When dealing with divorce or separation, the hiring cost of a family law solicitor is one of the major considerations for most people. The exact amount varies depending on the solicitor or lawyer you choose and the circumstances of your case.
That’s why it is essential to have an idea about the cost so that you can have the budget and plan ahead in accordance. Therefore, we have come up with this guide, where we will show you how much does a divorce cost in Ireland.
What Are the Factors That Influence the Cost of Divorce?
Being a divorce lawyer in Dublin, the most common question that we face is how much a family solicitor will charge in Ireland? The fact is, it depends, and there is no specific amount.
Some lawyers charge on an hourly basis, while others provide services at a fixed price. In addition, there are certain factors that will influence the divorce cost significantly. So, here are the factors-
- The expertise, location, size, and reputation of the solicitor.
- Skill, specialized knowledge, and the staff needed for your case.
- How complicated is your case? For example, if there is any question mark on the validity of your marriage, or if the marriage is legal or not, etc.
- If huge financial disclosure requests and reviews are required
- Depending on how many trips you have to make to the court. It will depend on the other side and whether you need to take action to move the matter forward.
- The total time it takes to finalize the case.
- Are you settling the case in court or out?
- If you fail to disclose your assets and liabilities such as bank accounts, shares, pensions, and even assets in front of the court.
- When one of the parties failed to reply to court proceedings due to ignoring correspondence and court proceedings.
- When the amount of documentation is huge, it makes the solicitors take a lot of time to go through them.
- Whether there are minor children or not
- Any issues related to child protection and welfare
- If the divorce process requires your child’s specialist reports from a psychologist, play therapist, or another psychologist or psychiatrist.
- If an accountant’s report is required
In general, what we get is that the longer the case will take and the more reports or applications it will require, the more you need to pay the lawyer. Keeping this in mind, let’s move to the next point.
How Long Does a Divorce Take in Ireland?
In general, it will take 2 years to apply for a divorce in Ireland. The reason behind this is there are some grounds for divorce in Ireland that you need to follow to apply the divorce. These are-
- Both parties need to live apart from each other for at least 2 out of the previous 3 years before applying for the divorce.
- There can be no reasonable possibility of a reunion between the two of you
- Both the parties have suitable arrangements for each individual, dependents, and child.
- Either you or your partner must live in Ireland for at least 1 year before making the divorce application.
Besides these, once a divorce is filed, it can take up to 3 to 9 months for a straightforward divorce to be completed. Conversely, the process may take longer if there is a financial dispute or difficulty in serving your partner’s divorce petition.
How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Ireland?
So, how much does a divorce cost in Ireland?
In general, a straightforward divorce is most likely to cost between €2,000 and €4,000 in Ireland. However, if the case is complicated and not straightforward, then the costs can be higher. Aside from that, the price is significantly higher in urban areas like Dublin.
On the other side, a fully disputed court case may almost exceed €15,000 — €20,000+. In this case, you will need to involve a barrister, forensic accountants, child assessors, and many more. However, many solicitors in Ireland offer fixed-fee services like the following-
Initial Consultation (€250)
The initial consultation is typically a one-hour session with the Family Law Solicitor. During this time, they will discuss your case, hear from you to evaluate your options, and give you practical solutions for further process. Apart from this, they will talk about the approximate costs involved in this case.
Uncontested Divorce (€2,000 to €4,000)
A straightforward divorce where all the conditions have been agreed upon by both parties without any ancillary order. This means the case has already been reduced to an undisputed Separation Agreement or determined by an Order for Judicial Separation.
Contested Judicial Divorce (anywhere between €7,500 and €20,000 +)
No agreement could be reached between the two parties, which will lead the parties to a competitive divorce. Here, the fees will increase depending on the financial complexity, the irresistibility, the number and complexity of the outstanding issues, and any other factors between the two parties leading them to a heated attitude towards each other.
Pension Adjustment Order (€1,000 per Order)
If both parties have a pension, then you must request a pension adjustment order from the court for each pension, which will need an additional fee.
Separation Agreements (between €2,000 and €2,500)
Here, if the case is straightforward, your family law solicitor will draft separation agreements to resolve the issues between both parties by following direct negotiation or mediation with the other party.
Interim Court Order (between €800 and €2,500)
In the case of an interim court order of access or maintenance, your total costs may increase to €2,500. It will also include your barrister fee.
Additional costs
Most family law cases include some additional costs like court fees, barrister fees, and tracing agent fees (if there is a need for locating someone in the case). In this case, you may be required to pay extra along with your legal fees.
Can You Use the Same Solicitor in a Divorce?
The straight answer is NO. A lawyer cannot represent both parties at the same time. This is true, even if you and your spouse agree on all the terms of the divorce. A lawyer can represent only one party in a case. Representation of both parties can be a conflict of interest.
Who Pays for a Divorce?
Both parties will pay for their own attorney fees and costs. No one can force each other to pay the amount of the divorce. However, a judge may order a husband to pay the wife’s attorney costs in certain cases.
Last Thoughts
Actually, it is not possible to convey exactly how much does a divorce cost in Ireland?. Every client’s situation is different, and thus the total cost will greatly vary based on the different situations and complexity of the case.
Mostly it is determined by the amount of time, cooperation, and agreement between the parties. We have shared all the required facts in this guide, and we hope it will help you to get an idea about the cost.
However, if you have any further queries, you can contact us, or also you can comment below.