Filing Fees around the State are now uniform

Merry Christmas!  The State of Oregon actually lowered our divorce filing fees to $260 as of October 1, 2011.  It used to cost $340 in Deschutes County to file for divorce but the State recently enacted a law that all counties must be uniform. It also costs $260 to file a filiation case (case where parents not married but have children together).  A Dissolution of a Domestic Partnership is $240 to file.  It was always a lot cheaper to divorce or separate in a small county as they did not have the overhead that bigger counties had.  Sadly, there are a lot of budget woes in Deschutes County and they are concerned about losing programs.  They have had to limit service hours already.  Deschutes County still requires the mandatory class for parents with children going through separation or divorce.  The cost for that course is $60.00 per parent.  It is given once a month on either a Friday night or Saturday morning for four hours.  You must file the certificate of completion once you have gone to the class.  You do not have to go with your spouse.  The county mediator is also still available to meet with Moms and Dads to work out parenting time issues.  His services are paid for with the file fee charges.  The Deschutes County Court has been rearranged and now only two Judges hear domestic cases: Judge Sullivan and Judge Hasslinger.  This change has been made to help move family law cases through the court system in a more productive manner.  So far it appears to be working.  Judge Tiktin will be retiring at the end of this year and we will lose Judge Sullivan next year.  Both Judges have been very helpful in the family law arena and their shoes will be hard to fill.  Make sure to pay attention to who is running for the judicial positions when the opportunity comes up because it is important to elect Judges that care about family law.  Should you be curious about divorce or separation make sure to set up a consultation with a family law attorney so that you can be educated on what to expect.  There are great video resources on the Deschutes County Courthouse web site as well for you to view.  It is always better to have an attorney involved with your case but if you can’t afford one, at least go in for a consultation so you have a clear understanding of the issues.