An increasingly common option that can help couples divorce more quickly, with less strife and stress, and with less financial strain is divorce mediation. With an eye towards avoiding costly litigation, couples that use mediation early on frequently manage to come to a marital settlement agreement and file for an uncontested divorce.

The Average Cost of Divorce Mediation in Virginia is between $4,000 and $7,000.

The Average Cost of Divorce Mediation in Virginia costs from $4,000 to $7,000, and the parties usually divide these costs equally (50/50) between them. Additionally, at Kales & Kales, you receive the benefit of two Virginia divorce mediation attorneys, Jonathan and Amy Kales, one male, and one female, working together for you, “two for the price of one”, and there is no up-front payment required at the start of the mediation process.

This estimate includes 2-3 mediation sessions and drafting a Marital Settlement Agreement, plus related tasks such as support calculations and evaluation of the legal issues in a case.

It does not include preparing and submitting divorce documents to the court, as a Virginia mediator is not permitted to assist with court filings. However, a spouse can usually hire an attorney to do this for around $1,000. It also does not include the cost of any legal advice either spouse chooses to get from an attorney who represents them individually.

What factors impact how much your particular Virginia divorce mediation will cost?

  • The number of details in your case: The greater number of questions you need your mediator’s help answering, the longer you will need their services and the higher your costs will be.
  • How well you and your spouse compromise and communicate: Your mediation will take longer and cost more if your relationship is tense, and compromises are difficult to reach.
  • Your mediator’s expertise and background: Mediators with more experience, years of training, and a stronger track record of helping clients settle their cases will probably charge more.
  • Your area of residence: In certain places, mediators demand a higher fee than in others
  • Whether you and your spouse have any property that may be difficult to divide, such as a family business.
  • Whether you and your spouse are relatively on the same page or far apart on hot button issues, such as parenting and spousal support.

Compared to a Mediated Divorce, the Total Costs of a Litigated Divorce In Virginia frequently range from $25,000 to $100,000 per spouse.

As opposed to divorce mediators, divorce litigators in Northern Virginia often require deposits of $7,500 or more, and the costs of a litigated divorce can spiral out of control quickly, frequently ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 per spouse. In cases on the higher end of this spectrum, litigious parties approach their divorce as rivals and/or have complex financial child custody and support issues that cannot be resolved between the parties without significant court involvement.