Very often the question of the cost of uncontested divorce remains a rather unclear issue.
Firstly, divorces in Canada are governed by the federal law: Divorce Act — no matter the province. Yet each province adds its own procedures. Therefore, it’s better to ask a lawyer if you are getting divorce in Quebec. Such a lawyer will explain all the nuances, so you won’t be caught off-guard.
Before, in our previous entry, “Divorce? This is expensive, right?”, we explained the differences between an uncontested divorce and a contested one. An uncontested divorce is also called sometimes an “amicable divorce” or a ‘friendly divorce” or a “divorce per agreement”. To review the subject briefly:
- Uncontested divorce occurs when both spouses want the divorce and there is no conflict between them. They make decisions by a mutual agreement. Proceedings are shorter and, as a result, the costs are lower than in a contested divorce.
- Contested divorce happens when one of the parties refuses to divorce the other or they disagree on the terms of divorce or of their children custody. Besides, there might be also a conflict on division of property, access to child support, etc.
Today we are talking of the cost of uncontested divorce.
Basic rates and fees to be taken into account for an uncontested divorce:
Basic cost for an uncontested divorce:
– No dependent children: approximately $2,500 plus taxes + court fees of $113 + taxes (effective since January 2019);
– With dependent children: approximately $3,000 + court fees of $113 + taxes (effective since January 2019).
Fees that may be added to an uncontested divorce:
• Costs of obtaining birth and marriage or civil union certificates if these documents are not provided by the parties;
• Bailiff’s costs for issuing and filing procedures, as well as their travelling (depending on a distance);
• Administrative costs: copies, mail, etc.
Most importantly, we want to precise to you that the costs displayed here may vary according to the circumstances of your file. This is to say that we give them to you for information purposes only. In other words, it is non-binding information. Furthermore, these figures only apply to non-contested legal separations, divorces, dissolution of civil union, where both parties mutually agree on all the terms and conditions.
Although not mandatory, it is preferable to forward a summary of your joint agreements drafted in advance (with help of a family mediator for instance, if available) to the lawyer dealing with your file. If misunderstanding or disagreement on the terms and conditions arise between the parties, and if they fail to reach an agreement within a reasonable period of time, therefore the file will no longer be considered a non-contested one. Consequently, the services rendered by our lawyers will be charged according to the hourly rates in a contested separation or divorce file (between $200 and $300 per hour). In conclusion, we would like to advise you that the lawyer in charge of your file will not be able to continue to represent any of the parties involved in the separation, as this would inevitably lead to a conflict of interest.
Which services can our lawyers provide you during a non-contested divorce?
At Allen Madelin Inc., the first consultation with a lawyer is given at the very competitive rate of $125+taxes per hour. Moreover, our regular hourly rate remains very competitive: it can vary between $200 and $300 +taxes depending on complications in your file. For example, there might be an issue of child support or of child custody terms.
First consultation at Allen Madelin Inc. is at the price of $125 plus taxes
During the first consultation, one of our lawyers will welcome you to our office at 4621 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, in Montreal. However, if you cannot be physically present in Montreal, we can arrange a first consultation by telephone or Skype.
Above all, the purpose of this first consultation is to allow our lawyers to understand your situation, and also to explain to you various steps of the process you are starting. We will use this first contact to explain to you in detail our services in connection with legal fees in a file like yours.
Who are we?
Allen Madelin Inc. mainly expertise is family law: divorce, separation, custody, alimony and child support, etc.
Our firm is in Montreal, Quebec. We do have a committed and professional team who will guide you through the divorce process. It should be noted that one of our competent lawyers will accompany you and fight on your side you for your rights. Along with, we work closely with certain specialists, both in the fields of psychology, accounting. In addition we work also currently with specialists in taxation and in family mediation, as our goal is to provide you with comprehensive family law service.
Whether you live in Montreal, elsewhere in Quebec, in Canada, or even abroad, our team will develop a strategy to help to protect your interests and defend your rights as much as possible, and more importantly to return control of your legal situation to you. That is why our high-performing team puts all its expertise, its listening and coaching skills at your service. Consequently our lawyers will do their best to adapt to your needs.
Finally, if you need more information or to make an appointment for a first consultation, do not hesitate to contact us by phone: 514-904-4017 or by email: [email protected]
