How Much Does Divorce Cost?

This is a commonly asked question in all consultations with the attorney – How much does divorce cost?. Unfortunately, this question can not be answered directly and depends all the circumstances of your case.

Uncontested Divorce: We offer a flat rate of $1500 for those cases where there is a complete agreement between the parties. We will prepare all of the paperwork for a flat rate plus the filing fees.

Filing Fees. All counties will have a first appearance fee (usually around $450) in order to file the petition unless you qualify for a fee waiver. There will also be other costs but the major expense will be the first appearance fee in most cases.

Retainer Fee: In most cases, clients will be quoted with a retainer fee. This is an hourly rate cases where the retainer fee is billed on an hourly rate basis. Our attorneys hourly rate is $425 per hour for Mr. Edgar and $350 per hour for associate attorney. The support staff has an hourly rate as well. If we are working on the case, from court appearance to talking on the telephone, we bill for the time spent working on your case. We will send an itemized billing statement to you every month to explain the charges and the work that we did for the month. In light of the fact that each case is different, it is difficult to estimate a cost for every case. We do offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and the retainer fee. In the event that your retainer fee is exhausted, we will continue to work with you to ensure that we can complete your matter. You can discuss the payment arrangements with our Client Relationship Manager at extension 7014. In most cases, the question is “I am not sure that I can afford an attorney,” but the real question should be “Can I afford not to hire an attorney.” Its simple-we know what we are doing. If you represent yourself, the court will not allow you to break the rules. You must follow the rules of evidence, civil procedure and California and local rules of court.

In most cases, we may offer a payment arrangement or financing. You can discuss the payment arrangements with the attorney during your consultation. We will require a automatic withdraw from either a credit card or debit card in order to process the payment plan. Contact our office for a free initial consultation to discuss your options in either our Riverside or Temecula office. We will answer the question – How much does divorce cost? You will sign a retainer fee agreement and the financial expectations will be clearly explained to you.