California Ranked Most Expensive State for Filing Divorce

Irvine, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 1, 2014 – California is the most expensive state in which to file for divorce.

According to a new comparison of government data, the divorce filing fees in California can total $435 or more depending on the county — even more than the similarly high $400 fees charged in Florida and Minnesota.

According to California divorce attorney and divorce mediator Gerald Maggio, the filing fee is often just the beginning. “The backlog of divorce cases in our family courts makes California divorce even more expensive.”

Under California law, domestic violence and restraining order cases take precedence over divorce cases in family court. With family courts heavily booked, parties to a divorce case can spend all day waiting at the courthouse without being heard. If a case is heard, the parties may not have sufficient time to complete the case, and in California family law courts, months-long continuances are not unusual.

Maggio said that in most cases, this backlog accumulates in attorneys’ hourly fees. A single day spent waiting at the courthouse can end up costing thousands.

Recently, former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was awarded $1.9 million as reimbursement for the legal fees accrued when his ex-wife contested their divorce settlement.

“More Californians are examining flat-fee divorce mediation as a faster and less expensive way to get divorced,” Maggio noted. Just last month, a law was passed in the UK requiring most divorcing couples to attempt mediation. Lawmakers there say they hope to clear up backlogs in the courts. They point out that individuals could save more than 50 percent in costs overall.

Learn more at http://www.cadivorcemediators.com/ California Divorce Mediators Main Office 420 Exchange Suite 270-B Irvine, CA 92602 Call: (949) 553-0911 Riverside Office 3750 University Avenue, Suite 670 Riverside, CA 92501 Call: (949) 553-0911