Getting a divorce is an emotional and personal decision.  With a pure emotional response, the desire to fight and quarrel, could be a costly decision. But, for couples that can Agree to Disagree, and work toward a resolution, you can save time and money.  

Option 1: Hire a Divorce Lawyer and sue your spouse in court.  

A traditional route, a divorce lawyer will typically charge a retainer (a down payment for legal fees) to investigate your case, file a divorce lawsuit, and help navigate the court process.  A good divorce lawyer will negotiate on your behalf and help get the best deal for you.  Few cases actually go to trial, but the divorce lawyer will argue your case to a judge or magistrate if and when the time comes.  

Because lawyers earn fees for how much time they spend on a case, divorce lawyers are incentivized to have divorce cases take a long time and get tied up in court drama (more time = more lawyer fees). The cost of hiring a divorce lawyer ranges from about $2,500 to $50,000 or more for most middle class individuals.  The average divorce lawyer fees for a divorce in Maryland are about $15,000.  It can take a year or more to get divorced via a litigated divorce.

Option 2: Engage in Collaborative Divorce and Divorce Mediation.  

This may seem counter-intuitive, working collaboratively with someone you want to be divorced from, someone you may not trust, someone you feel is only out for him- or herself.  But, with a skilled collaborative divorce attorney, or divorce mediator, you and your spouse can ‘Agree to Disagree’ and achieve a divorce for a fraction of the cost and time as a typical divorce process.  

In Maryland, through recent divorce laws, has encouraged this collaborative divorce practice by allowing couples an expedited divorce with no waiting period as long as they reach a written settlement prior to initiating a divorce lawsuit.  At Maryland Divorce Mediators, our divorce mediators will consult with the parties together to identify what issues need to be resolved, help exchange important information, meet with you and your spouse to discuss how to resolve every issue, and then prepare a divorce settlement agreement or marital separation agreement for you to review.  This process – the divorce mediation process – allows you to have more control over your case and get to a resolution faster and for less expense than a litigated divorce. 

The equation is simple, the more you fight in court the more you pay in legal fees … if you can Agree to Disagree and work toward a resolution, the less legal fees you’ll pay!

If you have more questions or think our services are a good fit for you, please schedule a consultation with a Divorce Mediator and we’ll be glad to discuss your options.