So you want your Illinois divorce to be fast and affordable? If so, then we’ve established that you are, in fact, a sane individual. Congratulations. But have you thought about the REAL cost of an uncontested divorce? I’m an Illinois uncontested divorce lawyer, and I think you should check out this FAQ on the cost of uncontested divorce in Illinois.
Does an uncontested divorce in Illinois cost less?
Maybe you’ve heard that an uncontested divorce in Illinois is the fastest and most affordable way to get divorced. If, so, then you might want to get started with the process. When an Illinois divorce is by agreement, a divorce lawyer can represent you for a flat fee.
Even though you might understand the basic idea of an uncontested divorce, you can’t truly appreciate it until you really understand the TRUE cost of an uncontested divorce in Illinois.
Yes, an uncontested divorce in Illinois costs much less than fighting in court. And we represent clients for a flat fee in an uncontested divorce in Illinois.
What is the *REAL* cost of uncontested divorce in Illinois?
One could argue the *REAL* cost of an uncontested divorce in Illinois is $0.
Sure, an attorney might charge a flat fee for an uncontested divorce in Illinois. But when you consider the benefits of paying the flat fee, it is as if the divorce is free.
What’s up?
Well, to truly understand cost, one must no only consider the outgoing cash flows (such as a flat fee for a lawyer), but also must consider the cost of the alternative. That is, fighting in court.
So if I had to come up with a formula to represented the cost of a divorce by agreement, it might be something like this: A-B=C, where A = a flat fee for a case by agreement, B = the cost of fighting in court, and C = the *REAL* cost of an uncontested divorce in Illinois.
How much does it cost to fight in court, without a flat fee uncontested divorce?
Below are some categories of expenses in contested cases, and some possible costs. You can easily see how a case can easily cost more than $10,000. By the time you get a case started, go through initial financial discovery, and maybe file and respond to a few motions, you could be looking at $15,000, or more. It depends on the case. But I think you get the point – fighting in court is not cheap. In fact, the lease expensive case I’ve had that resulted in a trial cost my client more than $17,000.
Initial financial discovery = $2,000+
When a divorce is contested, people have to exchange financial documents. Just the first stage of this process could cost in excess of $2,000.
Filing a very simply motion = $3,000+
Motions are documents used to ask the court to order something before a divorce is finalized. For example, a motion for child support, a motion to sell a house, etc. If you want to file a motion, then you will probably have to pay a lawyer to gather evidence for the motion, write the motion, review the other side’s response to the motion, and argue the motion in court. The cost can become much more than $2,000 depending on a variety of factors that are way beyond the scope of this article. In many contested cases, people have to file 3 or more motions. . . that’s at least $9,000.
Costs of guardian ad litem, or child representative = $6,000+
If people fight about kids as part of a divorce, the court might appoint a guardian ad litem (a person who acts as a witness for the child), or a child representative (a lawyer for the child). This person, who is always a lawyer, bills like a lawyer, and that can be expensive. If the case goes on fore a couple months, the costs could very easily be in excess of $10,000.
Cost of trial = $10,000+
Even the smallest trial is a lot of work. Some trials can cost several multiples of $10,000. There is more work than you might think, and certain steps are required that surprise most people.
How do I get an uncontested divorce in Illinois for a flat fee?
We offer to represent clients for a flat fee in an uncontested divorce in Illinois. Not all lawyers do that.
The flat fee is possible because people are in agreement. However, some lawyers really like to make cases bigger than they need to be. They are always trying to convince the client to fight about something, making big promises, and showing their fancy offices on their websites.
Guess who pays for those offices? The clients.
Don’t pay for your lawyer’s fancy office. Get an uncontested divorce in Illinois, for a flat fee, with a lawyer.
When compared to the cost of fighting in court, an uncontested divorce in Illinois is practically free. Instead of paying a lawyer tens of thousands of dollars to fight for a predictable results, you can pay one affordable flat fee and get divorced by agreement. Check out this article about getting started with an uncontested divorce in Illinois.