One of the first questions that often gets asked when exploring divorce as an option is, “How much is this going to cost?” Divorce is rarely an inexpensive proposition, mostly because it involves extensive effort on the part of two teams of highly-trained experts and specialists.
That said, there are some ways that you can exercise some control over the expenses of the process by cutting down on unnecessary billable hours and legal fees. In today’s blog, we’ll take a look at some examples of areas where you can save yourself some time and money.
Uncontested Divorce
One of the simplest ways to end up with an affordable divorce is to reach the conclusion in an amicable fashion. Working with your attorneys, you and your spouse can come to an agreement on what is in everyone’s best interest and draw up a settlement agreement.
When push comes to shove, if you can resolve all of your issues at the negotiating table then that will prevent costly litigation in the courtroom. Even if you can’t settle everything out of court, handling the issues that don’t require a legal dispute outside of court can still save you a lot in the long run.
Being Honest
One of the best things you can do to ensure that your own needs are met during the divorce process is to be completely honest with your divorce team about anything and everything that could impact your case. If you and your attorney aren’t on the same page, it’s extremely difficult for them to be your strongest advocate in negotiations or the courtroom.
Use Your Time Wisely
No matter how you’re being billed for your case, your divorce team’s time is valuable and you’ll likely be billed for any time they spend on your file, which includes time spent answering texts, phone calls, and emails.
Make no mistake – it’s incredibly important to maintain an open line of communication with your attorney, and you should never be afraid to reach out. But if you can organize your thoughts and questions into a daily or weekly email (depending on how intensive your case is), your attorney will be able to address everything at once, rather than having to open your file numerous times throughout the day.
Stay In Control
We understand – divorce is an emotional situation and tensions can run high throughout most of the process. But letting your judgment be clouded by emotion can lead to poor decision-making, which can be costly. It’s important that you focus on working with your divorce attorney and the rest of your team to prioritize your needs. Being willing to move past anything that’s trivial or doesn’t significantly impact the final outcome can go a long way toward keeping costs down.
