Utah is considered a ‘no-fault’ state, meaning that you don’t need your spouse’s consent to get a divorce, nor explain why you want a divorce – so How Much Does a Divorce Cost?
However, if necessary, you can still seek divorce on grounds such as adultery, impotence at the time of marriage, felony convictions, habitual drunkenness, incurable insanity, willful desertion for more than a year, or wilful neglect to provide for the common necessities of life.
To put it simply, you just need to show that your marriage is irretrievably broken.
When you want to begin the divorce process in Utah, you firstly need the Petition for Divorce.
Then make sure to have the following papers: Case Information Cover Sheet, Proposed Parenting Plan, Summons, Child Support Obligation Worksheet, Certificate of Dissolution, and fee waiver documents.
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Court Costs
A Utah divorce cost includes a court cost.
The fee for filing a divorce without children is $310 and $360 when there are children involved. In addition, both spouses will be required to pay the following:
- Online Court Assistance Program (OCAP) fee $20/document
- The Divorce Education course is $35 per person.
- The Divorce Orientation course is $30 per person. The live Divorce Orientation course fee will be discounted $15 for a petitioner who attends a live class within 30 days of filing the petition and will be discounted $15 for a respondent who attends a live class within 30 days of being served with the petition.
- Service of Process fee will vary depending on the type of documents served and who serves them.
Average Cost of a Divorce in Utah
The average cost for a divorce in Utah, including average lawyer fees, is around $3,000 to $3,500 in cases with no contested issues.
The cost can go higher if the divorcing couple has disputes but can solve them without going to trial.
The average cost is $4,300-$5,100 for one dispute and $7,500-$8,000 for two or more.
The more complicated the divorce gets, the higher the expenses.
The cost of divorce may vary based on custody disagreements, child support disagreements, spousal support, the division of property, or the division of a business.
In addition to higher costs, if the divorce process gets complicated, it will take a more significant period of time to complete.
An uncontested divorce in Utah should be resolved in 30 days, but it usually takes 60 to 90 days to complete the process.
When you have dependent children with your spouse, it could take a minimum of 30 days to get your divorce decree issued.
A contested divorce in Utah may take a minimum of 3 months to be resolved and up to a year.
Tips on How to Keep Your Costs Down in a Contested Divorce
If you have to deal with a contested divorce, you could:
- Ask your attorney about the estimated costs for representation
- Write down questions for an Ogden divorce lawyer and ask them how they could save you time
- Try to reach an agreement with your spouse and avoid going to court if possible
- Gather all the necessary documents to proceed with the divorce
Why Should You Hire an Ogden Divorce Attorney?
Whether you are going through a divorce, divorce modification, child support, or child custody, it is highly recommended that you seek legal assistance at every stage.
An attorney will fight for your rights and will ensure that your needs are met.
When you think your divorce case is getting complicated, the attorney will ensure your divorce is fair and equitable.
Suppose you have properties that will need to be divided between you and your spouse.
In that case, the attorney will make sure that your personal property is recognized appropriately by courts and is not considered marital property.
We hope that divorce is a last resort only after mediation has failed – and this article has answered general estimates on How Much Does a Divorce Cost?
