Deciding how to settle the terms of your divorce is never simple. If you have children, you will need to develop a parenting plan (also known as a custody agreement) and determine whether or not to plan for child support payments. Even if you do not share kids, you will still need to divide your joint property, consider spousal maintenance and anything else unique to your separation. If you are considering a divorce in 2024, you may want to estimate the financial cost of divorce so that you can make appropriate plans.
Why Consider Divorce Mediation in Minnesota
The Minnesota courts recommend that all couples attempt an alternative dispute resolution process like divorce mediation before going through the court system to settle your divorce. Divorce mediation is far less expensive than mediation. While each divorce is unique, when you work with a team like AMS Mediation, you can expect to spend between $2500-$4000 on the mediator’s hourly rate and filing fees. In fact, right now, our mediation offers a flat fee package that helps to make the financial impact more predictable so that you can plan. Of course, for a final cost estimate, you should speak directly with a member of our team.
If you go through the litigation process, you can expect to pay much more than for mediation. Generally speaking, hiring attorneys and going through the litigation process can cost approximately $15,000-$20,000. In addition to the financial cost, you have to also factor in the emotional cost of the divorce process. Litigation takes many months to resolve and very often creates even more conflict between you and your ex. You can expect to be able to resolve the terms of your divorce via divorce mediation in a matter of 4-8 weeks. This faster resolution reduces the overall stress of the process and allows you and your family to move forward with your life more quickly, which is something that cannot be quantified with a dollar amount.
Financial and Emotional Cost of Divorce
Planning for your divorce is an excellent way to manage expectations and follow a plan that puts you and your family first. When you work with AMS Mediation, you can be sure that we will focus on the specific needs of your family and help you navigate this difficult process. We offer virtual mediation services which can provide even more ease to the process. For more information or to schedule a free divorce mediation consultation, call us at 952-252-1492.
