Heaps of lawyer- or divorce calculators can be found on the internet. Court cost calculator for divorce costs, which are called divorce cost calculator or divorce calculator. Couples who are considering a divorce and are concerned about possible costs resort to such calculators. But how realistically do these allow a calculation of divorce costs?
In fact, they have their weak points – which, due to the complexity of many a divorce, cannot be otherwise at all. Thus, a divorce cost calculator can usually only calculate attorney's fees and court costs that are incurred for the divorce alone. Even this is only possible if the required data is entered correctly by the user, which in itself is a big problem. But if you want to calculate divorce costs, there are other aspects that need to be taken into account.
Out-of-court legal fees for two lawyers are usually not taken into account in the divorce calculator
Divorce cost calculators calculate only pure divorce costs, that is, those costs that are incurred for the divorce itself.
Not calculated are the extrajudicial attorney's fees, which z.B. for the litigation of child support, separation maintenance, post-marital maintenance, division of debts, claim for equalization of gains, etc. incurred.
Also, it is usually the case that there is no agreement between the spouses, especially with regard to the divorce. of the spousal support to be paid often a fierce dispute breaks out.
Also not calculated costs z.B. for a maintenance case concerning. Separation maintenance.
If all the above-mentioned matters are disputed between the lawyers of both parties, the pure divorce costs amount to only a fraction of the costs which the parties involved would have to expect in the event of a dispute in the matters just described. Divorce calculators therefore offer only moderately realistic calculation results. Here are some more case studies, which divorce cost calculators on the Internet hardly / rarely take into account:
No dispute, still spouses settle their disputed matters themselves
Should the spouses have agreed on all matters themselves, in most cases you will need a notary and usually also one or two lawyers to fix your divorce settlement. Again, there are not inconsiderable costs involved, most of which exceed the normal costs of a divorce.
Divorce cost calculator assumes commissioning of two lawyers
Also, in most cases, legal cost calculators for divorces always assume two attorneys, namely that the husband and wife each hire their own lawyer.
But this is not necessary if it is a consensual divorce. In this case, it is advisable that the parties do not consult two lawyers, as then fees/costs for two lawyers are also incurred.
In order to minimize fees, it is sufficient that one party consults a lawyer with the filing of the divorce, and that the other party, which is not represented by a lawyer, agrees to this divorce.
However, such a hint is not to be found in most of the legal cost calculators.
Divorce cost calculator and legal aid (VKH)
Firstly, it should be noted that at least 40% of divorced couples in Germany do not pay their lawyer's fees. The divorce lawyer has applied for legal aid from the court for this group of people, so that one of the parties or (usually) both have either had the court and lawyer's fees paid by the state or have been granted legal aid. have received this legal aid by way of payment in installments.
In this case it would be desirable, if a divorce cost calculator on the Internet also the income conditions in the form inquires that this gives with the divorce costs compute then a reference, if the user of this calculator possibly also legal aid with the family court to request and these could receive.
The question thus rightly arises as to what value a divorce cost calculator brings if it does not include the cases described here. A divorce is and remains not a process, which can be calculated on the internet. In fact, divorce calculators can be deceptive about the divorce costs that will ultimately be incurred.