Anyone who is going through a divorce in California knows that there are several serious legal issues that will need to be addressed. These can include property division, first and foremost, but alimony is also another big issue, while for those with minor children the issues of child support and custody are at the top of their concerns.
No matter the specific issues that might need to be addressed in your case, one question is probably at the forefront of your mind all the time: How much is this going to cost me?
Money issues and divorce
When it comes to money issues in a divorce, most people are probably thinking about the cost of property division – as in, how much of your assets will you have left after the divorce is finalized? Most of our readers probably know that California is a “community property” state, meaning that almost every asset or debt acquired during the marriage is jointly owned by the spouses. Theoretically, this means everything is split 50/50 in divorce, but in practice the division is a lot more complicated than that.
There are other costs as well, starting with the filing fee. A recent news article about divorce costs in America noted that California has the highest filing fee for divorce cases in the entire country. So, that cost needs to be taken into account – and pretty early at that, because that fee needs to be paid just to get the case started.
Also, as we all know, California is a state with a high cost of living. So, California residents pay more for just about everything than residents of, say, Kansas.
Careful planning can help those who are concerned about fees and costs in a divorce case. For some people, there simply isn’t a choice – they have to end their marriage, and they are willing to do whatever it takes.