Category: Divorce

Top Cleveland Divorce Attorneys

When two individuals seek a divorce in Cuyahoga County, the negative feelings often lead to bitter relationships and expensive solutions. This does not always need to be the case. When you seek legal help for divorce in Cleveland OH, you will need help from an experienced divorce attorney who will help facilitate positive resolutions. Under our guidance, many individuals have found creative, effective solutions to their most difficult problems at a fraction of the cost of many other lawyers.

There are a variety of legal options when it comes to changing the status of a marriage. Based on the in-depth experience of our attorneys, we can successfully represent you with the procedure that is best for you and your particular situation, such as:

• Dissolution of marriage
• Regular divorce
• Collaborative divorce
• Legal separation
• Distribution of property

Family-Related Legal Issues

When a marriage ends, it impacts more people than just the couple involved. Children, grandparents, and others are often affected. To help protect your rights and the rights of your family, we offer legal assistance in the following divorce-related areas:

• Spousal support (alimony)
• Parental rights
• Child support
• Rights of grandparents
• Prenuptial agreements
• Domestic violence issues

Child Support

The legal decisions made at the time your marriage ends will remain with you the rest of your life. Our team will represent you in your divorce proceedings to help attain a positive outcome and protect your legal rights. With Divorce Cleveland OH, you will know you found the right child custody attorney in Cleveland.

There are different methods used to legally end a marriage, which include the following:

• Dissolution or no-fault divorce—this option is for those who are ending their marriage amicably, with little disagreement on dividing property, parental rights for children, etc. Since a dissolution, also called no-fault divorce, is finalized outside of court, it is the most cost-effective option.
• Divorce—when there are issues or disagreements, the particulars of the divorce settlement are determined by the court. In cases such as these, it is important to have an experienced Cleveland child support attorney who can fight for your rights.
• Collaborative divorce—this option falls in between dissolution and divorce. It is for those who wish to settle out of court but need help and mediation in making decisions. Our team can facilitate this process in connection with the Center for Principled Advocacy.
• Legal separation—sometimes it is beneficial for both parties to remain married, but officially live apart.

Find a Divorce Attorney in your Area

FAQ for Cleveland Divorce Attorney

What are the options for parental rights?

Generally speaking, there are two options: shared parenting and sole custody. Over the years, the law has evolved and recognizes the important role that both parents play in a child’s life. Today, shared parenting plans are common. In a shared parenting plan, both parents retain custody with one serving as the residential parent who provides the home base for the child.

Are there tax implications involved with spousal support?

Typically, all money paid to a spouse for support after marriage is tax deductible. Likewise, the money received for spousal support is counted as taxable income. Child support, however, is not treated the same. Before you finalize this issue, make sure you understand the tax implications of any spousal award.

How is property divided?

While the details are different for every case, there are a couple of basic guidelines in Ohio. First, any money or property that was yours before you were married stays with you. Second, any item you inherited or were gifted stays with you. How you divide the rest of your property is a more complex process. That is why it is important to retain the services of an experienced attorney.

Who gets to keep the house?

You should make this decision carefully because it cannot change once the divorce is finalized. Factors determining property ownership can include the ability to make mortgage payments and to buy out your spouse’s share in the house. Once everything is finalized the other spouse’s name will be completely removed from the title and loan.

Free Ohio Divorce Consultation

When you are facing a divorce, talk to a family law attorney in Cleveland from Divorce Cleveland OH. Your first consultation is free and will give you the chance to become familiar with our legal team and see how we can help you.

Collaborative Divorce in Ohio

Family legal conflicts involving divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, and related matters are usually resolved through negotiations or litigation. Both methods of dispute resolution have advantages and drawbacks.

Negotiations can resolve issues quickly and cheaply if the parties have simple goals and are amenable to compromise; however, consensus can be difficult to reach and issues may prove too emotionally charged to resolve without an intermediary.

Litigation may provide clear outcomes to the participants but can be expensive and time-consuming. It also can lead to bad blood between parties (such as parents) who may need to cooperate in the future. Finally, by going to court, the parties put their fates in the hands of a judge who may or may not share their goals and perspectives.

In recent years, a third method of dispute resolution has become popular. Known as “collaborative family law,” it turns the typically adversarial litigation model on its head. Instead of competing against each other to advance the “win-lose” goals of disagreeing clients, the lawyers for parties in the collaborative family law process help their clients work together to reach mutually beneficial goals.

