What Will My Divorce Cost?
What Will My Divorce Cost?
One of the first questions people ask when hiring a lawyer is how much will it cost? While we cannot guarantee what your total cost will be (as it depends on your own individual facts and circumstances), the guidelines below will give you an estimate. Our hourly fees are $300 for attorneys and $130 for paralegals. We generally require a retainer payment at the first client meeting between $3,500 and $5,500. We accept payments via credit card, cash or check.
Iowa Mandatory Parenting Class
Iowa Divorce with Children or Custody Case – Mandatory Children Cope Class Information –
In any action which involves child custody or visitation, the parties are to take a court-approved education course designed to help the parties understand the needs of the children during and after the court proceeding. Below is a list of classes available in Northwest Iowa for 2023. All classes are currently being held via Zoom.
January 2023
Fri Jan 6 6-10 pm
Sat Jan 7 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Jan 13 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Jan 14 1:15-5:45
Thu Jan 19 6-10
Sat Jan 21 1:15-5:45 *Spanish
Sat Jan 28 1:15-5:45
February 2023
Fri Feb 3 6-10 pm
Sat Feb 4 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Feb 10 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Feb 11 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Feb 16 6-10pm
Sat Feb 18 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Sat Feb 25 1:15-5:45 pm
March 2023
Sat Mar 4 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Fri Mar 10 6-10 pm
Sat Mar 11 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Mar 17 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Mar 18 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Mar 23 6-10 pm
Sat Mar 25 1:15-5:45 pm
April 2023
Sat Apr 1 1:15-5:45 *Spanish
Thu Apr 6 6-10 pm
Fri Apr 14 6-10 pm
Sat Apr 15 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Apr 22 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Apr 29 1:15-5:45 pm
May 2023
Fri May 5 6-10 pm
Sat May 6 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri May 12 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat May 13 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu May 18 6-10 pm
Sat May 20 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
June 2023
Fri Jun 2 6-10 pm
Sat Jun 3 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Jun 10 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Jun 16 6-10 pm *Spanish
Thu Jun 22 6-10:30 pm
Sat Jun 24 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Jun 29 6-10 pm *Spanish
July 2023
Sat Jul 1 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Fri Jul 7 6-10 pm
Sat Jul 8 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Jul 14 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Jul 15 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Jul 20 6-10 pm
Sat Jul 22 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Jul 29 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
August 2023
Fri Aug 4 6-10 pm
Sat Aug 5 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Aug 10 6-10 pm
Sat Aug 12 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Sat Aug 19 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Aug 24 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Aug 26 1:15-5:45 pm
September 2023
Fri Sep 8 6-10 pm
Sat Sep 9 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Sep 14 6-10 pm
Sat Sep 16 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Fri Sep 22 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Sep 23 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Sep 30 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
October 2023
Fri Oct 6 6-10 pm
Sat Oct 7 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Oct 12 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Oct 14 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Oct 19 6-10 pm
Sat Oct 21 1:15-5:45 pm
Sat Oct 28 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
November 2023
Fri Nov 3 6-10 pm
Sat Nov 4 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Nov 10 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Nov 11 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Nov 16 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Nov 18 1:15-5:45 pm
December 2023
Fri Dec 1 6-10 pm
Sat Dec 2 1:15-5:45 pm
Fri Dec 8 6-10 pm *Spanish
Sat Dec 9 1:15-5:45 pm
Thu Dec 14 6-10:30 pm
Sat Dec 16 1:15-5:45 pm *Spanish
Sign up and additional information.
Holiday Visitation or Parenting Time Schedule
To view a typical court ordered visitation schedule for holidays (in Iowa) see below
Nothing is More Expensive than a Cheap Lawyer
Interesting article by Amy Rees Anderson from Forbes.com discussing the pitfalls of hiring a “cheap” lawyer.
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on as an entrepreneur was hiring cheap lawyers or not using an expensive lawyer nearly enough, thinking I was saving money for my business. But over the years, the school of hard knocks taught me just how expensive cheap legal help can be.
I don’t recall ever meeting anyone who actually enjoys writing a check to an attorney. Frankly I can’t recall meeting many people who enjoy lawyers at all – not the individuals themselves, but the idea of having to have a lawyer in the first place. Heaven would be a world where the need for lawyers didn’t even exist – where everyone could be trusted to uphold their word, where no one would ever have misunderstood expectations in their agreements, and where a simple conversation could settle any dispute that arose. But we aren’t in heaven – not yet anyway – and we certainly aren’t living in a perfect world, so the cold hard truth is that when push comes to shove, you better be hoping to heaven you have a great lawyer there to have your back.
Shared Physical Care – Parenting Time Schedules
In Iowa (and to a lesser extent South Dakota and Nebraska), shared physical care is becoming more and more common. Shared physical care parenting time schedules vary from family to family. One of the more common schedules involves the children rotating between the parents homes on a weekly basis (with the opposite parent having one evening of mid-week visitation).
Other common schedules are as follows:
5/5/2/2 Shared Physical Care Parenting Schedule
************SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
WEEK 1 MOM MOM MOM DAD DAD DAD DAD
WEEK 2 DAD MOM MOM DAD DAD MOM MOM
WEEK 3 MOM MOM MOM DAD DAD DAD DAD
WEEK 4 DAD MOM MOM DAD DAD MOM MOM
Facebook is Divorce Lawyers’ New Best Friend: Whatever You Share Online Can (And Will) Be Used Against You In Court
A must read for anyone going through a divorce. Facebook posts are commonly used in divorce proceedings so don’t post anything that you do not want the Judge to see. Leanne Italie of the Associated Press writes:
Forgot to de-friend your wife on Facebook while posting vacation shots of your mistress? Her divorce lawyer will be thrilled.
Oversharing on social networks has led to an overabundance of evidence in divorce cases. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81 percent of its members have used or faced evidence plucked from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, over the last five years.
“Oh, I’ve had some fun ones,” said Linda Lea Viken, president-elect of the 1,600-member group. “It’s very, very common in my new cases.”
Facebook is the unrivaled leader for turning virtual reality into real-life divorce drama, Viken said. Sixty-six percent of the lawyers surveyed cited Facebook foibles as the source of online evidence, she said. MySpace followed with 15 percent, followed by Twitter at 5 percent.
About one in five adults uses Facebook for flirting, according to a 2008 report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. But it’s not just kissy pix with the manstress or mistress that show up as evidence. Think of Dad forcing son to de-friend mom, bolstering her alienation of affection claim against him.
Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative Divorce is discussed on this Today Show clip. The International Academy of Collaborative Law Professionals also provides a good video link below – wherein a couple discusses their experience with Collaborative Divorce. www.collaborativepractice.com
Iowa Supreme Court Held Husband was Properly Awarded Joint Physical Care
The Iowa Supreme Court held that father was properly awarded joint physical care notwithstanding mother’s testimony alleging communication problems and the parties contentious relationship. The court gave deference to the district court’s finding that mother’s testimony lacked credibility. The court noted that the children had thrived under the joint physical care arrangement for the past two years, i.e. the daughter was doing well in school, the son was developing well for his age, both children benefited from frequent contact with both parents, and both parents had been actively involved in caring for the children and their activities. Accordingly, the Supreme Court held that joint legal custody and shared physical care were in the best interests of the children. In re Marriage Harris, No. 12-1969 (Iowa 2013).
