The average divorce is a perfect storm of stress, time, and money.
According to a recent study “the average total cost of a full-scope attorney in a typical Georgia divorce ranges from $10,500 to $12,700” and the case lasts for about a year (Lawyers.com). That’s for just one attorney. The average cost for two attorneys, one for each spouse, would be $21,000-$25,400 in total attorney fees.
These four secrets can help the smart client avoid the storm:
It is well-established that more than 90% of all divorces eventually end up with an agreement between the parties.
If there is a 90% chance of an agreement, shouldn’t the smart client explore that first, instead of starting a long, expensive, and probably unnecessary fight??
We believe the answer is yes. Regrettably, most family law attorneys don’t even ask this question.
Divorce attorneys routinely start a fight, and the more they fight the more you have to pay them. Make sure that’s what you want.
The default strategy for most attorneys is to send their divorce clients headlong into the storm. They typically file their case with the court, serve the spouse with the papers, and charge by the hour to fight without exploring an early agreement for their client. The spouse then hires their own attorney by the hour to fight back, and so goes one storm after another.
If you are interested in exploring an early agreement, be sure to discuss that option with your counsel prior to filing a divorce with the court.
Your fee structure should work for you, not against you.
Most attorneys charge by the hour for a divorce, because no one can predict how long a divorce fight might last. Hourly fees will reward your attorney for continuing to fight for you, and if you must fight, that is what you want.
However, if you are interested in exploring an early agreement, then paying hourly fees can work against you. You would be paying your attorney more to continue to fight, which is not what you want.
Our experience has been that if an agreement can be explored BEFORE any case is filed in court, then most of our clients can reach an early agreement and bypass the storm.
We charge one flat fee (usually between $2500-$4500 depending on the issues) to help you negotiate an early agreement and prepare all the paperwork necessary for your Final Decree of Divorce. In most cases, the parties can reach an Agreement in a month or so.
Compare that to the average total hourly fees of $10,500-$12,700 for one lawyer in the typical year-long divorce fight. And that’s for average cases, which means half are worse. Some are much worse. Starting a fight instead of exploring an agreement can be a $10,000+ mistake. Or worse.
If you would like to discuss your options, we offer a free consultation with our attorney. Just text your name and an email address secure from your spouse to (770) 862-5638, and we will reply to your secure email by the morning of the next business day to schedule a prompt Zoom meeting.
