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Expense of a Divorce in the Lake Mary, Florida Area

You are getting a divorce in Lake Mary or in Seminole County, Florida. What should you expect to pay for a divorce? What you pay for a divorce depends on many different things. 

Contested vs. Uncontested

If the divorce is uncontested you will probably need to pay a nonrefundable retainer for attorneys’ fees of between $2,500 to $3,500. This is usually not a flat fee.  You will also need to pay a refundable cost retainer of $468. That refundable cost retainer will cover the filing fee of $408, the Summons of $10 , and the process server fee of $50 .  

If you are going to be involved in a complex and protracted highly contentious and litigated dissolution of marriage case, then the retainer could be between $5,000  to $20,000 . That is not a flat fee. You would also have to pay the same refundable cost retainer as mentioned above. 

Attorney’s Fees

An hourly rate for an attorney in the Lake Mary, Florida area will probably range between $300 to $600  per hour. The more experience the attorney has, the pricier they will be. Some attorneys may charge one rate for out of court services and a higher rate for in court services. This difference may range between $50 to $100 an hour. 

An attorney should provide you with an itemized bill on a monthly basis. The attorney should have you sign a retainer agreement to hire them. This should be a contract of approximately right (8) pages explaining your rights and the fees and costs you will pay. 

Collaborative Divorce

If you plan to do your divorce case collaboratively by collaborative divorce process then you will pay around $5,000 for a nonrefundable attorney.  You will also need to pay a retainer for a financial neutral of between $3,500 to $5,000. Further, you will also need to pay a retainer to the mental health neutral of approximately $3,500. You will need to pay a refundable cost  retainer when the divorce is filed in the court. 

Other Potential Costs

If you retain other experts, you will need to pay them a retainer too. These experts may include but not limited to an appraiser and business evaluator.  

In a contested divorce there would be costs if you wanted a Guardian Ad Litem or Social Investigator/Custody Evaluator. This is a perfunctory review of costs in a Lake Florida Dissolution of Marriage case. When you meet with the attorney at the initial consultation, you would go over all this in depth with the attorney you consult with to hire. 

If you have more questions regarding a Marital and Family Law matter, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. You may also visit my website at: https://www.annmariegildenlaw.com 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not form an attorney client privilege.