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What is the Cost of Divorce?
This Page Explains the Cost of Divorce in Australia
The Cost of Divorce
Depending on which is the best approach for your needs, the costs for an Application for Divorce can vary. This page explains the costs involved in an Application for Divorce in most common circumstances.
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Divorce Filing Fees and Associated Costs
When you want a divorce, you must file an Application for Divorce with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The filing fee for an Application for Divorce is $940.00. You may be eligible for a reduced filing fee of $310.00 if:
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You are filing a sole divorce application and you have a Low Income Card or Health Care Card or you can otherwise prove you are in financial hardship.
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You are filing a joint divorce application and both spouses have each have a Low Income Card or Health Care Card or you can otherwise prove you are in financial hardship.
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Sole Divorce Application, Additional Fees
In addition to the court filing fee, if you are completing a sole divorce application, you will also need to serve a court stamped copy of the Application for Divorce on your spouse in person. A process server is normally used to serve the court stamped divorce application on your spouse. The process server fee usually varies from $160 to $350 to attempt service in person on your spouse depending on where they are located. You can save on this fee by completing a joint divorce, however, your spouse must agree to the divorce. See below for further information.
Do I have to Use a Divorce Lawyer?
If you want a divorce lawyer like us to complete your divorce for you, there are legal fees discussed below, on top of the court filing fee and process server fee discussed above. You do not have to use a divorce lawyer for your divorce. Depending on your circumstances, having legal advice can be important as divorce can affect your property and property settlement rights.
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Some people prefer to complete a divorce themselves and some people prefer to use a divorce lawyer. The advantage of using a divorce lawyer is that they understand the requirements of the divorce process, consider your circumstances and provide you with legal advice, answer your questions, handle unusual circumstances and get your divorce completed quickly and painlessly.
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You can complete the divorce process directly through the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. It is not unusual where people attempt their own divorce for it to be an emotionally complex circumstance which in some cases can take an awfully long time, especially if someone is dragging their feet.
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What is the Cost of a Divorce Using a Divorce Lawyer?
Our legal fees are $880.00 to prepare an Application for Divorce, consider your circumstances and provide you with legal advice, obtain necessary documents and send a joint application to your spouse for signing or arrange for service of the court stamped sole divorce application on your spouse.
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People come to us for their divorce because we understand the consequences around completing a divorce including your property rights, the court procedures, evidentiary rules and the process involved. Using our legal skills and expertise, we complete the divorce application, interact with your spouse when completing a joint divorce application, arrange for service of the divorce in a sole divorce application, provide legal advice, follow up the divorce application to ensure it is going smoothly and file the divorce application. In some unusual cases where an application for substituted service or dispensation of service or other issues arise, the legal fees may be more.
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In the end, the decision to use a divorce lawyer is usually based on getting strategic legal advice, peace of mind and getting your divorce finalised in a quick and efficient manner. To get your divorce application started, contact our divorce lawyers for a free initial phone consultation.
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Published: 14/10/2020
There Are Two Types of Divorce Applications; Which is Right For You?
.A divorce application can be either a sole filing or a joint filing of a divorce. Both options have different requirements and different procedural processes which you must know before applying. Our divorce lawyers can assist you in making the best decision according to your circumstances.
