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Specialty tag(s): Pre-Divorce Guidance

Thomas A. Greenwald | November 11, 2022

When it appears that divorce has become an inevitable outcome in a marriage, one of the first things people want to know is how much a divorce lawyer will cost. Unfortunately, due to differences in individual divorce lawyer fees, as well as the unique complexities of each case, it’s impossible to say exactly how much a divorce will cost from start to finish. However, it is possible to establish a broad picture of what you may have to pay in legal expenses throughout your divorce proceedings by carefully evaluating average divorce lawyer rates and the nature of your specific situation.

How Much Are Divorce Lawyer Rates?

One of the best ways to gauge how much a divorce may end up costing you is to evaluate divorce lawyer rates in your area. These are billed hourly and can vary a great deal from firm to firm. In general, divorce lawyer rates tend to range from roughly $200 an hour to more than $300. Factors such as a lawyer’s level of experience and their region can have significant impacts on their rate.

Divorce lawyer rates are not the only thing to take into consideration when determining cost, though. Every aspect of your divorce can have an impact on how much it will cost.

Factors That Affect Divorce Lawyer Cost

More important than the rates themselves is how much time your lawyer will spend on your divorce. The more complicated and drawn out your case is, the more time your lawyer will have to put in and the higher your bill will ultimately be.

There are many sources of dispute that can cause a divorce to take longer than expected and have an impact on your divorce lawyer fees. These include:

All of these topics can become extremely contentious and lead to heated debates between the opposing parties. The longer these issues take to resolve, the more expensive your divorce will be. Finding ways to compromise on these matters with your spouse is a good way of helping to keep your expenses down.

If you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement on certain matters, the divorce may need to head to trial to sort them out. A trial can significantly increase divorce lawyer fees, and the more issues that need to be settled, the more expensive those fees may become. For this reason, it’s often in your best interest to resolve as many issues outside of a trial as you can.

Flat-Fee Billing

Due to the high number of unknown variables associated with the cost of a divorce, flat-fee billing is a common payment option. This particular billing model uses a fixed price that’s settled upon up front, and it’s usually used for amicable divorces. Flat-fee billing also includes the cost of all filing fees. It’s an attractive option for many going through a divorce because it removes much of the uncertainty and anxiety that surrounds potential divorce lawyer costs.

Learn More

Tom Greenwald is an experienced trial lawyer with 30 years of family law experience. He has been named Best Lawyers© Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Dallas/Fort Worth by Best Lawyers and named “Best Lawyers in Dallas: Family Law” by D Magazine six times, including 2022. Tom brings specialized expertise to complex divorces, including complex compensation structures, property division, dealing with private business interests, separate property claims, business valuation, and child custody. His goal is to help clients find efficient and constructive solutions that will enable them to save money and maintain good working relationships in the future.

To learn more, contact Tom Greenwald at (214) 817-1695.