Olga Kazan recently wrote an article in The Atlantic entitled “The High Cost of Divorce“. She details some reasons why the divorce system is so expensive:
- Lawyers are expensive and unwilling to change a system that benefits them
- There are few pro bono attorneys or attorneys to work for little money
- Legal aid is broke and divorces are resource consuming
- The court system is confusing to navigate
- The court system can be expensive just for filing fees
- The legal system has other costs such as a process server
- It is far easier and cheaper to enter marriage than to end one
- Some patriarchy still exists in the system
A family friend recently divorced. It was uncontested and they did the filing pro se (without attorneys). It still took them over 9 months to have their divorce heard on the papers (at a brief hearing via phone). The court system is confusing and difficult to navigate. There is a better way, but that is far beyond the scope of this post.
Consider mediation to get divorced. It is a far lower cost than paying lawyers to litigate a divorce. You will still need to have the court grant the divorce, but the rest of the process will be much less expensive and quicker. Contact me to learn more.