Divorce Day
Nationwide, January 6, 2020 has been informally designated as “Divorce Day.” Charlotte divorce lawyers anticipate a sharp increase in call volume immediately following the holidays.
While it may be popular to call it “Divorce Day,” in North Carolina, it might be better entitled, “Divorce Year.”
In part that is because the NC divorce laws, with certain exceptions, ordinarily mandate a minimum period of separation of 12 months before filing for divorce is authorized under the law.
Filing for divorce tends to slow down before Thanksgiving. Planning for separation and divorce spikes at the beginning of every new year – Bill Powers, Charlotte Divorce Lawyer
There are important legal filings and contractual agreements in the period leading up to the formal entry of a divorce order.
That may include things like:
- Post Separation Support (formerly referred to as temporary alimony)
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Separation Agreement
- Living Arrangements
- Asset valuation
- Equitable Distribution
- Transfer of Real Property and Marital Assets
Separating a marital estate can be complicated.
Even with the most modest of assets, it tends to be a time-consuming process.
What is the first step to getting divorced?
That’s a great question and one we wish more people would ask themselves before taking certain actions.
Unless there is some sort of abusive behavior necessitating the institution of safety measures or a 50B protective order, we generally do not recommend packing up and moving out. There are important legal rights relative to divorce that deserve careful consideration before action – Bill Powers, Divorce Attorney
We strongly recommend you speak with an attorney before doing anything. Timing and preparation can be key.
It also may prove to be a better financial decision to proceed with caution, gathering important documentation and information before saying, “I want a divorce.”
There are generally consequences to actions in family law cases. Prior to making any major, life-changing decision, we recommend you speak to one of our Charlotte divorce lawyers.
Whether it is our law firm or another located in Mecklenburg County, proceeding in haste can make the process unnecessarily expensive, adversarial, and emotionally taxing.
How much do lawyers cost for divorce?
Retaining a divorce attorney in Charlotte may be a bit different from your prior experiences with lawyers.
First, unlike traffic ticket lawyers or attorneys who handle minor criminal charges, there often is an initial consultation fee.
Divorce lawyers in Mecklenburg County (at least at our law office, the Powers Law Firm PA) bill hourly.
Some attorneys also require some sort of retainer. That may involve something called a True Retainer to reserve their legal services. A True Retainer is earned immediately and is not billed against.
A true retainer is paid to ensure the availability of the divorce lawyer. It also may serve to prevent legal representation to an adverse party in the separation and divorce.
Legal fees predicated on hourly work, as earned, are separate and apart from the True Retainer.
Other law firms require a retainer to be held in trust, from which legal fees are billed on a periodic basis.
At Powers Law Firm we charge:
- Initial Consultation
- True Retainer
- Hourly Rates billed weekly and/or bi-weekly
We accept credit cards, personal checks, and other traditional forms of payment. We prefer not to hold funds in trust, instead billing clients after work is performed.
We also prefer to put everything in writing. We want to make sure clients fully understand what is and what is not included in legal representation.
We seek to be completely up front and transparent with clients about the costs of hiring a divorce lawyer. It takes time to go through the contract of representation and explaining anticipated costs – Bill Powers
Expert fees, filing fees, costs of discovery, and other expenses of litigation are not part of legal representation. We also do not charge a flat rate for legal services.
Divorce Day is a good time to start looking for a lawyer and planning, educating yourself on the true costs of getting divorced.
The attorney-client relationship
Prior to speaking with a divorce lawyer at our office, we perform a conflicts check and further confirm availability for legal representation.
We want to help, understanding separation and divorce, especially in matters involving large marital estates, children, and Equitable Distribution, is a trying process.
To be clear, we are unable to assist every person who calls our office.
Our law firm is careful in client selection, limiting the number of matters we undertake for legal representation.
That means we accept a limited number of new clients on an annual basis. We want to be able to focus on the complexity of cases, working hard to make ourselves available for consultation and regular communication.
That means we purposely limit the overall number of clients we represent.
There are some matters we may feel it better to refer an inquiry to another lawyer or law firm.
Our goal is to make clear, from the outset, how the process works and what we do to help people going through difficult times. Legal representation for a divorce is a long-term relationship. We want clients to feel comfortable with us and our professional perspectives – Bill Powers, Divorce Lawyer
Call our law office now to determine the firm’s availability and the costs of legal representation: 704-342-4357
Related Legal Issues and Topics of Interest:
- When is the Best Time to get Divorced?
- Separation and Divorce Tips
- Post Separation Support and Alimony
- I Want a Divorce
- Legal Fees
- The First Step in Divorce
- Divorce after separation
- Surviving the Holidays