How Much Does A Divorce Cost In Orlando, FL?
During a divorce, there are four major issues that need to be resolved. Those are equitable distribution of the marital estate, alimony, child custody, and child support. At the end of the divorce process, you will have an agreement in place with your former spouse that delineates each of these aspects of divorce. You will then have a final divorce decree. This decree will remain binding once the divorce is over.
The cost of hiring a family lawyer can vary significantly depending on many different factors. Two attorneys may charge the exact same rate for a retainer but provide wildly different results for their clients. Let’s say that two attorneys charge a $3,000 retainer. The first is a highly skilled litigator who pays attention to detail and gets good results for his clients. The second is a subpar litigator who is known for submitting shoddy pleadings, missing hearings, and has a lot of negative reviews online. This is a prime example of the danger that clients face when trying to hire an attorney who charges a more reasonable rate. It can be very difficult to know what you are going to get for your money. The fact is, the more you pay for your attorney, the more likely you are to be happy with the results.
Those who are willing to pay a larger retainer can generally expect to have their phone calls returned promptly, emails responded to quickly, and the law firm to file as many motions as they require and set up as many hearings as they need without hesitation to satisfy your every desire in the case.
Family law attorneys bill rates in accordance with the amount of time they invest in the case. Lower-income clients may find that the number of motions filed or the number of hearings scheduled is limited based on what they can afford to pay.
Keeping your costs low during a Florida divorce
If I can’t afford to pay $15,000 for a retainer, does that mean that I’m doomed to poor representation? Not at all. In the majority of divorce cases, there is no need for a large number of hearings or costly litigation. If most of your issues can be resolved in mediation, then you will find that you don’t have to pay a massive retainer to get the best representation. It’s only those complicated or contested cases that end up costing so much.
The trick to keeping your costs low is to resolve as many matters at or before mediation as you possibly can. Mediation is the process by which an attorney helps facilitate the divorce process and help each individual reach an agreement that they can live with. During mediation, you will hammer out issues such as the distribution of the marital estate, alimony, child custody, and child support. If you can resolve all of these issues in mediation, there will be no need for costly hearings or litigation. If you can resolve most of your issues in mediation, then you will reduce the cost associated with litigation considerably.
Talk to an Orlando Family Law Attorney Today
Greater Orlando Family Law helps Orlando residents finalize their divorce and move on with their lives. Call our Orlando family lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your goals right away.
