If you are considering divorce, you may be concerned about the financial impact the divorce will have on you and your family. While some costs are unavoidable, this article will discuss some tips to consider to determine if they can help bring down the cost of the divorce in your particular case.
- Legal fees – keep them down through planning and organization and negotiation.
If both parties hire attorneys, legal fees can be significant. Your attorney may charge a flat rate fee or the fee may be hourly. The cost may be set or may be negotiable. One way that my help lower the legal fees if for you to come in prepared and organized with clear objectives. If you gather all the financial information into an organized manner and approach a potential attorney with that information, you may be able to reduce the bill by showing him or her that their time can be directed to advocating on your behalf as opposed to helping you gather or organize evidence.
- Adversarial – set reasonable goals.
An adversarial divorce may be out of your hands if your ex is one that wants to fight. However, if you set reasonable and realistic goals for what you want to achieve then you may be able to keep these costs in check. This does not mean you shouldn’t fight for what is validly your right, but consult with your attorney to get a realistic view of what has been successful and typical in the past in order to set realistic and achievable expectations.
- Dragging out discovery – be prompt in responding to your attorney.
During the discovery phase, you will typically need to provide written responses to questions and provide requested documents. By being prompt, thorough and organized in providing this information to your attorney, you can avoid costs if you attorney is charging you by the hour because he or she will not have to bill you to follow up.
- Going to court – consider mediation or settlement.
It’s not unusual for an initial reaction to divorce to be “I want my day in court!” Emotions run high during divorce and a judge is perceived as an advocate who will right the wrongs that your ex has imposed on you. In some cases trial might, in fact, be the right move. However, if you are looking to minimize the financial impact of a divorce, then mediation or a settlement without mediation might be a more cost-effective process. The decision is very personal to your case and depends on your goals and the reaction from your ex to alternative means of resolving disputes.
- Education – don’t be afraid to research, study and be informed.
In some cases, the high cost of a divorce can stem from the cost of education. You may spend money on the wrong attorney. It is not uncommon for a person to hire an attorney only to discover that the person you hired isn’t experienced or just doesn’t have the personality that works well with yours. Do research. Talk to people. Find an attorney who has the experience and demeanor that works for you, so that you don’t get down the road with someone only to have to incur the additional expense of changing course and starting over with someone else.
The costs of a divorce can seem daunting, but with planning, preparation and information, you may be able to lessen the impact of the divorce process on your pocketbook. If you need a highly effective and experienced family law attorney who will be mindful of your budget constraints, consider David Knecht Law, davidknechtlaw.com.
