Miami Heat All-Star Dwayne Wade has been in and out of court with his ex-wife for nearly six years. The cost of the divorce and now custody battle? Nearly 10 million dollars. Not all of us make millions of dollars every year playing professional basketball – but that $10 million has got to hurt, maybe not financially for the multi-million dollar basketball star, but it’s got to hurt emotionally as well.
Dwyane Wade divorce fees hit $10M, report says – South Florida Business Journal.
The question that I get asked the most in family law cases is “how much does a divorce cost?” All factors considered, that is a broad question. The question that you should be asking is “how much is my divorce going to cost?”
Many factors go into divorce costs, and you – the client – have a big part in determining the final numbers. Your divorce will cost as little or as much as both parties allow. You have a lot more control over the end cost than you may realize. Arizona is a community property state, which means that spouses are generally entitled to ½ of everything obtained in the marriage, with a few exceptions. Money from selling the house, 401K earnings, and other assets will be divided equally.
COMMUNITY PROPERTY STATE: A state in which all property acquired during marriage (except by gift or inheritance) by either or both of the spouses is considered to be owned equally by them. Division of these assets will be divided equally. This division also includes the debts incurred during the marriage as well.
Disagreements, arguments, differences, disputes and other conflicts can greatly increase divorce fees. Agreeing on your child’s custody will save you a considerable amount of fees rather than spending weeks or even months disputing the issues. Agreeing on alimony and child support will also save you more money.
The bottom line is that you and your spouse have a great deal of control over the cost of your divorce. A cordial divorce where you agree on the issues will cost a lot less that one where there are conflicts and disputes.
When considering a divorce, please speak with your spouse and decide together what kind of divorce it will be. At Budge Law Firm, we provide a free consultation. There is no way to predict exactly how much your particular case will cost, but we can work with you to make sure that you are informed of all of your options and understand how to lower the cost of your divorce or custody dispute.
