How much will my divorce case cost?
November 10, 2014

This really depends on many factors. I am asked this question very frequently by my divorce clients in Arizona. Try to think of this question as being similar to figuring out how much a house is worth. In order for someone to determine the value of a house, they need to know certain details such as where it is located, how big it is, what condition it is in, etc. With divorce cases, I need to know lots of information before answering that question, too, such as how many issues are in dispute, the kinds of issues that are in dispute, how far apart the parties are in their positions, how likely they are to reach agreements on some or all of those disputed issues, how many witnesses will be needed, how much evidence will need to be presented, what stage of the case the divorce is in right now, whether the opposing side is represented by counsel, who the judge is, etc. Most cases require a retainer of anywhere from $2,500 to $4,500. A retainer is essentially an advance deposit to cover the hourly charges as they are incurred. This should give you a rough idea of the typical fee range but in order for me to give the prospective client a more meaningful estimate, I will need that client to come to my office for a consultation. The consultation is sometimes free but usually costs $125 and there is no obligation for the client to retain my services. During that consultation, I will get some general information about the situation, answer the client’s questions, dispense appropriate legal advice, and provide a quote of how much will need to be paid if you’d like me to take the case. By the way, when I have charged for consultations, I’ve never had even one single client complain that the $125 consultation was not worth their money. As long as there are no time-sensitive issues, I can also offer payment plans and other payment options. We also accept payment by credit card, which can be helpful to clients who do not have the cash on hand to pay the retainer. If you have an uncontested divorce (see definition below), we offer much lower flat fees because those cases do not involve most of the procedures we typically see moderately to heavily contested cases.