An Effective Alternative To Adversarial Dispute Resolution

Family disputes are intensely personal life events that can tax any participant’s energy and emotional resources. When litigated in court, a traditional adversarial divorce case can be unnecessarily expensive, time-consuming, and unsatisfying.

Often, parties who “fight it out” in court end up with much less money and satisfaction than those who manage to resolve the important issues in a settlement. Historically, 90 to 95 percent of all traditional divorce cases filed in court end up, after the expenditure of large sums of money and time, with the agreement of both spouses on all issues, and without any actual trial before a judge or magistrate.

But not every disputing party can immediately agree to terms enabling them to avoid litigation. Issues are often too complex, or too emotionally difficult, for the parties to work out on their own.

Early Neutral Evaluation.

Collaborative Divorce Attorneys provide neutral consulting services to educate divorcing parties who are seeking timely education, suggestions, or nonbinding advisory opinions on what might be reasonable and appropriate regarding the subjects of the division of property, child and spousal support, and the allocation of parenting responsibilities — with or without the involvement of attorneys.

Ohio Collaborative Family Law.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Ohio Collaborative Family Law Act (effective on March 20, 2013), he assists clients in this relatively new family dispute resolution process, by which both parties retain separate attorneys who have completed special training in collaborative practice techniques. The parties sign an agreement to work with their personal collaborative attorneys toward a win-win settlement on mutually acceptable terms for the restructuring of the parties’ family and financial matters, using interest-based, principled negotiation techniques, without any threats of litigation. All communications among the parties and their lawyers during joint meetings are confidential and privileged and are not admissible as evidence in any court action involving the parties.

Collaborative Mediation.

Ohio law, standards of practice, and court rules limit the extent to which mediators can express opinions or offer suggestions. Mediation is a process in which a trained neutral person, called a mediator, helps parties in a disagreement to communicate with each other, understand each other, and — if possible — reach voluntary agreements about their disputes. Under the Ohio Mediation Act, all communications between the parties and the mediator are privileged and confidential and are not admissible as evidence in any court.

Mediators do not make decisions for parties; rather, they facilitate dispute resolution by helping parties communicate and negotiate with each other in a more productive manner.

Neutral facilitation services assist the parties with more effective communication, identification of needs and interests, and negotiation of solutions to disputed issues, with or without the involvement of attorneys. All communications among the parties and the mediator during joint meetings are confidential and privileged and are not admissible as evidence in any court action involving the parties.

Arbitration.

He serves as a neutral decision maker in binding and nonbinding arbitration of marital disputes involving parenting plans, valuation of assets, division of property, or spousal and child support, which options can be chosen by agreement of the parties under the Ohio Arbitration Act, or Rule 15(B), Ohio Rules of Superintendence.

 

Ohio Prenup Lawyers

Prenup is the abbreviation of prenuptial. A Prenup lawyer is a professional who helps an individual who wants to get married to handle certain aspects of the marriage. Universally divorce rates are very high and a study conducted by Americans for Divorce Reforms estimates that more than 40% of marriages in the United States will end in divorce. This is one reason why many couples opt for a prenuptial agreement. So if you are seriously considering marrying your partner, hiring a prenup lawyer will be a good thing for you to do.

Basically, prenup is a contract that is entered into or agreed upon by two people preceding their legal union or marriage. To draw up this agreement you will have to hire the services of a prenup lawyer as he is the best person to help you out with this. It is not that you just go about hiring the first prenup lawyer that you come across for helping you to draw up the prenup agreement. You must find out certain things before you go about doing this work. You must also realize the importance of doing this. Some of these are mentioned below:

Remember it is an agreement that will help you to deal with any situation if you decide to part ways with your companion. So the thought that your partner may suspect that your intentions are not all honorable for this marriage must not stop you from this. It is wise to get this done before the wedding from your prenup lawyer.

Make sure that you hire the services of the best prenup lawyer in your city to help you in drawing up an appropriate agreement. A lawyer is after all the best person who can help you out if you do get entangled in any legality because of this.

Protect your Business Interests

Having a prenup agreement made by a prenup lawyer is a great way for you to protect your business interests. If you happen to run a big corporation or ownership business this will help in preventing your spouse from having sole control of the business if in future they decide to part ways. It will be wise on your part to protect your financial interests.

Protect your Children

Another advantage of having a prenup lawyer draw up a prenup agreement is that one can protect children from an earlier marriage and get their rightful share in their property. If all the assets are clearly distributed in the prenup agreement then there is no fear in the event of the death of a person or the divorce about property and wealth distribution to children from other marriages.

