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Cost Savings of an Online Divorce

Friday, September 29th

Cost Savings of an Online Divorce

It's common knowledge that with any divorce comes both big heartache and big cost. It's never easy for anyone to go through a divorce and a complicated drawn out, ugly, expensive event makes it that much harder. However, when you step back and look at the reasoning behind the divorce process it doesn't have to be difficult and expensive if you don't make it.

A divorce is simply the legal method of identifying the division of assets, liabilities, child support and visitation when a couple ends their marriage. Some choose to let out their anger and disappointment on their spouse by being difficult in legal proceedings and asking for more than half of what's fair. Generally that's a waste of time in most States as the division of assets, child custody and child support is already laid out in a standard guideline that judges almost always follow.

The court system recognizes three types of divorces and here's how they compare in cost:

  • Contested Divorce. A contested divorce typically involves a disagreement between spouses on how to divide property, assets, debt and time spent with any children. When a husband and wife cannot come to an agreement on one or several items related to the divorce a lot of time is spent between lawyers and the final decision may be left up to a judge. These are the divorces that take the longest to resolve and can last several years as lawyers battle back and forth over minute details. The average cost of a contested divorce is $20,000.
  • Mediated Divorce. Mediation is something that is becoming more popular in recent years. It essentially puts the couple in a room to work out the details of the divorce while lawyers, mediators and other professionals serve to assist with questions and offer guidance. Some couples are not able to finalize an agreement in mediation and end up going to court for the judge to make a final decision. The average cost of a mediated divorce is $5,000.
  • Uncontested Divorce. An uncontested divorce is one in which the parties involved have identified on their own how to best distribute assets, liabilities, custody and any other important issue. An uncontested divorce is usually the preferred situation for the parties involved as it establishes grounds for amicable behavior in co-parenting the children for years to come. The process is also more time efficient and much less costly than a litigated divorce. Uncontested divorces may be handled through one attorney for both parties, two attorneys representing each side or an online divorce company. The average cost of legal fees for an uncontested divorce are $2,000 with a lawyer or around $300 if you use an online divorce company.

There are several benefits you can gain from an online divorces. Some of these include:

  • Cost Savings. An online divorce company provides all of the necessary paperwork for your State at a fraction of the cost of using a local lawyer. You can anticipate saving thousands of dollars over the traditional divorce attorney.
  • Speed. Online divorce companies serve to create and expedite the necessary paperwork to you. There's very little waiting, no establishing meeting after meeting with a lawyer for multiple signatures and expensive discussions.
  • Stress Reduction. An efficient and cost effective divorce is beneficial to all parties involved. Without a legal battle, embarrassing questions, or a year long fight couples and their children are able to move on with their lives and start the adjustment period with less anger and stress.
  • Convenience. When you use a divorce lawyer you can anticipate several meetings, document signings, phone calls and more during your working hours. This often means rearranging your schedule, asking for time off from work and finding daycare that can be inconvenient and hard on your career. The online divorce process occurs at your convenience and with your specific schedule.

An amicable uncontested divorce through an online divorce company provides a huge cost savings over traditional divorce proceedings. Online divorces typically cost around $300 for legal paper work. The time you spend answering questions is completed at your convenience, when your schedule permits, whether that be on the weekend or at 10:00 pm when the kids are in bed.

Online divorces also provide the most efficient method of finalizing a divorce as fewer parties and meetings are involved. State waiting periods still apply but filings occur faster and with less hassle. If you are considering using an online divorce company locate independent product reviews to assist with choosing a quality company that offers an excellent service at the best price.

