Paying the opposing party’s divorce attorney fees

Question:

I was ordered to pay $3,000 of my ex’s attorney fees from our divorce case. However, I never received any paperwork from the lawyer or the court detailing how to make payments, what fees and services I was paying for, etc.

A year later I received an invoice from the lawyer for almost $4,000. Do I have to pay this? Shouldn’t I have been invoiced sooner, and how did the costs go up by $1,000?

Answer:

If you were ordered by the court to pay a certain amount of attorney’s fees, the opposing attorney never had to send you a bill as you were under a court order and that order serves as the invoice.

After receiving the court order, it is between you and the opposing counsel to execute the payment of attorney’s fees. You could ask the court to issue an order to provide you with an explanation of the extra money to explain the difference and request that your attorney’s fees be covered for this expense as you were ordered to pay $3,000.

However, if the extra $1,000 is interest on the $3,000, you may have to pay that amount, but this depends on the local rules pertaining to attorney’s fees.

Due to the variances between state and local rules, it is very important to consult an attorney who is more familiar with the particularities of the laws of your state.

Cordell & Cordell has men’s divorce lawyers located nationwide should you seek additional legal advice or representation.

 

Emily J. Barry is a Staff Attorney with the Indianapolis office of Cordell & Cordell, where she practices family law exclusively with a focus on men’s divorce. She is licensed in the state of Indiana, and US District Courts of Northern and Southern Indiana. Ms. Barry is also a certified mediator in the state of Michigan. Ms. Barry received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Hispanic Studies cum laude from Connecticut College. Later, she received her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law with a concentration in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

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