What Will My Divorce Cost?
One of the first questions people ask when hiring a divorce or family law attorney is how much it will cost. While we cannot guarantee what your total cost will be (it depends on your own individual facts and circumstances), the guidelines below will give you an estimate. Van Wyhe Law Firm hourly fees are $325 for attorneys and $145 for paralegals/legal assistants. We require a retainer payment to be made at the first client meeting. The retainer amount that has to be paid up front is generally between $3,000 and $6,000.
Uncontested Divorce – Estimate of Cost for Legal Fees
- Uncontested without children – $3,000 – $4,500
- Uncontested with children – $4,000- $5,500
- Uncontested with substantial assets – $4,000- $5,500*
*Farm divorces generally are higher than $5,500 even if uncontested because of the time and expense in having the land and/or farm machinery valued in addition to determining fair income for child support and/or spousal support.
Contested Divorce – Estimate of Cost for Legal Fees
- Middle Class Income with children and contested custody – $6,000 – $15,000
- Middle Class Income with children, contested custody, and asset disputes – $7,500 – $15,000
- Marital estate from $200,000 up to $600,000 (mid-asset case) – $6,000 – $15,000
- Marital estate over $600,000 (high asset case) – $15,000 – $50,000
We offer payment plans for those who qualify through Affirm. Click here for more information.