Make sure that you hire the services of a prenup lawyer. The lawyer must be efficient in handling any legal aspect related to the agreement. Ask the prenup lawyer about any doubts which you have about the prenup agreement.

The task of the prenup agreement drawn up by a prenup lawyer is to help one in dealing with any situation that may arise if at any time the couple decides to split and part ways. Sometimes things simply do not work out between couples and it is best to part ways without causing trouble to anyone.

If you are having marital problems and have decided to separate, I encourage you to have an attorney draw up and both spouses sign a legal separation agreement. Please be aware that not all states recognize legal separation. In those states, that do the process should be smooth. Smooth as long as your and your spouse come to terms easily.

In states that don’t recognize legal separation speak with a local family law attorney about your options if all you want is a legal separation. In some states, it is possible to draw up a separation agreement signed by both spouses that would be legal and binding. In some states the divorce process must begin before the court will recognize any agreement, you and your spouse come to.

The bottom line is, you want a legal separation agreement that will protect you during a separation in case your spouse fails to live up to his/her obligations as outlined in the agreement. You want an agreement that will hold up in court should you have to go to court to have it enforced. Below are some of the financial benefits of a legal separation agreement.

• If you are paying your spouse, spousal support those payments can be claimed as a deduction at tax time. Only if the payments are part of the legal separation agreement though. If you are merely separated with no legal agreement, any monies given to your spouse cannot be deducted at tax time.
• A legal separation agreement means retaining certain benefits you held during the marriage. Let’s say you are a spouse who is covered under your spouse’s health insurance plan. With a legal separation agreement, it can be written into the agreement that those benefits continue during the period of separation.
• If you and your spouse own a home who pays for what will be outlined in the legal separation agreement?  When maintaining a home there are issues such as mortgage payments, utilities, lawn care, and maintenance that need to be considered. In a legal separation agreement who is responsible for what portion of the upkeep of the marital home is outlined.
• Most couples have joint checking and savings accounts and joint credit accounts. A legal separation agreement would define whether or not both spouses still have access to any joint accounts. It may stipulate that all joint bank accounts be closed and each spouse open accounts in their own name. It may also stipulate which spouse pays what monies on any joint credit accounts held by the couple. All issues pertaining to how money is spent and who is responsible for what are outlined so that both spouses will be protected.
• Most importantly, a legal separation agreement will protect you from being responsible for any debt your spouse acquires during the period of separation if you live in an equitable distribution state. If you live in a community property state, you don’t get this protection under a legal separation agreement.

Have you ever thought of the need to seek the help of a divorce lawyer in Columbus Ohio? No one gets married with the idea of later getting a divorce. However, the sad fact is that over half of all marriages result in divorce, at least in the United States. In the state of Ohio, specifically within the state capitol of Columbus, if you are considering a divorce, here is some useful information to consider.

Ohio State Divorce Laws

There are requirements for the filing, and granting of a divorce in Columbus, just as there are in other states in the US. If you are an individual residing in Columbus and looking for a divorce attorney, you must meet the following conditions to have a divorce granted:

• Be a resident of the state of Ohio for at least 6 months.
• File in the county of Franklin, which is the country that Columbus falls in.
• Know that the Court of Common Pleas will hear the action, regardless of whether you were married or separated in the state or elsewhere.

Fault vs. No-Fault

A divorce attorney can fill you in on the two different classifications of divorce. There are basically two types of divorce that will be granted in the state of Ohio, and that is fault or no-fault. A fault divorce is granted on grounds such as

• Abandonment of at least one year by the other spouse
• Drunkenness
• Bigamy
• Adultery
• Neglect
• Extreme Cruelty
• Falsification of any kind that trapped the other spouse into a marriage of fraud.
• The other spouse is imprisoned.

No fault refers to a situation where two individuals are granted a divorce from one another on the grounds of meeting one requirement; living apart from each other for at least one year.

The attorney will need to have the experience to meet all of your needs. There are some things to consider when looking for a divorce attorney in Columbus Ohio:

• A willingness to take your case
• A cooperative spirit
• Someone who listens to you
• Takes into consideration what is best for you.
• Returns phone calls in a reasonable length of time.

If your divorce involves property children and other assets, consider asking others who may be divorced for their opinion on who will work well for you. These types of divorces are more complicated and will need the guidance of someone who is not only in your court, so to speak, but will also have the experience to go after what you want and need.

