Tips For Saving Money On Your Divorce Legal Fees
Are you getting divorced but worried about the financial cost of the whole process? It is natural to want to know how you can finalize your divorce but not pay top dollar in the process of doing so. Here are some good tips to follow that will help you save money on your legal fees.
Work Out As Many Details With Your Spouse As Possible
Many couples have the incorrect assumption that a divorce needs to go to trial where a judge decides how assets are split up due to how divorces are portrayed on TV and in film. This is not true at all, and it is a huge misrepresentation of how many divorces go. It is possible to work out many of the details of your divorce with your spouse before you even involve a lawyer.
Consider sitting down with them to work on basic items of the divorce, such as property distribution, child custody, and even what you think would be a fair amount for alimony and child support. While these agreements are not legally binding, it will be a good basis to go into mediation and finalize it. You'll end up saving a lot of money on billable hours to have a mediator and lawyers sit in on your mediation session. If you made any decisions that were not legal or that might be missteps, your lawyer will step in at that point to make corrections.
Talk To Your Lawyer With A Plan
One thing to keep in mind about divorce cases is that most lawyers bill on an hourly basis. This is quite different from a personal injury lawyer that works on a contingency basis or a real estate lawyer that may request a flat fee to help you buy a home. It is why you want to have a plan when you talk to your lawyer to ask as many questions as possible in a single working session.
Be aware that each time you contact your divorce lawyer and they have to open up your case, you are likely being billed. There is time involved with each communication to simply get caught up with your case, which adds up over the entire divorce process. You should write down things you need to discuss and then plan to go through those items at one time during a phone call or in-person meeting.
When in doubt, ask your lawyer for their tips on how you can reduce their fees during a divorce.
To learn more, contact a divorce lawyer.