even if you and your spouse wish to settle your divorce out of court.
Do you and your spouse have kids?
If you have children, the court may involve other professionals, such as social workers, or order mandatory parenting classes, and that could increase costs; it also may take you longer to reach a parenting agreement, and as mentioned before, time is money.
What you can do to reduce how much a Texas divorce costs:
- Don’t go to court – or go as a last resort
How much you fight isn’t always up to you – if you have a spouse who is a liar, who is abusive, or who refuses to work together with you like adults, you may need to go to court to make sure that your divorce is resolved fairly. However, that’s expensive! If you want to keep costs down.
try everything you can outside of court first (like mediation).
- Find a good attorney who doesn’t look to increase fighting
Some divorce attorneys are all about winning at any costs, but if you want to keep your costs down, you need an attorney who is going to align with your goal of keeping the peace as much as possible – an attorney who wants something better for you than stress, arguing, and more expenses.
an attorney who has handled hundreds or thousands of divorce cases well!
- Stay organized
The more organized you are – keeping notes and records, coming prepared to attorney meetings, etc. – the less time you will waste, and the more money you’ll save on your case!
Request a consultation with Palmer Law Group today!
Our Texas divorce attorneys have 45 combined years of legal experience and a unique 3 step process for guiding clients through divorce to healthier solutions! Divorce doesn’t have to be so hard®. Call us today to request a consultation and learn more about how much your specific divorce may cost, and what we can do to make it a cost-effective experience that lays a good financial foundation for your future.
