Figuring out how to pay for a divorce can be stressful. Divorce situations can get expensive. For example, expenses may include: attorney fees, court fees, and neutral and expert fees. In reality, some expenses will be unavoidable if there are ongoing disputes. In order to protect your rights, you may need to hire an attorney.
Fortunately, a good divorce lawyer or family law attorney should get you through your situation as fairly and as inexpensively as possible. This can end up saving thousands in the long run.
However, lawyers can still be expensive. It can be daunting to try to figure out how to pay for one. The following are the most common options.
Payment Options for a Divorce Lawyer
Figuring out how to pay for a divorce lawyer or family law attorney can be a challenge. So, here are some options to pay for legal services:
- Credit cards – Most law firms accept credit card or debit card payment methods.
- Bank accounts – Personal savings and checking accounts, even marital bank accounts, may be used.
- Loans – Borrowing money from relatives, friends, or financial institutions.
- Sell or Mortgage property – Non-marital property may be sold to pay attorney fees.
- Spouse – Sometimes a spouse may pay attorney’s fees by the court.
- Retirement accounts – Retirement assets may be liquidated to pay for fees.
- Third Party – A third party, like a relative, can pay on your behalf. In this case, a lawyer can explain the process and provide additional details. Of note, if a third party pays on your behalf, the divorce lawyer is still your lawyer.
What if You Can’t Afford to Pay for a Divorce Lawyer
If you don’t have the means to pay for a divorce lawyer or family law attorney, the options are:
- Contact your local legal aid agency, if available in your county. You may be eligible for low or no-cost legal representation.
- If you’re not eligible for legal aid assistance, it’s unavailable, or no one could be assigned to your case quickly enough, your only other option is to represent yourself. In this instance, you should prepare right away. You’ll need to know all Minnesota statues, follow proper court policies and procedures, complete paperwork, research case laws, etc.
For other divorce or family law questions, please consult the list to the left or the FAQ page. On the other hand, if you’re interested in retaining an attorney to help you, please feel free to contact my office for a consultation using the contact information on the left or the contact form on the Majeski Law home page. If you’d like to, consult court rules.