Because you found this post, you are probably going through a rough time already. To make things worse, you might be stressing about the cost of a divorce attorney. Most attorneys will not tell you what they charge for a divorce until they give you their sales pitch. We believe in up-front pricing, so here we’ll tell you exactly what we normally charge.
First, though, what is an uncontested divorce? This simply means both spouses consent to the divorce and the terms of the divorce. There is no litigation, and no one goes to court.
The terms of the divorce include property division and alimony and – if minor children are involved – child custody, visitation, and child support. In an uncontested divorce, these issues are agreed upon. Mississippi law allows spouses to agree to a divorce only, but to submit disputed issues (property division, for example) to the judge for a ruling. That process is outside the scope of this post. Here, we are talking about cases where all issues are agreed upon.
Uncontested divorce is sometimes called “no fault” divorce. As the name suggests, a no-fault or uncontested divorce does not require any marital fault. Instead, it is based on a married couple’s agreement that they have “irreconcilable differences.” (Without this agreement to divorce based on irreconcilable differences, the only way to get divorced in Mississippi is to prove fault grounds such as adultery, cruelty, or desertion).
The process for an uncontested divorce is fairly simple. First, both spouses sign a joint complaint agreeing to the divorce. Second, the spouses exchange financial disclosures or agree not to do this. Third, they sign a divorce agreement outlining the terms of the divorce. Fourth, the judge approves the agreement and signs a divorce decree granting the divorce. Our firm prepares all the paperwork involved in this process.
Our firm usually completes an uncontested divorce quickly. Mississippi law requires a 60-day waiting period (which starts when the joint complaint is filed). Generally, we get the divorce finalized soon after that. The process from beginning to end usually takes about 3 months.
So how much does an uncontested divorce cost if you hire us? A lot of attorneys bill hourly, and you pay by the hour for as long as it takes to complete the work. At Grant Legal Group, we believe in flat-fee pricing. That means we tell you the total cost at the beginning, so there are no surprises. To handle a simple uncontested divorce, we generally charge a flat fee of $2,500. This can be paid in one of two ways. If you pay it all up front, we’ll give you a 10% discount for a total fee of $2,250. Or, if you want to pay it in two installments, you can pay $1,250 to start, with the other $1,250 due after the 60-day waiting period. We accept most payment methods, including payment by credit card.
To talk to an experienced attorney about your divorce matter, please call us at (601) 827-3031 or email us using the contact link on our website.