The cost of a divorce may vary depending on the facts of your case, how complicated the issues are, how much time will be spent in court, and so on. It also depends on your spouse. Whether a case settles or goes to trial will also make a difference in costs. You should discuss this matter with your lawyer in the initial consultation.
You will meet with a lawyer for the first time in what is called the initial consultation. You may meet with several lawyers for these consultations, as you decide whom you are going to hire. The initial consultation will be a one-time fee for the amount of time that you meet.
When you decide which lawyer you are going to retain, you may be required to pay a retainer. Some things may be billed hourly, depending on the lawyer and the case. If you do pay a retainer, that money is held in a trust account for you. The lawyer will bill you out of that retainer as work is done on your case. If there is any money remaining when your case is finished, that will be refunded to you. If the lawyer does more work for you than the funds that the retainer will cover, you will be billed additionally for the cost of that work.
Your lawyer in the first meeting should be able to give you an estimate of the costs, once they hear about your case. Keep in mind: this is almost always an estimate. They should let you know if something comes up so that it ends up being more than expected. Cases vary on how long they take to be completed, especially if your spouse does not agree with you.
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