Where do I start with getting a divorce and how much does it cost? 25 Answers as of September 12, 2011

There are many programs available for victims of domestic violence. If you feel that your life or your child's life is in danger, you should contact one of these program's as soon as possible. The Eastside Domestic Violence Program offers a 24-hour crises line.

Start by contacting the local Bar Association in the County where you reside.

The filing fee is $395, but if you do not have much money you may qualify for a fee waiver. Ask the clerk at the court for a fee waiver packet and/or check out the California court's self-help website (the website also has an excellent overview of the divorce process, with links to the paperwork you will need to file). If this is a domestic violence situation, it is imperative that you obtain appropriate legal advice and, preferably, some mental health counselling because you will most likely have a difficult road ahead. Consult your local legal aid office - legal aid has qualified and competent attorneys available for free so long as you qualify. That office can steer you toward some free services available to abused women and children. Stay Safe and Good Luck.

Since it is such a short marriage with no children of the marriage you may wish to do it yourself.

A divorce begins upon the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and then the service of that document with a Summons on the other Party. Attorneys can range from approximately $1500 to thousands depending on their level of expertise and experience and the complexity of the case. The filing fee if you choose to do it yourself, (and I never advise anyone to do this themselves), can vary amongst clerk's offices, but is typically around $418.00 including the Summons. I suggest you consult an experienced Family Law attorney to discuss your case in greater detail and learn all of your rights and options.

If you wish to be represented, your first step is finding an attorney. If you wish to file pro se (represent yourself), you need to complete the required documents and take the appropriate number of copies to your county's superior court clerk's office. Most Atlanta-area county superior clerk offices offer forms on their website or in the clerk's office. If your county does not, you can obtain forms from the Fulton County Family Law Information Center site. The cost (court fees) of the divorce depends on the county that you file in. Attorney's fees will depend on the attorney (if you choose to be represented by an attorney).

The first decision that you will have to make is whether you are going to do this yourself or whether you want to hire someone to represent you. If you do it yourself, then, the cost would be relatively little-only a few hundred dollars for things like the filing fee and the cost of service. However, you mentioned that your relationship was abusive and dangerous to you and your child. For that reason, my feeling is that doing it yourself might not be a good idea. If you are representing yourself, you and your spouse are likely to have to have at least some contact. Having an attorney represent you eliminates at least some of that need for contact. If you are going to have an attorney represent you, in addition to the costs I mentioned above, you are going to have to pay the attorney. How much the total bill ends up being will depend to a large degree upon how much of the case is disputed. In a hard fought case, the cost can be thousands of dollars. If you decide you want to hire an attorney, your next steps are to save of the money for a retainer and then pick out an attorney that you like.

Hire an attorney. The attorney fees vary from attorney to attorney. With a marriage of such short duration, it will probably be uncontested since there does not seem to be a child issue and you could not have accumulated much in the way of property and debt in such a short period of time. Maybe $3,500 or less.

There is no simple answer to your question because there are so many variables at least as to cost. That said, I can start with a few basics. If you and your spouse agree to all the details - in other words, you both agree the divorce will occur and you have agreed to who gets what property and who pays what bills, who is keeping the house/apartment, etc. Then you have what we call an uncontested divorce. The cost of an uncontested divorce varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction based on court cost - cost are generally in the $300 range, but some counties may charge more or less. Then there is a question of whether or not your spouse will sign a waiver or enter an appearance without service - service is having the Constable deliver the divorce papers - that can cost up to $150 depending on the jurisdiction again. If there are kids, you have to take a class for divorcing parents - that cost $25 per person here in Plano. Certified copies of the decree at the end (if you want them) cost as well (again, it is jurisdiction dependent) and can run between $5/per copy and $1.50/page (decrees can be 10 - 14 pages without kids and typically up to 45 pages with kids). The short version of this is that the court cost alone can range from $300 on the low end up to $500 and this is for a simple case that is agreed - if it is contested (you two decide to fight) the cost can easily top this price with court mandated mediation, social studies, etc. Attorney's fees also vary widely. For example my firm charges a flat fee for uncontested divorces/custody issues. Some firms charge hourly even for uncontested/agreed matters. The time put into the case varies according to the facts, and to be blunt, your desires and goals. To give you an idea - if you and your spouse have no kids and agree to everything (in my definition that means you both come to my office with the fee and 3-4 hours of time to work on the matter - you leave when the papers are signed by everyone except the judge and the only thing left to do is pay the court fees, set the final hearing, prove it up, get copies certified, and file the "Austin Form"). My charge for these services would be $1,050 which is a turn key price in Collin or Dallas county - it covers the filing fee, drafting petition and an Answer (appearance for your spouse), drafting an Agreement incident to divorce which is filed with the court in case either of you change your minds later, completing the Final Decree of Divorce and securing three (3) certified copies - one for each of you and one held in my files - and it covers the cost of coordinating and appearing for the final hearing to prove up the divorce and the Austin Form. If there is a house that is not going to be sold and proceeds split - you will need a Special Warranty deed $35 and a Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption $35 If you need Powers of Attorney for Car titles those are $20 each If you need to divide a retirement plan - that requires a Qualified Domestic Relationship Order (I and most attorneys send those out) and the cost is $350 for each account. If there are children and you need custody orders, add $400 for the attorney time to address those issues (which includes Wage withholding orders and medical support orders, setting up the child support account, etc.) Again, this is all assuming current cost and fees as of February 2011 as charged by my firm and that you and your spouse agree to everything or at least work it out in my office. If you are fighting over things, you can assume the attorney fee will be at least triple per side (ie: $3000 each) and depending on what the fight is over, the sky and your desire to fight is the limit. The cost is based on hourly fee multiplied by time invested into your case. While I am certain this did not answer all your questions and may have brought up even more, it does provide you some sort of framework on the cost. As for time that too is up to you. Uncontested, the minimum time is 60 days, beyond that, it is up to you, what you are fighting over, and the court's schedule.

If you can reach an agreement with your spouse regarding the issues related to divorce, the proceeding may be concluded rapidly by agreement drafted by an attorney and at low cost . If an agreement cannot be reached, a contested proceeding is required which may have significant costs. As a result, the first step is to discuss potential resolution of issues including division of property and debts with your spouse.