How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Hawaii?
The dissolution of marriage is a complicated legal procedure that usually requires much time, financial resources to cover divorce costs, and an understanding of the court process. Moreover, the law that regulates divorce issues varies from state to state. If you search online “How much does a divorce cost in Hawaii?” you will see that numerous aspects affect the final cost of divorce in Hawaii.
This article provides helpful information on the cost of divorce in Hawaii and focuses on the issues that increase the expenses.
Whether the divorce cost in Hawaii will be affordable or not greatly depends on the type of dissolution: uncontested or contested. If you have a simple divorce and agree with your spouse on all divorce-related terms, you can get your documents prepared online with the help of our service and reduce overall offline or online divorce costs. You will be able to save on attorney services and file for a marriage dissolution by yourself.
Average Cost of a Divorce in Hawaii
According to Forbes, the average cost of a divorce in Hawaii is currently around $13,000. However, it is impossible to predict the exact price as each case is unique, and the number of divorce issues to resolve may differ, affecting the final cost.
A fast and cheap divorce in Hawaii is possible if a couple has an uncontested, simple divorce. If the parties have reached an agreement on all the issues, like property division, child custody, alimony, etc., they don’t have to hire a lawyer and can potentially represent themselves in court.
The cost of divorce in Hawaii will be much higher if it is contested. Disputes on parenting, assets division, spousal support, etc., usually can’t be resolved without the involvement of legal professionals. It will not be a quick and easy divorce in Hawaii, as contested cases often result in long litigation with several court hearings, leading to high divorce costs.
So, a principal factor influencing the average cost of a divorce in Hawaii is the type of divorce. Check the main specifics of offline and online divorce costs and the average cost of divorce in uncontested and contested marriage dissolutions below.
Cost of Uncontested Divorce in Hawaii
The average cost of an uncontested divorce in Hawaii can be from $300-$500 to $2,000 and more. It is an affordable way to file for a divorce and get a decree within a few months.
A cheap Hawaii uncontested divorce is possible when spouses mutually agree on the following divorce issues:
- child support, custody, and visitation;
- spousal support;
- property division.
The cost of uncontested divorce in Hawaii can be quite moderate. If spouses deal with the case completely on their own, the main expense will be the court filing fees for submitting documents, which don’t exceed several hundred dollars.
As the marriage dissolution issues are already resolved, there will be no need to hire a lawyer whose services often get the divorce cost up. In a simple divorce, a couple can manage all the divorce steps on their own. If you would like to involve an attorney, be ready that your divorce expenses can increase by several thousand dollars.
If your case is uncontested and you would like to save money on an attorney’s service but still require assistance with the divorce paperwork, this is what we can help you with. We provide filled-out papers within a few days and at a reasonable price. You can use the ready paperwork to initiate the divorce procedure on your own, reducing your offline or online divorce cost.
Cost of Contested Divorce in Hawaii
To get a contested marriage dissolution in Hawaii, a couple will have to pay a divorce cost starting from $5,000 to $30,000. The reasons that make the cost of contested divorce in Hawaii so pricey are described below.
A contested marriage dissolution is one in which spouses cannot agree concerning divorce issues. Unlike simple divorce, which may require only one hearing, the contested dissolution is likely to take much time and resources from both spouses. Lengthy court litigation may be necessary to reach a fair resolution of disputes. Therefore, to prepare for court proceedings and ensure their interests are met in court, each spouse will need to hire a lawyer.
If the divorce disagreements are complex, for example, a couple has a lot of real estate and joint business to divide, or there are many disputes on child-related issues, the court will need to involve other experts, like property evaluators or childcare professionals. This fact will greatly influence how much the divorce in Hawaii costs, as the average price for their services can reach $200-$400 per hour of work.
What makes the expenses higher is the number of issues to sort out. The more time you spend on regulating disagreements, the more money you have to pay for a lawyer. So, if the situation allows, the best tactic to reduce offline or online divorce costs is to agree with your partner on all divorce-related matters and start an uncontested case.
Average Filing Fees in Hawaii
The average filing fees in Hawaii range from $215 to $265, depending on whether a couple has minor children. If so, the court fee will include a parent education surcharge. No matter if it is a contested marriage dissolution with many divorce issues to regulate or uncontested, simple divorce, a divorce cost will always include this type of expenses unless you qualify for a waiver.
The average filing fees in Hawaii are rather moderate and will not significantly affect the overall offline or online divorce cost. Still, if a petitioner has financial issues, it is possible to waive the fee altogether. To do so, spouses can submit a fee waiver to the court. It is a written request in which the person explains the financial situation which doesn’t allow for paying a filing fee.
Factors That Affect the Cost of a Hawaii Divorce
The divorce cost varies depending on numerous aspects of the marriage dissolution. Here are the main factors that affect the cost of a Hawaii divorce.
- Divorce type. A simple divorce with the agreed-upon divorce issues allows spouses to save thousands of dollars on legal assistance. An uncontested divorce usually costs around $1,500, while a contested one is much pricier, often reaching $30,000 or more.
- Property division. The more assets a couple possesses, the longer and costlier it will be to divide them fairly, especially if spouses cannot agree. They usually need the help of evaluation experts and financial professionals to ensure the fair distribution of real estate, businesses, loans, etc. The price for their services increases overall offline or online divorce costs.
- Presence of children. Couples with minor children must pass a paid parenting class and work on creating a parenting plan. If the spouses don’t agree on their responsibilities concerning child-related matters, the court will have to handle those disagreements, leading to increased expenses on legal help.
Thus, if you can’t agree with your spouse on how to handle divorce disagreements, the final divorce cost can easily reach $30,000 or more.
How We Can Help You
If your case is uncontested, meaning you are in agreement with your spouse on all divorce issues, your overall divorce cost can be quite affordable. In a simple divorce, you may go without hiring a lawyer to help you with the paperwork or present your interests in court.
You can get the papers prepared on our online service while paying an affordable price that will not significantly affect your online divorce cost. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses when getting ready for the divorce procedure. With the documents completed by us, you can go to the next step and file for divorce online or in person.