You and your spouse decided to get a divorce, but there is one big question: Who will pay for it? You could both pay for your own attorneys and the fees associated with the divorce, but you may also choose to have one person cover the costs.
Divorces aren’t like other kinds of cases, in that there is no winner or loser. As a result, you and your ex-spouse will likely have to pay your own attorney fees unless there is an agreement in place that you or your ex-spouse will cover the other party’s fees.
Interestingly, flat fees might be a possibility. When you speak with your attorney, talk about the option for flat fees. With a flat fee, you’ll know exactly how much your divorce will cost. Contingency fees aren’t offered for divorce cases because attorneys are ethically prohibited from offering to work on a contingency basis in these situations.
To keep your own costs low, you may want to talk to your attorney about a consultation. Attorneys sometimes offer free or reduced-rate consultations, but you need to ask. If they work on an hourly rate and you’d like to have your fees covered by the divorce, they may be able to help you negotiate for that in your separation agreement.
It’s not always easy to decide who will pay for a divorce, but you should go into it thinking that you will, at a minimum, cover the costs associated with your own attorney’s help. That way, you’ll have the savings you need if you do have to pay while still looking into how to reduce your costs through other methods.
