Bessemer Divorce Lawyer & Bessemer Divorce Attorneys
Cheap Uncontested Divorces Starting at $290
Contested Divorce Retainers Starting at $1500
Call us today! (205) 201-1789
We can file your divorce whether it is uncontested or contested, but an uncontested divorce is just simpler and cheaper if you can do it. If you and your spouse have reached an agreement concerning child support, visitation, property division and all other issues arising from the marriage, then you may be able to get a quick and cheap uncontested divorce in Bessemer. Filing an uncontested divorce is the easiest and simplest way to get a divorce in Alabama
. Our Bessemer divorce lawyers are currently offering discounted flat fees for uncontested divorces in Shelby County, Jefferson County, and throughout Central Alabama.
$290 for uncontested divorces without minor children
$390 for uncontested divorces with minor children
This does not include the filing fee that each county charges to file a divorce. The filing fee in Jefferson County is about $207. If you live in Bessemer or the surrounding areas of Gardendale, Fultondale, Irondale, Trussville, McCalla, Hueytown, or Homewood, then you will likely be filing your divorce in Jefferson County. Birmingham is the county seat of Jefferson County, but there is a courthouse annex located in downtown Bessemer.
If you are ready to get the process started then fill out a questionnaire on the side of the page or call and we can send you one. Call us anytime at (205) 201-1789 if you have questions about filing a cheap divorce in Bessemer or anywhere else in Jefferson County.
Divorce Attorneys in Bessemer, Alabama
No matter which type of divorce you file, it is crucial to have a local Bessemer divorce lawyer at your side when you’re filing for divorce because you will do better being counseled by a local lawyer during the process. If you’re in Jefferson or Shelby County, and are planning to have a contested divorce, then you can get in touch with us at our office to discuss the pricing and talk about the process together on the phone. If having a quick and inexpensive divorce in Bessemer is what you need, then you should go for an uncontested divorce. Provided you have reached an agreement with your partner on all marital issues then paperwork is all that is usually required. To do an uncontested divorce you just fill out a questionnaire explaining what you have already agreed to (along with other relevant informat
ion that will facilitate the processing of forms and documents) and have it returned to us to start the process.
The process of filing for a no contest or uncontested divorce is fairly simple. When you call us, then we can answer any questions you may have over the phone and an in office consultation is usually not necessary. However, both you and your spouse must have reached an agreement in order to file for an uncontested divorce in Bessemer.
If an agreement has not been reached and you wish to get divorced, then you will likely have to file a contested divorce. This is where one party files for divorce and serves the other party with the divorce paperwork. The other spouse, once served, has a limited amount of time to respond and if they do not, then the filing party may be able to receive their divorce by default. If the other party does respond, then there will usually be hearings set and a contested divorce will begin. A contested divorce continues until both parties either reach an agreement as to all contested issues or have a trial and let the judge in their case decide these issues for them.
It is always cheaper and simpler to reach an agreement beforehand and file an uncontested divorce, but if that is not possible then call our Bessemer divorce lawyers to discuss the contested divorce process in your county.
Cheap Divorces in Bessemer
Our Bessemer divorce attorneys are currently charging a low flat rate of $290 to handle your uncontested divorce without minor children of the marriage and $390 if you do have minor children. This does not include a filing fee that each county requires which is a little over $200 in Jefferson County.
Even when the divorce is a quick and easy uncontested one, every county may require different documents. That is why it is essential to get a local divorce lawyer to assist you in filling an inexpensive divorce in Bessemer, Alabama. If you’re living in Bessemer, Alabaster, Hoover, Gardendale, Birmingham, or Pelham, then Shelby County or the Jefferson County Domestic Relations Court is where your divorce is likely going to be filed. Both counties have precise divorce requirements that may not be available in other jurisdictions. For instance, when a cheap divorce is filed in Jefferson County, some documents require the inclusion of specific language, and this requirement is unique to the county. But when Shelby County is where you are filing your cheap divorce, there are sometimes different local requirements regarding the appropriate time to have your divorce documents signed and filed. Failure to comply with such local rules can result in dismissal of your case, and you will have to start the filing all over again. 
If you are using an online divorce document preparation program, then they will usually not have such county specific language in them and it can cause your divorce to be dismissed by the judge assigned to your case. Our Bessemer divorce lawyers are familiar with all of these local rules and will work to ensure that all documents are filed correctly and in compliance with the local rules. This is why an actual Bessemer uncontested divorce attorney is necessary and having a national online document preparation company prepare your divorce documents may not be the best decision.
If you need a divorce in Bessemer, Trussville, Homewood, Fultondale, or Gardendale then you will most likely be filing in Jefferson County. Our Birmingham office is located on Highway 280 and our local divorce attorney, Steven Harris, regularly files divorces in Jefferson and Shelby County. He is a member of the local Birmingham Bar Association and the Central Alabama Better Business Bureau. If you call our Bessemer divorce attorneys today, then we can answer any questions you may have, including helping to determine what courthouse to file your divorce in.
Contested Divorces in Bessemer
Any other way you file for divorce is called a contested divorce. A contested divorce means the two parties did not come to an agreement and still have legal issues to sort out. One spouse typically serves the other with an official complaint. After the complaint is served, the recipient then obtains an attorney and files a response. The subsequent hearing dates are set and an assigned judge ultimately decides your disagreements if the two of you cannot come to an agreement.
Should you be in need of filing a contested divorce, our contested divorce attorney in Bessemer can help. It is important to note that the attorney fees in this type of divorce are significantly higher than an uncontested divorce. 
As is standard industry practice, a retainer is required for the work involved on a contested divorce case. Our Bessemer attorney will bill hourly and base it on the amount of work performed. The amount of attorney fees you pay is dependent upon how long the case takes and how much work is involved.
Contested divorces fees can range anywhere between $1500 to $5000 or more, depending on the complexity of the issues involved and how contested they will get. Cases with minor children as a part of the marriage, normally get more complicated and take longer, meaning the retainer fees are usually higher than divorces without children, but there are other factors we consider in quoting you a retainer.
Feel free to contact us by calling our office today to get a quote for your retainer. The information collected during the phone consultation with our attorney will help us form an estimate and help us understand what issues are involved in your case such as if there are minor children involved. This is the reason an uncontested divorce is almost always cheaper and easier than a contested one. Give us a call today if you have any questions about the difference in an uncontested and contested divorce in Bessemer, Alabama.
