How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida?
Divorce proceedings differ in the complexity of issues, the length, and the procedures to be employed. This results from the diversity of marital relationships.
Some involve little property and no children. For other couples, the marital estate encompasses considerable land, retirement funds, stocks, bonds, jewelry, and business interests. With a divorce involving minor children come serious considerations over custody and plans for the children and their educational, physical, spiritual, and mental development.
For these and other reasons, you won’t find a particular or standard price tag for obtaining a divorce. However, some reported figures may guide you. For instance, as reported in Forbes magazine, the attorney fees on average run between $11,000 and $14,000.
Schedule a Divorce Consultation with a Real Tampa Divorce Lawyer
Before entering a courtroom or signing off on any divorce settlement please speak with a divorce lawyer at Robert Sparks Tampa Divorce Attorneys.
Schedule a consultation with our skilled lawyers. It’s a no-risk, no-obligation way to be made aware of every potential pitfall you might encounter when going through even a friendly, cooperative divorce.
If you feel we can help you safeguard your rights and retain more of what you’ve worked so hard for, we stand ready to represent you. We help clients successfully navigate mediated divorces, collaborative divorces, and contested divorces decided in court.
The Average Cost of a Tampa Divorce
An “uncontested divorce” has an average attorney fee of $4,000.00. By “uncontested,” we mean a divorce in which a spouse files a petition, and the parties agree on dividing the property, spousal support, child support, and the parental and custody plan for the children. If you can’t resolve issues without a trial, a divorce could cost you around $20,000 or more in attorney fees.
Below, we discuss what determines lawyer fees, whether you might get help with your legal fees, and what constitutes other costs in a divorce lawsuit.
What Are the Legal Fees for Divorce in Florida?
Lawyers might charge a flat fee for simple, uncontested divorces. Otherwise, most bill by the hour. Florida law bars contingency fees for divorce and other family law cases. That is, whether and how much the lawyer gets paid cannot be based on whether the court grants the divorce, the client gets custody of the children, or the amount of alimony or spouse’s share of the marital estate.
In Florida, attorney fee hourly rates typically run between $260 and $330. What an attorney charges per hour depends on factors such as:
- The lawyer’s experience and skill
- What other divorce and family law attorneys in the community or area customarily charge
- The complexity and number of issues or disputes in the case
- The possible or desired results of the case
Divorce lawyers may also require a retainer, which represents a payment to secure their services. This takes into account an estimate of how much time the lawyer anticipates spending on the case. With disputes and the possibility of trial comes a larger upfront payment. As a rule of thumb, retainers can run from $2,000 to $5,000.
Does the Opposing Party Have to Pay Your Attorney Fees?
Florida Statutes Section 61.16 authorizes the court to require one spouse to pay the other’s attorney fees in divorce cases. The outcome of a divorce proceeding has long-lasting effects on the parties’ finances and relationships with the children.
For that reason, the inability to pay should not deprive a spouse of legal assistance in pursuing or defending claims and otherwise protecting rights as a spouse or parent.
To that end, Florida courts likely consider the following to assess the parties’ financial ability to hire a Tampa divorce lawyer:
- Employment history during the marriage, such as whether the party requesting attorney fees primarily assumed the homemaker role while the other worked
- Other sources of income
- Available assets
The skilled legal representatives at Robert Sparks Tampa Divorce Attorneys will explore the legal options for holding your spouse responsible for your divorce costs. If possible, we will hold your partner responsible for every hardship you’ve faced.
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