- August 12, 2022
What’s the price of hiring a professional divorce lawyer? If you’ve been thinking about getting divorced, one thing you must consider is the costs. You’ve probably heard horror stories about how much it cost your friends to get a divorce. Family members may have warned you that it might be cheaper to just stay in the marriage. However, if you truly aren’t happy, there’s no amount of money that should keep you from pursuing that happiness. Our divorce lawyers in Greenville, South Carolina meet with new clients every week who have the same concerns you do. One of the first things they ask us is how much their divorce will cost. We give them an honest answer. The truth is that every divorce is different. There’s no way any family law lawyer in Greenville should give you a precise answer to this question.
The cost of your divorce depends on a variety of different factors. Here, we’ll discuss these factors and explain how they’ll impact your own divorce case. If you still want to move forward with the divorce after thinking things through, give us a call. Talk to one of our divorce lawyers in Greenville, South Carolina. They’ll explain how our fee structure works. They’ll also explain the things that can make one divorce more expensive than another. If you still have questions after reading this short article, contact our firm and schedule your initial consultation.
Divorce Lawyers in Greenville, South Carolina Charge an Hourly Rate
The big difference between a personal injury lawyer and a divorce lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina is the way they are paid. While personal injury lawyers don’t charge anything upfront, divorce lawyers do. Your divorce lawyer isn’t looking forward to a share of a settlement or jury award. Instead, they charge an hourly rate.
The way it works with our family law lawyers in Greenville is very simple. When we first meet with a potential client, we try to determine how complicated their divorce will be. We then try to determine approximately how many hours your attorney will have to work on your case.
Once we have an idea of how many hours your total divorce may be, we’ll ask you to pay a retainer. This is a lump sum payment that covers the first fifteen or twenty hours of work. Depending on the hourly rate of your lawyer, this amount could vary greatly. A really expensive family law lawyer in Greenville may charge you $600-$700 per hour. Their retainer would be a lot more than an attorney who charges $400 or $450 per hour. When you first meet with your lawyer, they’ll explain what their hourly rate is and how much your retainer will need to be.
What Happens When Your Retainer Runs Out?
In most cases, the initial retainer does not cover the entire cost of your divorce. It will often only get you partially through negotiations over your marital settlement agreement. Once this retainer runs out, your family law lawyer in Greenville will need to make a decision. They may ask for an additional sum to be paid. Or they may agree that you can pay a monthly bill going forward. This would continue until your divorce is final.
Since every case is different, there’s no way to tell you upfront which way your case will go. If your attorney thinks there is still a lot of work to be done on your case, a second retainer may be best. If, however, they think you’re close to reaching a settlement with your spouse, they may agree to a monthly billing arrangement.
Clients Are Also Responsible for Paying Any Expenses and Costs Associated with the Divorce
In addition to paying your attorney’s fee, you’ll also be expected to cover any costs associated with your divorce. For example, in South Carolina, it costs $150 to file for divorce. Not only do attorneys not pay these costs for their clients, but it is actually against the rules of professional ethics for them to do so.
In addition to this initial filing fee, there are many other costs involved in a divorce filing. Some of these include the following:
- Postage and copies
- Lawyer’s service fees to serve the complaint and motions papers on your spouse
- Motion fees
- Costs associated with discovery
- Court reporter fees
- Transportation and parking fees
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. There are many other expenses that may come up during the court of your divorce. Your divorce lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina will itemize these expenses before you’re asked to pay them. Or, if they have been deducted from your retainer, they’ll show up in the itemization of these expenses.
If you aren’t sure about what these expenses are, you can always ask your attorney to explain them. Just remember – the less time your lawyer has to spend on the phone, answering emails, or redrafting your property settlement agreement, the less it’ll cost you in the end.
Contact an Experienced Divorce Lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina
If you’ve decided that getting divorced is the best option for you, it’s time to give our office a call. We can schedule an initial consultation for you with one of our seasoned family law lawyers in Greenville. They can go over the divorce process with you and help you understand what it entails. They can also give you an idea of how their fee structure works.
The best thing to do is talk to an experienced lawyer before you do anything rash. You don’t want to rely on a divorce lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. If they promise to complete your divorce for a few hundred dollars, something is amiss. It’s impossible for a lawyer to file your divorce and see that divorce through for that low of a price.
Call today and we’ll set up a date and time that works for you to come into the office.
