While divorce attorney fees are the largest fees paid during a divorce, they are not the only fees and costs you will incur.

In this Low Cost Legal article you will learn what fees and costs you might incur while going through a divorce proceeding.

If don’t have the money to hire an attorney, then look into area resources where you might find a pro-bono attorney or an attorney that will work on contingency until your legal matters are settled.

Fees and Costs of Divorce Proceedings

Filing Fees: If you are the one who files for divorce, you will need to pay a filing fee. The cost varies greatly from state to state, but $175-$300 might be considered average. A quick call to the courthouse will tell you exactly what divorce filing fees are in your area. Your divorce lawyer or a legal assistant in the office should know the answer too.

Serving Fees: The fees associated with serving divorce papers are often included in the filing fee, but not always. If you have to pay a server to deliver the papers, then expect the cost to be as high as $75-$100.

Subpoena Fees: If witnesses are called during the divorce proceedings, then additional paperwork may need to be filed and the subpoenas will have to be served. Serving fees will need to be paid for every document delivered.

Contentious Divorces Cost More Money

When people want to settle their divorce quickly and with the least amount of contention, then fees are lower. When one or both sides want to fight, then fees can go up quite a bit – and of course, divorce lawyer fees are also much higher in a hotly contested divorce.

Custody Battles

Fighting over custody is expensive, and not just in the extra fees paid to your divorce attorney. If the court orders testing to determine the stability of one parent or the other or orders a home evaluation, these types of court findings can easily add $500-$1,000 in fees or more. it all depends upon your case specifics.

Lost Wages

It is possible that you will need to take time off from work in order to meet with your attorney or appear in court. These costs should be taken into consideration as well. While you can schedule an appointment with your attorney, things are not so precise in court and you could easily spend a half-day to a full day or even have the case postponed.

Talk with your divorce lawyer about the best approach to your divorce. Your lawyer can give you advice on how to limit your expenses while pursuing the best possible outcome in your divorce.