Too many clients feel that their divorce attorneys want is to get their money and then avoid them. We care for our clients, and our main priority is to provide results. There is always someone to speak to you about your case and help you today. Take some time to write down all of your needs and your questions. Sometimes it is easy to forget what you wanted to say and this way you will be better prepared for your visit to a divorce attorney Columbus Ohio.

Find a Divorce Lawyer

In layman’s terms, a contested divorce means that the process isn’t going smoothly and the involved parties are not agreeing on any number of things. Finalizing the divorce is not going to be a genial walk in the park. In fact, it may be a very painful and drawn out process for both parties.

The difference in contested and uncontested

When a divorce is not contested or is un-contested, the spouses do not require the court to intervene and determine child or spousal support or custody or the division of assets. The parties agree on what needs to be done and as a result the divorce marches through the system quickly, is less complicated and not a huge financial drain on either party.

On the other hand, a contested divorce means that the parties can’t agree on something; maybe on a lot of things. One party or the other objects to the division of the assets; child support; general terms of the divorces; custody of the children; alimony or allocation of debts.

Adversarial

A contested divorce is adversarial. In an uncontested divorce, the parties are working together and present an agreement to the court for its approval. In a contested divorce there may be disputes about property, among other things, and if this cannot be resolved a trial may be required to settle the matter. The court then decides the outcome. In essence the court has to serve as the referee.

A contested divorce can mean that one of the parties doesn’t want a divorce and is hoping to prevent it. The actual divorce, rather than the terms of the divorce, is being contested. Mostly, though, a contested divorce refers to cases where the parties both want to end their marriage but simply cannot agree on the issues before them.

The Process

When a divorce is contested, the actual process includes serving the divorce petition on your spouse; your spouse then responds and discovery is held. Discovery means that each spouse must provide information about their income and assets and anything that is relevant to the case. Discovery is achieved via document requests, depositions and written interrogatories. Spouses can make requests for temporary alimony or child support at this time.

A judge will attempt to get the parties to come to an agreement, or a settlement, rather than going to trial. The judge may encourage mediation, using a third, neutral party whose job is to help the couple resolve the issues. If this doesn’t work, then the case goes to trial. At the trial, each side will give testimony and each will be cross-examined. Witnesses will appear.

Uncontested

In most cases, if a divorce is uncontested and you are the plaintiff, you will show up in court and testify but your spouse, who is not contesting the divorce, isn’t required to appear. An uncontested divorce is sometimes called a collaborative divorce.

Divorce can be contentious so it stands to reason that contested divorces are more common than uncontested ones. When a couple can not come to a resolution, the judge will look at the facts and determine the outcome for them.

It’s common but always painful: divorce. Even if you were the one who made the decision to end your marriage, you need to take care of yourself. Here are a few tips from someone who has lived through it twice.

Determine whether you need to fight

Divorce papers bring out the fighter in most of us, but if there are no hot issues, such as disputed property division or child custody, set down your boxing gloves. Instead, use the time to understand what has ended and why.

Get an attorney whose personality is the opposite of your own
If you are reasonable and rational, get a maniac. If you are emotional, get someone calm and unflappable. You are a team and teams work better if all perspectives are represented.

Decide your highest priorities

No matter how strong your case, you are not likely to get everything you want. Be sure you know the one or two issues that matter most to you and remind yourself of them every time you talk to your attorney.

Resolve amicably if reasonably possible, even if trial might bring you more
Taking it to the limit has its price; it is certain to put money in lawyers’ pockets and eat up a chunk of your life. Know the inside and outside boundaries of your “fair share” and be willing to settle somewhere near them.

Use a personal spam filter

Your friends and family might think they are doing you a favor by reporting sightings of your soon-to-be ex, but they are not. Whether she/he is seen out on the town with a stunning someone or alone crying, the news is certain to engage your feelings, feelings that should be reserved for helping yourself adjust.

Do not spend “quality time” with your soon-to-be ex

It is astonishing how easy it is to spend time — including night time — with a former spouse. You are lonely; they are familiar. But avoid it in the same way and for the same reasons that you would avoid eating a gallon of ice cream or drinking a bottle of whiskey: the price is brutal.

Get some unconditional love into your life

Dog, cat, even a rabbit or parrot will do. If your life can accommodate a pet, get one. You will have someone to talk to when you are alone, plus an excuse for continuing to say “we”, as in: “We’re staying by the fire this morning.”

Tap into someone else’s life for the interim

The feeling that your life is a catastrophe usually occurs at three in the morning. Keep a great book, or better yet series of books, ready to step in. I used Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta for my first divorce, Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch for my second.

