You may think that there's no way to have a less expensive divorce, but you might be surprised at what you can do to save money. Make no mistake about it, legal matters can be pricey. Attorneys, however, come in at all price points and the way you approach the matter has everything to do with what your final legal bill will be. Read on for easy-to-accomplish acts that might leave you in a better financial position post-divorce than you thought possible.
Check yourself
It's sort of ironic, but in this case, you might need to spend a bit of money here to save a lot more there. It's one of the last things that some people think about, but the state of your mental health can have a huge impact on how much money your divorce ends up costing you.
Assuming your marriage is really and truly over, it is not marriage counseling that you need but therapy for yourself. Your mental health during the stressful divorce period is paramount and will help you approach potentially contentious matters better. For example, you and your spouse might be able to work out some issues outside of court if you can compromise and communicate without resorting to emotional meltdowns; and any time you can do that you are automatically saving money.
Be upfront with your lawyer
Financial issues are usually at the forefront of divorce, but you may be reluctant to discuss something as delicate as fees with your lawyer. This would be a mistake because no matter how skilled your lawyer is they are not mind-readers and have no real idea of how much you might be willing to pay to have your divorce settled.
Instead, make it a point to discuss fees and hourly rates and don't be afraid to let your lawyer know how much you are comfortable spending on the case. Divorces, where you and your spouse are not in agreement on one or more issue, can get expensive, but open communication about finances will actually help guide your attorney in dealing with the case.
Assist in your case
Make sure that you and your local divorce attorney are in agreement about what is needed and what you can personally help with and then get busy. For example, documentation from you and your spouse's financial past will be needed and if you wait too long it might take a lot more money and time to access those past tax returns or bank statements. Don't allow this to become an issue involving discovery procedures and forensic accountants, make copies of paperwork before you even file for divorce.
Share30 May 2018
Have you been through a divorce and want to have your child custody agreement amended? Do you know how to go about doing that? I had no idea what I was going to do when the judge limited the time with my kids to every other weekend. It was something that I never thought that I would survive and it was harder than I thought. I decided to fight the order and file for an amended child custody agreement. With a lot of great advice from my lawyer, I was able to improve the situation greatly. To find out what my lawyer did to help me get my kids every other week, visit my website.