This depends on the circumstances and the willingness of the parties to negotiate an agreement. An uncontested divorce or paternity action need not require the two of you to hire attorneys. You need only find a Certified Mediator, hack out the agreement, in detail, file it with the court, and set a hearing date. On that day the judge will swear both of you in, ask if you both agree to the terms set down in the document, than everyone signs it. Generally, there is a 30-60 day waiting period for the document to be recorded with the county and state registries. The mediator will be a lawyer or paralegal, with specialized training. Each of you MUST pay half the fees. The fees could run from $200 to $1000, depending on the going rates in your area, and time spent on the document. Court fees could run $50 to $150, but if you are tight on money, you could request a waiver. These are the things you NEED to cover in the document. CUSTODY Soul Custody Joint Legal Custody Joint Physical Custody Bird Nest Custody (see below) VISITATION How close do you live to him? How old is the child? How often? What specific weeks, or months? What specific holidays on in a list of years, do each parent get the children? What if the custodial parent wants to move out of state? MEDICAL Who covers medical insurance? Who decides on treatment? CHILD SUPPORT How much? Weekly, Bi-Weekly, or Monthly? How Long? Eighteen, High School, or End of College Do you split the cost of college? What state(s) may they attend in? What is the minimum amount of college credit hours the child must take? Who gets the tax deduction(s)? What if the child gets pregnant? Does child support stop? DEATH If the residential parent dies, who gets the child? Never assume anything.