Professional services
Divorce Attorney Cost Calculator
Estimates divorce cost, where how contested the matter is drives everything.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Expected attorney hours at the hourly rate, plus court filing fees and any required third-party costs such as mediators, evaluators or expert valuations. The spread between an uncontested and a contested matter is wide enough that an average figure describes neither, which is why the degree of agreement between the parties is the primary input rather than a detail.
What moves the number
- How much the parties already agree on.
- Whether children, support or business assets are involved.
- Court filing fees, which are set locally.
- Third-party costs: mediators, evaluators, valuations.
Where this one goes wrong
Cost in a contested matter is driven by conflict rather than by complexity, and the hours follow disputes rather than documents. Every issue the parties resolve between themselves removes hours, and mediation is usually dramatically cheaper than litigating the same questions. Contingency fee arrangements are prohibited in domestic relations matters in most states, so this work is hourly or flat fee. This is a cost estimate, not legal advice, and an attorney in your jurisdiction is the only reliable guide to your own matter.
Before you quote
- Resolve what you can between the parties first.
- Ask about mediation before litigating contested issues.
- Confirm local filing fees and any required third-party costs.
Questions
About this calculator
What makes a divorce expensive?
Conflict rather than complexity. Attorney hours follow disputes, so every issue the parties resolve between themselves removes cost directly. An uncontested matter and a heavily contested one differ by so much that an average figure describes neither.
Is mediation cheaper than litigation?
Usually by a substantial margin, because it resolves the same questions in far fewer hours and without court time. Whether it suits a particular matter depends on the circumstances, and that is a question for an attorney in your jurisdiction rather than a calculator.
Can a divorce attorney work on contingency?
Generally no. Most states prohibit contingency fees in domestic relations matters, so the arrangement will be hourly or a flat fee for defined scope. Asking which applies, and what the flat fee covers, is worth doing at the first meeting.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on the matter (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 8 h.
- Fee earners needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $250.
- Disbursements and filing fees ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $120.
- Initial consultation fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on the matter | 8 h |
| Fee earners needed | 1 |
| Hourly rate charged | $250 |
| Disbursements and filing fees | $120 |
| Initial consultation fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $2,215 |
| Labour | $2,000 |
| Before tax | $2,215 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $2,215: $2,000 of labour, $120 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only hourly rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Hourly rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $125 | $1,215 |
| $188 | $1,719 |
| $250 example above | $2,215 |
| $375 | $3,215 |
| $500 | $4,215 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on the matter (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 8 h.
- Fee earners needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $250.
- Disbursements and filing fees ($)
- A money amount, starting at $120.
- Initial consultation fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.