How Much Does a Divorce Mediator Cost in California
If you’re planning on getting a divorce you may have already looked into the cost of getting one. You may have been stunned to find out how much you would need to pay a lawyer and how much the court costs would be if you used litigation. Many couples have been financially ruined by playing out their divorce in court instead of using a divorce mediator in California. Don’t let this happen to you. Find out how much a divorce mediator costs in California so that you can make an informed decision before hiring an attorney.
Divorce mediation in California is available at an affordable cost of only $375 to $395 as an hourly rate. This is a combined amount for both parties so these costs can be split down the middle. When you consider that a divorce attorney in California may charge more than $500 per person, you can see what type of cost savings you can expect to receive by choosing the path of mediation instead.
It even gets more complicated than that. When you hire an attorney his job will be to fight tooth and nail for your rights to make sure that you get what you want. Your spouse’s lawyer will be hired to do the same thing. There will be a lot of back-and-forth and fighting, which is great for the lawyers that want to make as much money as possible per case but not so great for you. The costs can get astronomical and you could end up with financial hardship as a result of paying your lawyer’s fees.
The goal of mediation is to resolve issues amicably and fairly. If you have assets that you need to divide up, it’s best to come to a fair resolution that works for both parties. If you use a divorce attorney you may end up having to sell your assets to pay for both attorneys. In the end, the lawyer wins and the ex-spouses lose.
When you pay your attorney fees this does not take into account other charges that you’ll be responsible for either. The lawyer will charge you extra for some of the services performed and you’ll also have to pay for court costs. You’d be surprised how quickly everything adds up when you use an attorney and it really doesn’t make a lot of sense to go this route. Try mediation first and if by chance everything doesn’t get resolved, you can take some of the issues to court.
The overall cost of divorce mediation in California will run anywhere from $3,000 up to $8,000 in most cases. This is a total amount and you could split it down the middle with your ex-partner. This is a reasonable amount to pay for a divorce when you consider the alternative.
Avoid getting into a long, drawn-out battle with your ex that only ends up in financial and emotional pain. Take control of your divorce and have a say in how you would handle the issues, which may include child visitation and custody, the division of property and much more. Mediation fosters cooperation and reduces conflict and can turn an outright war into peace talks. When you don’t want to waste money on litigation, mediation is always the first thing to try when a divorce is imminent.
