HOW MUCH WILL MY OHIO DIVORCE COST?

Your Local Family Law Attorney
Clients are naturally concerned with how much a divorce or dissolution will cost. Their concern may not be foremost on their list of questions, but usually is never far down their list. Many call a list of lawyers and simply ask that one question; what will it cost?
The last decade has seen significant increases. The initial court costs alone, (what the local court charges just for the management of the court's file) have skyrocketed in the last ten years, and can reach $475.00 in the Miami Valley, plus extra fees. Your attorney will draft all your court documents, from the initial complaint to the final decree.
In the final analysis, it depends entirely upon you. While there are many procedures, affidavits, calculations, and considerations that must be done in any divorce, one thing is really determinative of your cost. The more a couple fights, the more the divorce costs.
The last decade has seen significant increases. The initial court costs alone, (what the local court charges just for the management of the court's file) have skyrocketed in the last ten years, and can reach $475.00 in the Miami Valley, plus extra fees. Your attorney will draft all your court documents, from the initial complaint to the final decree.
In the final analysis, it depends entirely upon you. While there are many procedures, affidavits, calculations, and considerations that must be done in any divorce, one thing is really determinative of your cost. The more a couple fights, the more the divorce costs.
WHY IS DIVORCE "EXPENSIVE?"
Let me compare the institution of marriage to an order of scrambled eggs. Two individual eggs come together. Each is distinct, with its own unique properties and aspirations. The chef cracks each egg and combines them in a bowl prior to cooking. The two yolks along with the remainder are blended together. The chef then has one combined mass. The two eggs are now one, indistinguishable from each other. Their individual identities no longer exist. This is the Biblical description of marriage. It is also very similar to how the State of Ohio views the marriage relationship legally. One need only look at the tax structure surrounding marriage to see the effects the joining produces.
In a divorce, these scrambled eggs must somehow be separated again into their individual identities. No easy task, as any chef will admit! Divorce results in two new legal identities which the State of Ohio and society recognizes, yet they are not the yolks that initially joined into the one unified relationship. This separation is necessarily costly and imperfect. The process can become legally very complex, especially in matters of property division and spousal support. Contrast the above to the simple procedure when you got married! Getting married only involved cracking those two eggs in a skillet and then scrambling them. Voila, one serving of scrambled eggs! This is why a divorce is more expensive than getting married. Everyone needs, and should have, a family law attorney to assist in properly separating the combined serving of scrambled eggs into a resemblance of separate individuals.
Finally, divorce is a highly charged emotional experience. A sense of personal failure and/or remorse, may be present. Often there is hostility towards the spouse, which may permeate the entire process. Healing needs time. Counseling is beneficial to many in making the transition.
Terminating a marriage is the end of one chapter, but it is also the beginning of another for each spouse. This is the time you should be, must be, laying the foundation for the rest of your life. Another thing is equally sure, you will leave the marital union with less material things than you currently own as a couple, and your cost of living will usually increase. Two parts cannot equal the former whole.
In a divorce, these scrambled eggs must somehow be separated again into their individual identities. No easy task, as any chef will admit! Divorce results in two new legal identities which the State of Ohio and society recognizes, yet they are not the yolks that initially joined into the one unified relationship. This separation is necessarily costly and imperfect. The process can become legally very complex, especially in matters of property division and spousal support. Contrast the above to the simple procedure when you got married! Getting married only involved cracking those two eggs in a skillet and then scrambling them. Voila, one serving of scrambled eggs! This is why a divorce is more expensive than getting married. Everyone needs, and should have, a family law attorney to assist in properly separating the combined serving of scrambled eggs into a resemblance of separate individuals.
Finally, divorce is a highly charged emotional experience. A sense of personal failure and/or remorse, may be present. Often there is hostility towards the spouse, which may permeate the entire process. Healing needs time. Counseling is beneficial to many in making the transition.
Terminating a marriage is the end of one chapter, but it is also the beginning of another for each spouse. This is the time you should be, must be, laying the foundation for the rest of your life. Another thing is equally sure, you will leave the marital union with less material things than you currently own as a couple, and your cost of living will usually increase. Two parts cannot equal the former whole.
COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL WITH YOUR SPOUSE / ATTORNEY
The better the communication, the better you can work out the many separation details between you and your spouse. Your attorney fees will be proportional to the level of communication; the better the communication, the less your legal fees will be. When your attorney must become involved to arrange property transfers, negotiate who gets that family “rolling pin” each of you so want, it costs more. I’m billing by the minute! Your spouse’s attorney is billing by the minute. Sometimes the attorney fees and expenses incurred due to poor communication can be greater than the value of the disputed property. My advice to clients; pick your battles carefully.
Equally important is the communication with your attorney.
Sometimes when children, business interests, a dishonest or controlling spouse, or perhaps an issue of “separate property” (to name a few) are involved in the dispute, a clash cannot be avoided. When negotiation fails, these battles can be pursued with all the legal procedures available to protect your rights and interests.
Equally important is the communication with your attorney.
- Listen to your attorney and follow his advice.
- Respond promptly to questions and requests.
- Take an active roll in your case. Participate in decision making. Do your homework gathering documentation. These will save you money and promote a better outcome.
Sometimes when children, business interests, a dishonest or controlling spouse, or perhaps an issue of “separate property” (to name a few) are involved in the dispute, a clash cannot be avoided. When negotiation fails, these battles can be pursued with all the legal procedures available to protect your rights and interests.
THE LEGAL REALITIES
When Ohio courts must decide spousal/parental issues, their approach tends to be more objective in nature. Ohio’s statutory guidelines and calculations determine child/spousal support. In property division, courts attempt to be fair and equal in division of assets and debts, within a framework of statutory and case law. You can save thousands of dollars if you can resolve these disputes between yourselves, with the advice and assistance of counsel. Face to face formal meetings to reach an agreement may be necessary. The more issues you can resolve between yourselves, the less costly your divorce will be. You will also generally be happier with the outcome, since you fashioned it, not a judge.
Avoid involving the children in the dispute. It’s your dispute, not theirs! Do not attempt to use them as “bargaining chips” to obtain other goals. Your attorney fees will soar!
A very simple, basic, agreed upon Dissolution, without children, can be done for about $2,400.00, plus court costs and expenses. When children are involved and/or more issues become contentious, the cost increases proportionately. Many additional court orders are involved with children, including child support, medical support, and visitation/parenting time. A shared custody may be desired, which requires a Shared Parenting Plan be developed in some detail to provide for the children, along with a Shared Parenting Decree. Each situation is unique. Seek a legal consultation to determine what procedure best suits your situation. An estimate can then be made as to the final cost of your divorce.
One final note. Include your attorney's estimate of legal fees/expenses in your budget and plan accordingly.
At Monte K. Snyder, Attorney, you deal only with me, no paralegals or assistants.
I will:
This is "Law With A Personal Touch."
For the myriad approaches developing in the legal marketplace, see: The Wild West of Divorce Marketing
Avoid involving the children in the dispute. It’s your dispute, not theirs! Do not attempt to use them as “bargaining chips” to obtain other goals. Your attorney fees will soar!
A very simple, basic, agreed upon Dissolution, without children, can be done for about $2,400.00, plus court costs and expenses. When children are involved and/or more issues become contentious, the cost increases proportionately. Many additional court orders are involved with children, including child support, medical support, and visitation/parenting time. A shared custody may be desired, which requires a Shared Parenting Plan be developed in some detail to provide for the children, along with a Shared Parenting Decree. Each situation is unique. Seek a legal consultation to determine what procedure best suits your situation. An estimate can then be made as to the final cost of your divorce.
One final note. Include your attorney's estimate of legal fees/expenses in your budget and plan accordingly.
At Monte K. Snyder, Attorney, you deal only with me, no paralegals or assistants.
I will:
- personally advise you,
- draft all your legal documents, customized to your specific situation, and
- represent you in court.
This is "Law With A Personal Touch."
For the myriad approaches developing in the legal marketplace, see: The Wild West of Divorce Marketing
For Tip on CHOOSING THE RIGHT LAWYER, click on the button below.
Location to Serve You:
- Clients: Catalina Manufactured Home Park at 6501 Germantown Rd., Lot 41, Middletown, Ohio, 45042-1264, on State Route #4 [My Home - by appointment only] (Near the Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park.)
- Phone: 513 423-8912
- Email: Monte K. Snyder, Attorney
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS SITE IS INTENDED TO BE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE LEGAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THE ISSUES ADDRESSED. ALL INFORMATION IS LIMITED TO OHIO. IT IS NOT INTENDED AS LEGAL ADVICE ON YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS ONLY INTENDED TO ASSIST YOU IN UNDERSTANDING THOSE PROCESSES.