Legal Fees for Worcester Divorce Law Firms
How much your paternity, divorce, or custody case costs depends a lot on how easy it is for you and the other party to the action to agree. If one of you is completely unreasonable, your fees in the case will increase drastically.
Things that tend to lead to higher fees, besides an unreasonable opposing party (our clients are never unreasonable, just sometimes misunderstood) are:
- Contested child custody or parenting plan issues, particularly when one parent alleges parental misfitness, alcohol- or drug-use, or insists on supervised visitation.
- Alimony and child support issues where certain aspects of one of the party's earnings, such as a self-employed or under-employed person, is difficult to determine, keeps changing considerably, or there is an allegation of hidden assets or under-reported income.
- Property issues where the assets themselves are simply hard to value or were acquired before or after the marriage.
These days, for an experienced and aggressive law firm to handle a family law case in Worcester County for less than $3,500 or $4,000 the parties must be in agreement with just about all aspects of the case from beginning to end.
Keeping Legal Bills Under Control in Divorce
There are attorneys who are known for running up bills. But in some cases, the large bill is caused by clients who want their lawyers to wage war against a cheating spouse. The easiest thing in the world is for a lawyer to say "sure." And the meter starts running. The lawyer can start taking depositions of family members and demanding financial documents dating back 20 years. They can assign a private detective to get pictures.
If all this will make you feel happy and complete, fine. But it mainly ensures that a good part of the family's assets ends-up getting delivered to the attorney.
Stuck Between Fighting For What's Right and Just Letting it Go?
Try doing a cost-benefit analysis. In a divorce, it is easy to get caught up in the emotion and make all of your decisions from that vantage point. This can be a mistake though; spending some time analyzing your case from a logical, cost-benefit perspective can pay dividends. Keep your eye on the ball and stay focused on getting the divorce finished so you can move on with your life.
As an example, it is not uncommon for divorcing people to do things like spend $500 to get a $100 microwave oven. Don't do it. If you can't see a clear connection between your actions and achieving a final resolution of your case, don't take that action.
The Added-Value of Our Worcester-Based Law Firm
With lower overhead expenses than the large Boston law firms, The Massachusetts Family Law Group offers the same top-quality legal services with lower hourly rates. Our attorneys have significantly reduced their hourly fee rates from those charged by the big city lawyers. Certain legal matters may also be handled for a flat-fee.
Questions About Lawyers and Legal Fees in Worcester? Call Our Attorneys.
Reading about divorce and trying to find a good attorney is one thing, but taking action with your case is another. If you're still unsure about where you stand, what to do, or what lies ahead with your case, don't pretend the uncertainty will take care of itself. Instead of burying your head in the sand, or reinventing the wheel, stick with what has worked for other men and women who have succeeded.
For immediate help on issues relating to your domestic relations matter, call one of our attorneys now at (800) 970-LAWYER or contact us online for a FREE, no-obligation consultation.
