Cost of Divorce/annulment?

Question

Does anyone know??? I was married to guy who married me under false pretense. I want to get rid of him. How much would the lawyer and everything cost? Does my husband pay for anything?? or Do I have to waste my money

Answer 1

Whether or not an annulment is appropriate will depend on the specific facts of your situation. It also depends on if the marriage is one that must be dissolved (divorce) or is a void marriage, or a voidable marriage. A void marriage is generally when one of the people can't be issued a marriage license in the first place... examples are: same sex (in all but a few places), and when the person is already married and either not divorced or the divorce is not final. A voidable marriage is one which is entered into under duress, or under fraudulent circumstances. I.e. one party doesn't tell the other about significant debts, or about significant legal problems, etc.

Most other marriages are dissolvable. This means a divorce is necessary, not an annulment.

The cost of a divorce/annulment varies considerably from state to state. The filing fees for the court range from $80 to $200, there may bee a fee for the service of the legal papers. Lawyers fees will vary depending on the complexity of the situation. You should contact a lawyer and explain your situation briefly, and then ask them for an estimate of fees.

If you don't know a lawyer, call your local or state bar association. They maintain a list of lawyers by practice areas and can generally give you a referal to an attorney in your area.

Answer 2

The cost of a divorce (or annulment, they're basically the same) is primarily determined by the difficulty of dividing assets. If there is a house, different accounts, credit cards in different names, etc., it will be harder to negotiate who should get what. If child support is required, or custody or visitation are at issue, it gets even more complicated.

If there are no assets to be divided, no children, no alimony or anything else, the ease and cost of the divorce varies by state. Most states have some sort of public office that helps people secure uncontested divorces. New York's uncontested divorce packet, for example, is available on line.

Almost all states require fees of a couple hundred bucks to get divorced.

- A cheap place that just puts papers together for you is a BAD idea. It should be a free legal aid office or nothing. Those types of paper mills do not spend one minute trying to help you decide if you need to distribute assets or ask for alimony or anything.

Consult a lawyer who offers free consultations for more advice.

Answer 3

Talk to a lawyer. They will offer free advice. You may want to check with multiple lawyers becuase your case would be a likely winner if he did in fact lie. The lawyers money comes out of the settlement. If you do it properly, you can take the guy for all he's worth (though it may not be much :)

Answer 4

Divorce can be a verry messy business, Ive just completed my own after 3 years in and out of court. and one saying i can agree with is.....

Q. why are Divorces so expensive? A. because there worth it.

most lawyers will need to be retained I was quoted from $750.00 to $1,700.00 for a retainer.

First try to find a free/discounted. lawyer most areas have a public defender type of lawyer supported by contibutions from the local BAR assoc. they are first come first serve so whom ever contacts them first is who will get them if you qualify.

also get a free consultation from as many local lawyers in your area as you can preferably from the best/or recommended Divorce lawyers in your area. this does two things gets you alot of information and opinions from which to choose your course of action. and limits the lawyers your spouse can use in the case because if you have disscussed your case with them it would be a conflict of intrest for them to take the case for your spouse.

after that it depends on the case being contested or not in outher words the divorce will not be fast and cheep unless both parties agree to the terms. in some areas depending on the issues you can be Divorced in 30 to 90 days if the other party signs the proposed Divorce order with out contesting it. in other states\areas you have to be physically sepparated for a year before a Divorce can go forward.
In my case I attempted to give her everything the house & property, custody of our kids, Child support, I absorbed all the community debts, but because she wanted to fight and drag it through court for 3 years. both her and I ended up with a fraction of what we both would have had had she signed the papers to begin with. The lawyers and court costs ate up 30 - 40% of the assets we had built up durring 18 years of marrage.

Answer 5

$320 to petition, 320 to respond. The we the people fees are without filing fees. Both parties must also agree on everything.
Go to the classes at the courthouse on thursdays and get informed moron. Getting a divorce shouldn't be taken lightly.

Answer 6

Dear Sweetgirl,

Who will pay depends on your financial situation, that of your "husband," and your state's laws.

Lawyers will vary by state and place - I know some in my small town that cost over $150.00/hour. That's without court costs, etc.

-j.

Answer 7

It depends on the state/country in which you live. Add this information to your question and you will likely get better results.

Answer 8

You might try actually talking to your husband.Is this second hand information about him?Use a telephone to talk to him?Consult a marriage expert?

Answer 9

there is the "we the people" place that will do it for $399

Answer 10

it's really expensive. all divorces are.especially if it's a nasty one.