Plan a vacation for when it’s over

Whether it’s a cruise down the Nile or a weekend in a nearby city, plan something exciting that you have never done before — it will help you remember that that’s how you want to view the rest of your life.

Divorce records have been made public records via the Freedom of Information Act of 1966. Because they are public records they fall under the jurisdiction of the state and are maintained by repositories of the state.

City and county courthouses, from where the records are uploaded, are normally maintained by city and county repositories. A majority of these documents and their information can be found online.

Ohio Divorce Records Online

Because divorce records are rather private, most states have imposed a degree of restriction on their use and accessibility. Nevertheless they are still deemed public records, which allows anyone to access anyone else’s public divorce records. This can only happen if the proper procedures are followed and complied by.

Divorce Record Usage

Public divorce records can be searched for many reasons. One of these reasons includes finding past information on a future relative, in-law, or spouse. Some search through concern for friends. There are official uses for search divorce records also.

These include cases of remarriage after a past divorce. This kind of search is done to confirm that the divorce was properly completed as well as to acquire the document for the application of a current marriage license. Some cases of this also require the production of a certified copy of the Divorce Certificate.

There are other uses of divorce records. These include the location of biological parents from adopted children – which can be done the other way around too – genealogy research, and establishment of identity and inheritance status in specific matters and claims.

Some choose to use public record divorce records for wrongful uses, which can include blackmail, campaign smearing, and ransom bargains.

Obtaining Ohio Public Divorce Records

Obtaining public divorce records can happen in many different ways. A record may be received upon request via mail, fax, telephone, or personal walk-in. Even as these are the ways used most commonly in the past, the new most commonly used way of obtaining divorce records is via the Internet. This is because the Internet is the fastest way where records may be downloaded electronically.

Records can be obtained in two ways: paid or free-of-charge. The paid version of most records is often the best way to approach. Even as it involves money, formal and official purposes often require quality over speed. The purchased records are often in the best condition possible.

Records that are obtained over the Internet are fast but, at times, are not able to be used in official and formal uses, such as court proceedings.

What Can be Learned from Divorce Records?

The information found in divorce records can be valuable and can also vary from record to records. Some records may state that a person was divorced on the grounds of violence or abuse, while another may say a person was divorced on the grounds of infidelity. Some records open the knowledge of a person’s past, such as drug abuse, alcohol usage, and rehabilitations.

Divorce records also give the information of children involved, child custody, reason for divorce, time and location of the marriage and divorce, as well as alimony, settlements, filing number, restraining orders, asset division, and final decree.

What is No-Fault Divorce?

Back in the day, divorces were not so easy to come by as they are in today’s society. Someone seeking a divorce could only obtain one by showing that his or her spouse was at fault and had committed an act warranting a divorce. Irreconcilable differences was not an option.

Prior to no-fault divorce hitting the scene, a divorce applicant typically had to allege such things as adultery, felony, abandonment, or some other act that would rise to the level of requiring a dissolution of the marriage. The other spouse could still seek to defend against and fight the divorce petition.

What Is the Difference Between Dissolution and Divorce?

As previously stated, a dissolution must be amicable, and the parties must be able to collaborate to negotiate the terms of their separation agreement. The court’s only role is to review and approve the final agreement before granting the termination.

A divorce, like dissolution, can be no-fault, but that is where the similarities end. Divorces can also be fault-based, which means that one party can claim that the other party’s actions caused the marriage to end.

In a divorce, the parties are not required to agree on any of the terms of their settlement and may contest everything from property division to child custody arrangements. Because the parties are unable to reach an agreement on their own, they may petition the court to make a final decision for them.

Dissolutions are generally the best option when the parties can communicate and make decisions together. Divorces are more appropriate when the parties disagree on a wide range of issues or are unable to work together.

The Introduction of Ohio No-Fault Divorce

In 1970, California introduced the concept of no-fault divorce in the United States. This concept of no-fault in a divorce is one in which one petitioning for a divorce is not required to show any wrongdoing on the part of his or her spouse in order to be granted a dissolution of the marriage. The court can simply grant a request for divorce without any evidentiary showings of a marital contract breach or legal defenses the respondent spouse may have to keep the marriage intact.

Prior to the establishment of no-fault divorce, those seeking a divorce would often try to find ways to bypass the fault requirements in order to obtain a divorce. Having a showing-of-fault requirement could be quite difficult when both spouses had some culpability yet both did not consent to dissolving the marriage. As a result, legal fictions started arising as a way to creatively get around the statutory fault showing requirement.

