How much is this divorce actually going to cost me?

Illustrative — not a real business

It depends enormously on how much you and your spouse actually agree on, far more than on the divorce itself as a category — an uncontested divorce where both spouses agree on every issue can run as little as a few thousand dollars in attorney fees and filing costs, while a highly contested divorce involving custody disputes, complex asset division, or a business valuation can run tens of thousands of dollars or more. Most attorneys, including us, work on a retainer basis — an upfront deposit against which hourly work is billed, with detailed invoices showing exactly what time was spent on, and the retainer is replenished as it is drawn down rather than billed as one lump sum with no visibility. What actually drives costs up: prolonged discovery disputes, repeated failed negotiation attempts before finally settling, expert witnesses for asset valuation or custody evaluations, and simply how much conflict exists between the parties — this is genuinely, if painfully, somewhat within your control by how you and your spouse choose to engage with the process. Mediation or a collaborative divorce process is typically significantly less expensive than litigation specifically because it avoids the cost of extended discovery and court appearances, which is one of several reasons we recommend attempting it first when the situation allows.