Even the cheapest DIY divorces tend to cost at least a few hundred dollars, and that’s only if you barely have any property to divide and you don’t have children. The cost of getting a divorce in CT can vary greatly depending on several different factors, some of which you may have control over and some of which you may not.
Here’s what you should know about the cost of a Connecticut divorce and how to get legal assistance from a professional, experienced Greenwich divorce attorney.
Factors That Impact the Cost of Divorce in CT
How Contentious Your Divorce Is
If you and your spouse have a highly contentious divorce, this means the process of dissolving your marriage will become significantly more complex than if you agreed with each other and were able to draft a typical divorce settlement in Connecticut. If your divorce lawyer needs to spend a lot of time dealing with a petty spouse who refuses to make any compromises, this will likely drive the overall cost of dissolving your marriage much higher.
Often, vindictive spouses attempt to use this as a control tactic and fight every possible battle, hoping to upset their spouse, drain them financially, and drag on the unpleasantness of the divorce process.
How Many Assets You Have and Their Value
Couples that have a lot of assets or assets worth a lot of money typically have to pay more for their divorces. This is because property division in high-asset divorces takes longer, particularly if the couple cannot agree on how to split assets between them. Often, high-asset divorces are contentious, with one spouse standing to gain a significant amount of money from the other if the divorce is settled in their favor.
If Connecticut alimony is on the table, the higher earning spouse may put a lot of effort into fighting for spousal support to be denied or reduced to avoid losing even more money in the divorce. If you spend a lot of time negotiating the issue of alimony, you still need to negotiate other aspects of the divorce, which add to your total overall expense.
If You Own a Business With Your Spouse
If you and your spouse own a business together, you will need to have a business valuation in CT and go through a different but related process of either restructuring your business or liquidating it and splitting the profits. For example, if one spouse primarily worked to grow the company, equitable distribution laws would likely require that that spouse be offered a portion of the business equal in value to how much they had worked to operate the company compared to their spouse.
In this case, the spouse that worked more on the business can simply buy out the shares of the other spouse to continue the company’s operation. Or, it may be possible to restructure the business so you both continue to profit from the company. Divvying up business assets certainly results in more time and expense for your divorce.
If You Have Children
Child custody and support matters also intend to increase the cost of getting a divorce in CT. Some of this is simply because there are more issues to address and therefore more effort and time from your lawyers ends up costing more money. Other times, a vengeful spouse may try to use child custody or support issues to drive up the time and cost it takes to dissolve your marriage.
For example, if your attorneys are dealing with issues like parental kidnapping and chasing down child support payments, the cost of your Connecticut divorce is likely going to increase. The longer this goes on, the more your divorce can cost overall.
Get Help from a Connecticut Family Attorney
Before making any hard and fast decisions about ending your marriage, you should consult with an experienced CT divorce lawyer. Divorce can be expensive and many spouses have limited budgets. If you have a high-asset divorce, or you have other issues that can prolong your divorce and raise its cost like child custody or support, getting legal help is even more critical.
Heidi E. Opinsky is a veteran Connecticut divorce lawyer who has the skills and expertise to provide you with comprehensive, zealous legal support. When you meet with Attorney Opinsky, she will review your case in detail and give you an idea of what you can expect in terms of the cost of your divorce in CT, how long it will take, and other important issues. Call now for a consultation at 203-653-3542.
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