COSTS OF THE DIVORCE:
Of course, the total cost of your divorce will depend upon the issues, how easily conflict is resolved and the hours your attorney puts into your case. Most attorneys charge by the hour and that cost can range from $175 to $325 per hour. The hourly rate of an attorney does not equate to the experience or successful outcome of your case.
Be very cautious if an attorney quotes you a "flat" fee. That is one fee to cover your entire matter. An attorney who is willing to receive one fee for your dissolution case, no matter what is involved, is not going to work to satisfactorily resolve the issues. That attorney will want a quick resolution of your case, no matter at what cost to you.
Also be wary of attorneys who state that they are "bull dogs" or "very aggressive". These attorneys can needlessly cost you great sums of money. In Family Law, unlike many other areas of the law, attorneys are obligated to attempt to settle your case without litigation. San Diego County actually has mandatory settlement conferences where the court’s assist the parties in attempting to resolve the issues at hand. If a case is not settled at these conferences the settlement judges have the ability to submit a sealed statement to the trial judge regarding the willingness of a party to settle or not. After the trial the judge reads the statement and if one party was unreasonable in settlement, they will be charged with the other’s fees. It is very effective, but you don’t want an attorney that is unwilling to work with the other side to reasonably settle a case.
You can keep the costs of your divorce down by mediating issues and a sincere desire to negotiate in good faith and settle issues. Any decision you and your spouse can make regarding the outcome of your case is far superior to a court making those decisions for you.
The Law Offices of Recordon & Recordon will work with you regarding fees. We do require a retainer (down payment on fees). Our retainer is dependent on the issues at hand and complexity of those issues. Our retainers are usually substantially less than other comparable firms. We try to work out a lower retainer with monthly payments toward the balance of the fees. We are willing to work with you regarding the issue of the attorneys fees.
In addition to the retainer required, in most circumstances there are court fees as well. The "filing" fees required by the court depends on the action, if temporary orders are necessary, etc.
