How much is a divorce in Germany?

If you want to get divorced in Germany, you need an idea of the expected costs beforehand. Basically, the divorce costs depend on the income of the partners, their assets, and whether you have already settled many disputes among yourselves. With an increasing number of children, your divorce costs can decrease. If both partners want to hire one attorney each, the divorce costs will increase. If you do not have money for divorce fees, there are options to get a free divorce: Either your partner is solvent enough to pay the fees for both of you, or you apply for Legal Aid (Verfahrenskostenhilfe).

Average divorce costs, and who actually pays?

As mentioned, each marriage has its own story, individualizing the divorce costs. Excluding divorces that involve legal aid (more on that later in the text), the average divorce costs range between 1,700 EUR and 3,000 EUR. They consist of

• legal fees and
• court costs.

Usually, neither spouse bears the costs alone nor primarily the partner who files for divorce. If both partners have sufficient income, they share the court fees, and each pays the bill for their attorney. If one of the partners does not have enough financial cushion, he or she can demand a procedural cost advance (Verfahrenskostenvorschuss) from their solvent partner.

What is the cost of a divorce with 2 lawyers vs. 1 lawyer?

Or put differently: What is the cost of a divorce when you are largely in agreement? In this case, the divorce costs are significantly reduced. 1 lawyer per spouse is not required. If only one spouse is legally represented, there are correspondingly only costs for one lawyer instead of two – thus eliminating half of the legal costs alone. Many couples willing to divorce agree in this case to share the legal costs, which normally only the person who hired the lawyer would bear.

What is the cost of a divorce with a divorce consequence agreement?

If no complications arise, this has a calming effect on both of your finances. However, one should be sure that the partner does not make any deviations from agreements until the end of the proceedings. If there is suddenly a dispute that cannot be resolved without court intervention, the lawyer can only represent the interests of one partner, specifically the one who has authorized him or her.

With the help of a binding divorce consequence agreement, you can clarify everything in advance and make clear arrangements. Such an agreement is formally not much different from a marriage contract but is only drawn up on the occasion of the divorce. Typical regulations concern

• the participation in legal costs,
• pension compensation,
• child support and visitation rights,
• post-marital maintenance,
• how to deal with real estate
• and dividing of assets.

This agreement initially costs a little more (depending on the scope), but it saves you spontaneously occurring and subsequently expensive trouble.

For both documents, make sure to have them notarized so that the agreements cannot be challenged later.

What is the cost of a divorce if you are unemployed?

If neither you nor your spouse has sufficient liquidity to bear the direct costs of a divorce, you can apply for legal aid (formerly: litigation aid) in court. This is possible even if you are in the construction phase of a property and have to prioritize paying off loans.

You must disclose your assets and income. Your lawyer can instruct you on this. Just be aware that your finances can be reviewed by the state for up to four years after the application. If you have come into money in the meantime, you may have to repay the legal aid in whole or in part.

What is the cost of an online divorce?

An online divorce refers to the handling of all consultations, document shipments, and other communication of a divorce via electronic or telephone means. As far as court and legal fees are concerned, you spend the same. There are two advantages, though:

• You save on travel costs to the law firm, paper and printing costs, and a lot of time. Additionally, you are not limited to a lawyer in your city and may find someone who will go through a divorce consequence agreement with you for less money.
• If you live abroad or if, like in previous years, there are severe restrictions on public life, the otherwise mandatory court appearance for the divorce can even be held remotely. This depends on the respective court, its technical possibilities, and the willingness to use them.

What is the cost of a divorce after (only) 1 year of marriage?

Whether you were married for one, three, five, or 20 years, it only indirectly affects the calculation of divorce costs. Just because you shared a table and bed for a relatively short time, and perhaps were mistaken in your choice of partner at a young age, you should not expect any discounts for this.

However, in this short time, it is conceivable that you have not acquired too many joint assets that you would need to divide. Thus, most of the effort for the gain compensation would be eliminated. Also, the courts would only carry out pension compensation at the explicit request of one of the partners.

Often, both partners are still in their working lives, so the separation support would be minimal, and post-marital maintenance often completely eliminated.

Get a cost estimate for your divorce!

We are happy to provide a cost estimate for your divorce, a first free consultation, and information on handling your divorce online. We also take other questions about divorce and maintenance. Please use the contact form provided below, and we will get back to you free of charge!