Divorce fees in Pune are built from four components: the consultation, drafting of the petition and settlement terms, court appearances (per-appearance or bundled), and out-of-pocket costs like court fees and notarisation. A mutual consent matter costs materially less than a contested one because it involves fewer appearances and no evidence stage. Any advocate should give you that structure in writing before work begins.
We are deliberately not publishing a number. Every honest fee depends on whether your matter is mutual or contested, how many interim applications it needs, and how far it travels — and a figure on a webpage would mislead you in one direction or the other. What we can do is explain exactly what you are paying for, so you can compare quotes intelligently.
The four components
| Component | What it covers | How it's usually charged |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | Assessment of your position and options | One-time, told to you before booking |
| Drafting | Petition, settlement terms, affidavits, applications | Per document or bundled into the engagement |
| Appearances | Hearings, motions, mediation sittings | Per appearance, or a stage-wise lump sum |
| Out-of-pocket | Court fees, notary, certified copies, courier | At actuals, reimbursed |
Why mutual costs less than contested
A mutual consent petition typically needs two motions and a handful of listings. A contested divorce runs through pleadings, interim applications on maintenance and custody, evidence, cross-examination and final arguments — often across years. The fee difference is not a discount; it is a different quantity of work.
Questions that prevent surprise bills
- Is the fee per appearance, or bundled for a stage? Get it in writing either way.
- What happens on adjournments — is an appearance charged when the matter does not reach?
- Are interim applications (maintenance, custody, injunction) inside the quoted fee or extra?
- Who appears if the lead advocate is unavailable, and does the fee change?
- Are court fees and incidentals inside the figure or billed at actuals?
- If the matter settles early, how is the balance treated?
How we handle it
You are told the consultation fee when you book. If you engage the firm, the structure for drafting and appearances is put in writing at the outset, and you never see a charge that was not explained first. That is the whole policy.