The Best Online Divorce Services Compare Online Divorce Services Compare Online Divorce Service Reviews What are the best Online Divorce Services Best Online Divorce Service Reviews

Online Divorce Service FAQ

Yes and no. You can complete the paperwork online, but in most states you'll still need to file it with your county court, pay the applicable fees and appear for a hearing.
Most services require the divorce to be uncontested: both spouses are in complete agreement over division of assets and custody arrangements if minor children are involved. Not all online divorce platforms offer services in every state, so be sure that the one you're considering is available where you plan to file for divorce.
Online divorce services can range anywhere from free with a one-week trial to $499+. The fees charged by these providers don't include any corresponding court costs. You may also have monthly data storage and service fees, depending on the company you select, so read the fine print carefully.
In general, you'll answer a few brief questions to see if your situation is eligible for an online divorce service - mostly to determine if it includes your state and if your divorce is likely to be uncontested. Once you've paid your fees and entered your answers, you'll usually print out your completed paperwork and file them with your local court. From there, any timeframes and fees depend solely on your county government.
Almost every online divorce provider guarantees that your paperwork will be accepted by the court in your state. However, it's up to you to walk through the necessary steps for making your divorce final, like filing the paperwork and showing up for hearings.
That depends on your local court system. You can fill out the paperwork online in just a few minutes, but the rest of the process is determined by how quickly it's processed, whether you can get a hearing date scheduled in a timely fashion, and so on.
Absolutely. Whether you seek a lawyer's services on your own or through an online divorce service, there's nothing prohibiting you from getting extra legal help. Some divorce platforms can connect you with an attorney for an additional fee, if you don't already have a professional in mind.
Most online divorce providers only guarantee that your paperwork will be legal and accepted by the court in your state. In other words, if you sign up for an account and pay the fees for an online divorce but then you change your mind or don't like the service itself, you may be out of luck. But, some providers may offer refunds for other circumstances on a case-by-case basis - just don't count on it. Do your homework and sign up for an online divorce service only when you've determined that it's a program that will work for you.

Compare Online Divorce Services

Select any 2 Online Divorce Services to compare them head to head

best-online-divorce-companies
  • Divorce Writer
  • 3 Step Divorce
  • Divorce Online
  • Complete Case
  • Rocket Lawyer
  • DivorceNet
  • LegalZoom
  • Hello Divorce
  • My Divorce Papers
  • TOPS Divorce Kit
Divorce Writer vs 3 Step Divorce Divorce Writer vs Divorce Online Divorce Writer vs Complete Case Divorce Writer vs Rocket Lawyer Divorce Writer vs DivorceNet Divorce Writer vs LegalZoom Divorce Writer vs Hello Divorce Divorce Writer vs My Divorce Papers Divorce Writer vs TOPS Divorce Kit 3 Step Divorce vs Divorce Online 3 Step Divorce vs Complete Case 3 Step Divorce vs Rocket Lawyer 3 Step Divorce vs DivorceNet 3 Step Divorce vs LegalZoom 3 Step Divorce vs Hello Divorce 3 Step Divorce vs My Divorce Papers 3 Step Divorce vs TOPS Divorce Kit Divorce Online vs Complete Case Divorce Online vs Rocket Lawyer Divorce Online vs DivorceNet Divorce Online vs LegalZoom Divorce Online vs Hello Divorce Divorce Online vs My Divorce Papers Divorce Online vs TOPS Divorce Kit Complete Case vs Rocket Lawyer Complete Case vs DivorceNet Complete Case vs LegalZoom Complete Case vs Hello Divorce Complete Case vs My Divorce Papers Complete Case vs TOPS Divorce Kit Rocket Lawyer vs DivorceNet Rocket Lawyer vs LegalZoom Rocket Lawyer vs Hello Divorce Rocket Lawyer vs My Divorce Papers Rocket Lawyer vs TOPS Divorce Kit DivorceNet vs LegalZoom DivorceNet vs Hello Divorce DivorceNet vs My Divorce Papers DivorceNet vs TOPS Divorce Kit LegalZoom vs Hello Divorce LegalZoom vs My Divorce Papers LegalZoom vs TOPS Divorce Kit Hello Divorce vs My Divorce Papers Hello Divorce vs TOPS Divorce Kit My Divorce Papers vs TOPS Divorce Kit
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