The cost of a Maryland divorce will depend on several factors. An uncontested divorce with the assistance of experienced Maryland divorce attorneys will have a cost range of $2,000 to $3,000. A Maryland uncontested divorce is called a “divorce by mutual consent.” For a contested Maryland divorce, the costs will range from $15,000 to $20,000, although a high-net-worth divorce with many disputed issues will cost substantially more, particularly if a long trial is required. These costs are consistent with divorce costs across the nation. See Forbes media report here.

If you have questions about Maryland divorces and costs, call the Law Office of Robert Castro at (301) 870-1200. We can provide an evaluation of your divorce case, describe our billing practices, and provide an estimate of costs. We are divorce attorneys in Waldorf, Maryland. Here is an explanation of some of the factors that affect the cost of Maryland divorce.

Factors That Affect Cost

As noted, there are many factors that affect the costs of a Maryland divorce. Here at the Law Office of Robert Castro, our extensive experience in Maryland divorce cases has shown that one of the primary factors affecting cost is what we call the “emotional charge” of the divorce. If one or both spouses enter the divorce proceedings in a highly charged emotional state — usually anger and bitterness — the costs will be higher. Some spouses want a “scorched earth” approach. To be clear, within our ethical boundaries, we are happy to do as instructed. But, that approach will increase the costs of the divorce. This is because a high emotional charge will prevent the spouses from coming to an agreement on various aspects of the divorce including property settlement, alimony, and matters with respect to child custody and support. Costs increase in relation to the number of issues that cannot be settled by agreement. That is not to say that the spouses cannot have legitimate disagreements about certain issues. But, logically, if there are 25 issues in dispute, that will cost more to resolve than a case with only 10 issues in dispute. This is one value of retaining seasoned Maryland divorce lawyers. The lawyers can lessen some of the charges by negotiating and engaging with the other spouse’s attorneys reducing spouse-to-spouse engagements.

Another factor affecting cost is the length of the marriage (which also implicates the age of the spouses). The longer a couple has been married, the more intertwined they are in terms of assets. Further, the number of marital assets is likely to be much higher leading to a larger pool of assets that might generate disputes. In addition, the spouses may be reaching that age where retirement and post-career considerations are important. These concerns heighten issues with respect to property settlement and alimony. As noted, the more issues in dispute, the higher the costs.

Another important factor affecting cost is the presence of minor children. Custody and visitation issues can be very difficult, particularly if the emotional charge is high. Consider just two examples:

• During the holidays, with which parent will the children be? And
• How will custody/visitation issues be impacted if one parent remarries and begins a new family?

Some other factors affecting the cost include:

• The ground for divorce — a divorce caused by adultery will be more emotionally charged (and thus potentially more expensive) than a divorce based on abandonment
• The level of trust between the spouses — a divorce with less trust will be more expensive
• Is one spouse trying to hide marital assets or engaging in other deceptive behavior? — ferreting out such behavior and presenting evidence to the Maryland divorce court will raise the costs of the divorce

Contact Waldorf, Maryland Family Law and Divorce Lawyer Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland family law and divorce lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Divorce lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD, 20601.