Advantages and Disadvantages to the No-Fault Divorce System

There are many advantages to the use of the no-fault divorce system. Although the institution of marriage is certainly important, it gives individuals more say in their own relationships. Many would argue that requiring spouses to remain in a marriage that is unhappy or, for whatever reason, should not be maintained, is giving the government too much control in people’s private lives.

Having a no-fault system may also end up sparing spouses from enduring harm, including emotional and physical, at the hands of the other spouse who may seek a dangerous way to get out of the marriage. Since the parties do not need to focus on making evidentiary showings of fault, the divorce can be less expensive, as it makes it easier and faster to obtain a divorce. There is no longer a drawn out process.

On the other hand, many would say that removing the showing-of-fault requirement makes it so easy to obtain a divorce that people will no longer respect the institution of marriage. It makes it very easy to get married on a whim, as people can easily get out of it. This may end up resulting in a clogging of the court system as more people choose to petition for divorce since their own culpability will not be at issue.

States Who Have Adopted No-Fault Divorce

Pretty much every single state in the United States has followed California’s lead in adopting a no-fault divorce system. Indeed, by 1983, every single state except New York and South Dakota had instituted some form of the no-fault divorce concept.

In 1985, South Dakota joined the no-fault divorce bandwagon. In New York, there is not a true no-fault divorce system. However, if both spouses enter into a notarized separation agreement and then live separately for a full year, it can be converted to a divorce by the family law judge.

Getting divorced certainly is not cheap. Aside from the ultimate payout of assets, spousal support and child support, the process itself can be quite costly. Here is a basic rundown of the typical costs involved in getting a divorce.

Court Costs

Every divorce involves some court costs. These are the filing fees that you have to pay to the court when filing certain documents with the court. The main fee that is paid is to file the petition for divorce, which varies by county and state, but can range somewhere between $120 to $300. If certain motions are filed with the court, then there will be a small fee for that as well.

If both parties do not hire attorneys or anyone else, such as an arbitrator, to provide professional assistance in the divorce process, then it is possible that a divorce could cost around $500 to $1,000.00. However, this is a very rare occurrence, except in the most amicable and trusting of divorces where the parties quickly settle the matter and without the assistance of any legal professionals.

Legal Professional Costs

Most people will hire some sort of legal professional to assist them in the divorce process. The most common situation is when both sides hire divorce attorneys to handle their cases. However, sometimes people, in an attempt to keep the cost of their divorces down, will hire an arbitrator who will preside over negotiations for the couple getting divorced.

Arbitrator Costs

The cost of any divorce will largely depend on how contentious the divorce is. As such, a couple who is willing to work together and keep emotions, especially feelings of hurt and anger, out of the equation can get divorced rather inexpensively. On the other hand, couples who allow emotions to run their cases and who fight each other every step of the way will find that they will spend a lot more money on their divorces.

When a divorce is not riddled by a lot of fighting, people are much better able to get through it simply using an arbitrator to mediate their negotiations and to assist in coming to a final settlement. The parties will meet with the arbitrator/mediator at least more than once, but the frequency will depend upon the difficulty the parties are having in coming to a final resolution on all aspects of the divorce.

The more often the parties need to meet with the arbitrator to reach a settlement in their divorce, the more money it will cost them. An arbitrator in a divorce can cost from as low as a couple thousand dollars to upwards of about $10,000.00. The divorce can cost even more if the attempts to use an arbitrator are unsuccessful and the parties must then go out and each hire their own separate attorneys.

Ohio Divorce Attorney Fees

Attorney’s fees are by far the most expensive cost in a divorce, aside from the actual settlement between the parties. Even with hiring an attorney, the cost will vary. If the parties are relatively amicable and work in a cooperative manner to come to a quick resolution of their matter, then the fees should not be very high. A relatively amicable divorce can cost between $5,000 to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, possibly a little more if there are child custody issues to be addressed.

If the parties are fighting it out, then the case could drag on, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The more emotion and anger the parties allow to interfere in the process and the more they fight over assets, children, etc., the more expensive the case will be. If the divorce proceeds to trial, rather than being settled, it will cost a lot more money.

Since most people do not go through a divorce without legal representation, the average cost of a divorce that is not highly contentious is around $10,000 to $20,000. It is in everyone’s best interest to keep it cooperative and avoid unnecessary fighting in order to keep costs low. Otherwise, your divorce may cost six figures.