"How much will a divorce cost me?"

Typically, when you retain a lawyer after separating from your spouse, your lawyer will deal with your case from the beginning to the end. Just to get your case started, you will have to pay the lawyer a retainer in the range of $1,500.00 to $10,000.00 before he or she will even start working on your case and by the time your case is finally heard by a trial judge, the average case can cost you between $25,000.00 and $50,000.00.

In addition to the lawyer's fees, there will be disbursements to other service-providers required to move your case forward or explain it to the judge, including government filing fees of between $447.00 and $585.00. These fees for are for filing the application for requesting a Clearance Certificate from the Central Registry of Divorce, for the motion to obtain the Divorce Order, and to obtain a Divorce Certificate.

I know all this sounds complicated and expensive. That's why I created MyOntarioDivorce.com. It helps you prepare the documents you will need to self-represent, allowing you to consult a lawyer only when you need legal advice about a particular legal issue. By preparing your documents yourself, representing yourself in court and consulting a lawyer on an as-needed basis, if your case goes the distance, you can save yourself between $20,000.00 and $45,000.00, if not more. Interested in saving money? See how myOntarioDivorce.com can help you, by clicking the link below.

Robert Berman is a Toronto divorce lawyer who runs Berman Barristers. He is also the founder of myOntarioDivorce.com, an innovative new Do It Yourself divorce website. He can be reached at (416) 368-7700. View his Divorce Magazine profile.