Saving money on your divorce

There are a multitude of expenses associated with divorce. If you have children, it is likely that somebody will end up paying child support. There is also the potential of paying alimony.

However, the expenses associated with divorce do not stop at court-mandated payments. The process of divorce itself can end up being extremely expensive in some circumstances. This is why it is important for you to do as much of your own legwork as possible and make sure that you are careful when communicating with your divorce attorney.

What legwork should I do?

Keep in mind that lawyers typically work on a billable hours system. That is, the more time that they spend on your case the more expensive it becomes. Of course, there are certain actions that your attorney should absolutely be taking on your behalf, such as filing legal briefs.

However, divorce is essentially a financial lawsuit. This means that your lawyer is going to need information about all your financials, including tax returns and bank statements and more. You will save money if you gather this information and give it to your lawyer rather than having your lawyer find it for him or herself.

What do I need to know about communication?

Divorce is an emotional process. It is highly likely that you will need somebody to talk to throughout it for emotional support. However, this person should be a trusted friend or licensed counselor, not your lawyer.

Additionally, try to keep communications to email as much as possible. Naturally, there will be some things that you should pick up the phone for, but email typically takes less time for a lawyer to address as compared to a phone call.

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