who pays divorce attorney fees wa

by Elisa Trantow 8 min read

In Washington State, each party is responsible for hiring and paying their own attorney, including any initial deposits as well as any subsequent bills. So this means that each spouse pays for the divorce based on their personal choice of attorney. However, the court does have the authority to allocate divorce costs between the parties.

The general standard in Washington for awards of attorneys fees is need and ability to pay. This means that the court needs to find both: that the one spouse has the need for help with their legal expenses. the other spouse has sufficient means to help.Jun 21, 2017

Full Answer

Who pays for divorce in Washington State?

Jun 21, 2017 · In Washington State, each party is responsible for hiring and paying their own attorney, including any initial deposits as well as any subsequent bills. So this means that each spouse pays for the divorce based on their personal choice of attorney. However, the court does have the authority to allocate divorce costs between the parties.

Who pays for a divorce attorney?

Most agreed divorce services in Washington State charge between $500 and $700 including the $300+ court filing fee. Our firm recommends an agreed divorce service named Peaceful Separations, which charges closer to $700 including the court filing fee. We recommend Peaceful Separations because they seem to do the job right, whereas many other agreed divorce …

How much does a contested divorce cost in Washington State?

Divorce filing fee: $280—If you can’t afford this amount, you can request a fee waiver, provided you have proof of unemployment: Attorney fees per hour: $250–$285 per hour: Mediator fees: $150–$600 per hour: Process server: $50: Attorney fees for a contested divorce: $12,000: Attorney fees for an uncontested divorce: $5,000

What is an award of Attorney’s fees in a divorce?

Apr 30, 2020 · Just to file for divorce in Washington, it costs roughly $350. (This includes fees for filing, a judicial surcharge, and court facilitator costs.) From there, you have to serve your spouse. If you hire a lawyer, they can handle that, likely for a fee, or you can use an outside process server.

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Who gets the house in a divorce in Washington State?

Courts usually award each spouse his or her separate property and divide community property 50/50. Consequently, if the house is entirely one spouse's separate property, he or she almost always receives it unless the parties agree otherwise.

How much does it cost to file for a divorce in Washington State?

How much does a divorce in Washington cost? The court filing fee is $280 for a dissolution of marriage (divorce). Other costs may include photocopying and delivery service fees. If you can not afford this fee, you may fill out a special form that will request the court to waive the filing fee.

What is a wife entitled to in a divorce in Washington State?

You get a decree, a division of all the parties' property, a parenting plan, a child support order, and potentially spousal maintenance (alimony).

Does it matter who files for divorce first in Washington State?

If you are expecting a relatively simple and low-conflict divorce, it probably does not matter whether you or your spouse initially file for divorce. However, if you believe that your divorce may involve a contentious court case or custody battle, it could be slightly advantageous to file for divorce.

I. Need & ability.

  • In a divorce, the most likely basis for an award of attorney fees is what practitioners call “need and ability”. The relevant statute, RCW 26.09.140, authorizes the court to consider the financial resources of the parties and award attorney fees and other costs of the case from one spouse to another. In other words, the court looks at whether one party has the need for an award of attorn
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II. Fee Award Based on Bad Action.

  • Occasionally the court requires a spouse to pay the other party’s fees if the former did something bad in the case. This is rare, even though spouses routinely lie and behave poorly in divorce proceedings. It usually requires egregiously bad behavior to trigger this. There are actually at least three wide-sweeping, overlapping theories that allow a court to order a poorly behaving spouse t…
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III. Fees Based on Winning.

  • Sometimes the law authorizes or requires an award of fees to the prevailing party in certain subsets of proceedings, such as a motion for a protective order (whoever wins might get fees), contempt (moving party always receives fees if opposing party found in contempt), or discovery disputes (moving party usually receives fees if successful on the underlying motion). These topi…
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IV. Fees Based on Contract.

  • In rare instances, the parties have a contract providing for an award of fees, such a prenuptial agreement or settlement agreement. The court usually complies with whatever the contract states. Notably, sometimes contracts state something to the effect of “If Party A brings a lawsuit to enforce this contract and prevails, Party B will pay party A’s associated attorney fees.” The la…
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v. Tips Regarding Fee Awards.

  • 1. If you request fees, make sure to present evidence to support your argument. The requesting party bears the “burden of proof.” 2. Make sure to submit a financial declaration and sealed financial source documents if you request fees on the basis of need and ability. You can find the forms on the Washington Court Forms Websiteunder Family Law > Divorce > Divorce (Dissolutio…
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