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5 ways to reduce costs during a divorce

by | Jun 28, 2019 | Firm News |

It is an understatement to say that divorce is difficult time in life. In addition to the emotional toil it can cause, it can be significantly expensive. As a result, keeping costs to a minimum during a divorce is a concern for many couples.

Although you may think otherwise, most attorneys that regularly handle divorce cases want their clients to minimize their case expenses. After all, a happy client can bring a lifetime of referrals. Fortunately, there are several ways to keep costs down during the divorce process that do not compromise your ability to achieve a favorable outcome in any way.

Communicate effectively and efficiently

As most divorce attorneys bill by the hour, you can keep costs down by being organized when you call or have a meeting with your attorney. Write down all the questions you want to ask and the information you need to say before your meeting or phone call. Additionally, if you are bringing documents to your meeting, it is helpful to gather and organize all documents that you think are relevant ahead of time. Doing so will result in shorter conversations and meetings, leading to lower bills as a result.

Be truthful about finances

Financial disclosures are an important part of every divorce in order to determine how assets and debts should be divided. You can make this process more efficient by gathering copies of insurance documents, property deeds, and other financial statements from the past several years. In addition to making this process quicker (and less costly as a result), you can avoid being assessed fines and penalties for attempting to hide your assets.

Communicate with your spouse

Unless there is a restraining order in effect, there is no rule prohibiting you from talking with your spouse about your case if you need to do so. Communicating with your spouse directly, instead of through your attorney, can result in lower legal bills.

Aim for amicability

Probably one of the easiest ways to run up your legal fees needlessly in a divorce is to be uncooperative or unreasonable. However, if you choose to work out the terms of your divorce with your spouse instead of litigating your case in court, your legal fees will be much less. As a bonus, you will be happier with the outcome, as litigants rarely get everything they ask for in court.

Get quality counsel

Contrary to what you may have heard, you need not spend a small fortune to have the representation of an experienced and competent family law attorney. For 30 years, the attorneys at Wolfe, Rice & Quinn, LLC have helped hundreds of families through the divorce process. Our attorneys will work on your behalf to provide quality representation at an affordable price.