How much am I going to need for a divorce and custody case?

No way to state that ahead of time. It depends on the amount of attorney time that is used.

That is going to depend upon where you live and how complicated your case is. You will need to consult local attorneys to get an idea of what the average retainer is for your area.

The advance fee retainer varies with the complexity of the case and the individual lawyer. Until a lawyer has some idea of what is involved in the case, he/she can't tell you the amount of the advance fee retainer.

The cost of a divorce can vary depending on the issues involved and how many issues the parties disagree about. Typically, the more issues and the more disputed those issues are, the more that the divorce will cost.

At my office the amount of the initial deposit for a dissolution of marriage will, in part, depend upon the issues involved. Realistically the initial deposit will be $3500.00, but the ultimate to reach the final decree of dissolution could be substantially greater than the deposit based upon what disputes arise in finalizing the matter.

It depends on where you are, the court system, whether your soon to be ex will fight a lot or, for that matter, whether you want to nail your ex to the wall. You need to call local attorneys, interview them, ask them there fees and retainer requirements and choose one you are comfortable with.

In Utah, the costs each individual case can entail can differ considerably because of so many variables (i.e., whether you're rich or poor, have lots of stuff or lots of debt, whether you have children, whether your spouse is crazy and evil, etc.), but generally, in my estimation - the *cheapest* you could expect a well-handled UNCONTESTED divorce, with kids, is around $1,500 in the year 2013. This means you and your spouse agree on all the terms of your divorce, no haggling, no court appearances. - the cheapest you could expect a well-handled CONTESTED divorce, without kids , is around $1,000 in the year 2013. - the cheapest you could expect a well-handled CONTESTED divorce, without kids , AND if you don't have much in the way of assets or debt, is around $7,500 in the year 2013. - the absolute, real world, cheapest you could expect a well-handled CONTESTED divorce, with kids, is around $10,000 to $15,000 in the year 2013. You can pay less, maybe even much less, but if you do, you're taking a terrible risk below that price because I cannot see how a good lawyer can do good work for less than that. Remember, these numbers are my opinion of the cheapest , not the average, cost of a divorce in Utah.

Every attorney charges differently and the amount of the retainer generally depends upon the complexity of the case. As a general rule if this is a true custody case the retainer will be significantly larger.

Each lawyer has varying fees and requirements for a custody case. Also, each lawyer would need to hear the specifics of your case before giving a minimum retainer amount. Cases can vary greatly, a retainer may need to be replenished several time before a case finally concludes. In general most attorneys will require $2,000 to $10,000 as an initial retainer, but contact a few attorneys in your area and find out what the retainers would be quoted in your particular circumstances.