Cost depends on how long the process takes. If you are mediating, you may try to do as much of the work between the two of you as possible. You may choose to pay as you go. Most divorce mediation couples share the cost. You decide the frequency of your meetings. After the initial meeting, successive meetings may be face-to-face, by conference call, or via e-mail correspondence to both parties.
Collaborative representation requires a retainer agreement. The amount of the initial retainer varies and will be determined upon an initial consultation.
Divorce consulting is available on an hourly basis but also requires a written fee agreement. There is no initial retainer necessary.
A typical mediation will take 2-4 sessions of approximately 3 hours. The initial document preparation is about 1 hour and the final document preparation is approximately 3-4 hours. The hourly charge is $300 for attorney time. This is an approximation and is not necessarily the time your mediation will take. If your case were to reflect the example above, the cost will range from $3000-$5000. Filing fees are paid to the court.
Compare this cost to hiring an attorney for both you and your spouse. A typical retainer fee is $5,000. For the two of you that would total $10,000, just to begin the process. The fees can exceed that amount. Instead, you can choose mediation, costing you less than half for the entire process. You choose the pace of your process, fitting it into your budget, saving time, money and reducing stress.
