How much does a divorce cost in North Carolina?
As you have probably already guessed, the advice of an attorney comes with a price tag. The cost of filing for an Absolute Divorce is $225, with a $20 motion fee when you schedule a hearing date. The final number on that price tag, however, is going to be influenced by a lot of factors, only some of which you can control. More realistically, you can assume that your fees will total somewhere between $5,000 and $30,000. That’s a pretty wide range—there are many variables.
The bottom-line figure that you will ultimately shell out to your attorney will most likely be a composite number, including more than just the cost of legal representation. For every expert who is called in to analyze your case or testify on your behalf, there will be a fee, which will show up in the bills from your attorney. Your bill will also reflect the complexity or difficulty of your case, as well as the general atmosphere between yourself and your spouse. Settling before the case goes to court is much less expensive than not reaching an amicable agreement.
There are some other factors, which are much more subtle and thus harder to identify, that will impact your attorney fees. Obviously, in some parts of the country, lawyers have no choice but to charge rates that are commensurate with a locally higher standard of living. Similarly, there are sometimes differences in fees charged by urban versus suburban lawyers. Hiring a board-certified family-law specialist, which can be very helpful in a more complicated case, can cost a good deal more than hiring a general practitioner.
Some attorneys have alternative fee structures or payment plans that may or may not result in a better financial deal for certain types of clients. A flat fee, for instance, may be an excellent plan for someone whose case is likely to necessitate business valuations, real estate appraisals, and a psychologist, but a young couple with no kids and few assets may be better off paying the hourly fees and coming to a quick resolution. When you are shopping around for an attorney, consider how each attorney structures the billing system as well as the payment arrangements, and hold out for the plan that works best for you.
