5 Tips to Help Make Your Divorce Less Expensive

Divorces have a bad reputation for being very expensive. And while it is true that some divorces end up costing small fortunes, it doesn’t always have to be that way. There are plenty of steps you can take to help reduce the cost of your divorce, even if your partner is keen on making the process as difficult as possible. Here are some tips that can help keep the costs of your divorce low.

1 – Keep the peace

As a general rule, the more aggressive you and your former partner are with each other, the more expensive the divorce is going to be. That’s because one of the major costs of getting a divorce comes from attorney fees, as attorneys charge per hour. Spending meeting after meeting arguing with your former partner while your attorney is present can quickly balloon your divorce bill.

However, it takes two to argue. And even if your former partner is keen on turning every meeting into a fight, you can help speed things along and prevent drama by keeping your mouth shut as much as possible. Don’t respond to provocations, and let your attorney do the talking. A good family law attorney will have plenty of experience dealing with difficult people, and you’ll want to leverage that experience.

2 – Consider mediation

As this website shows, it’s not uncommon for family law firms to offer clients the chance to settle their divorce through mediation. And if your partner is in a collaborative mood, this is a good option to consider.

Mediation involves you and your partner sitting with just one attorney to discuss the terms of your divorce settlement. The mediator will do their best to stay neutral and help both parties come to a fair agreement.

Since only one attorney will be needed, mediation is much cheaper than hiring one attorney to represent each half of the couple. And if mediation doesn’t work, you and your partner can still fall back on hiring 2 attorneys and starting the negotiation again.

3 – Organize your documents

Early in the process, it’s a good idea to make a list of the documents you’ll need during your divorce negotiation. Spend some time tracking down and organizing those documents.

Your attorney or law firm will likely charge by the hour when reviewing the documents you provided. And the more organized those are, the faster your attorney will be able to get through them.

4 – Meet deadlines

Speaking of being responsible, it’s also a good idea to be punctual to your negotiation meetings. And to meet all the deadlines provided by your attorney. Showing up on time and delivering documents before deadlines can both help improve how efficient your attorney is with their time, which in turn means they can charge you less.

5 – Don’t overuse your attorney

It can be tempting to rely on your attorney as a confidant or a source of personal advice. Family law attorneys have a lot of experience helping people navigate difficult periods in their lives, after all. But it’s good to remember that attorneys charge by the hour, and they may charge extra if your phone call interrupts their work or if it happens outside of business hours.

Be responsible with how you use your attorney’s time. It’ll be good for your wallet and their schedule.