Many times, when people are handed divorce papers, the evitable question arises which is “What is this divorce going to cost me?”  We have some insight into how divorce will affect you, financially and emotionally.

Financial Cost

“How much is this literally going to cost me?” Divorce can get expensive in California. An average divorce, even if it’s not heavily litigated, costs $15,000 plus per person.  If your divorce is litigated, it can cost a lot more. With a custody litigation, it could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and it could last a very long time.  If you choose Collaborative Divorce, you could potentially save thousands of dollars.  In a Collaborative Divorce, there are several professionals that work together to ensure that you and your spouse reach an agreement. Historically, Collaborative Divorces takes less time and it’s less expensive than a litigated divorce, and typically much more amicable.

Emotional Cost

There is no dollar value on the emotional toll that a divorce can take. Divorces are difficult in many ways, and emotions can escalate quickly, especially in a litigated case. In a Collaborative Divorce, much of this can be avoided through the assistance of a divorce coach, a child specialist to address your child’s needs, and a neutral financial professional who will all work together to ensure that your divorce is as peaceful and fair as possible.

The Collaborative Divorce Approach

Collaborative Divorce isn’t always the least expensive way to get through a divorce, but it is much less expensive than a fully litigated case.  For example, I remember a case that lasted 5 years because one party chose to litigate nearly every aspect of the divorce proceeding.  The collaborative route would have made things much easier and settlement would have occurred much sooner if this process was used.  The Parties would have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars from the division of their community assets. A Collaborative Divorce is designed to balance the power between divorcing spouses and create open communication for safe settlement terms that work for everyone.

If you need help with your divorce, or are needing more information about Collaborative Divorce, contact us at Kim Mediation and Law Center for a free 15-minute phone consultation.