How Much Will I Pay for Divorce Mediation?

One of the most common questions people have about divorce mediation: how much will it cost?

It’s understandable to be worried about costs of the process, considering how your financial circumstances are likely to change significantly coming out of your divorce. While mediation will save you quite a bit of money over litigating the divorce, it still will likely cost you several thousand dollars.

Determining the cost

The exact cost you can expect to pay depends on the mediator you go with, where you live and the issues at stake in your divorce. The national average falls in the range of $3,000 to $8,000 for private mediation, but some circumstances might result in costs falling outside that range. In most cases, couples will agree to split the fees of mediation in half.

One factor to consider is whether mediators charge a flat rate, by the hour or by the session. Non-attorney mediators will generally charge less than attorney mediators, and fees for each will vary based on the training and credentials of that mediator plus the number of issues you need to work through.

More complex cases will generally cost more, as it will take more time to work through the issues. In addition, if you and your spouse have a very contentious relationship that makes it difficult to communicate, you might end up needing more mediation sessions that will add to the overall expense.

Beyond the standard fees, there may be additional charges and services for setup fees, hourly fees for time spent on the case in between sessions, fees for writing the settlement and fees for preparing your other divorce paperwork. Plus, if you work with an attorney for counsel throughout the mediation process, you’ll need to consider their fees as well.