Saving Money On Your Divorce
Ending a marriage is never an easy decision. It is very stressful, emotional, and can be very expensive. It doesn't matter if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse agree to split or not, it is still a very hard situation. As you are getting ready to split your home, you may need to be frugal with your money. Here are a few tips for saving money on a divorce.
Use the Same Divorce Attorney
If you are both agreeing to the divorce, there is no reason to have to pay two separate attorneys. Consider it the last expense you will accrue together. While you may still have a few differences about some of your belongings or trouble arranging child support and visitation, a single lawyer should be able to mediate to help you come to an agreement you can both live with.
Have a Paralegal Prepare the Paperwork
Instead of paying a divorce attorney to prepare all the paperwork, you can hire a paralegal to do it. You will give this person all the details and personal information needed and then he or she will get the documents ready for everyone to sign. However, it is always a good idea to have a lawyer, like Thomas Pollart Miller LLC, read the documents before anything gets signed or goes to court. Paying for this will be much less than having the attorney do it all.
Ask for a Court-appointed Mediator
If you and your spouse are having trouble coming to terms with different aspects of the divorce agreement, ask for a court-appointed mediator. While you will have to pay a fee for this, it is going to be less expensive, save time, and be less stressful than having to take the case to a trial. The mediator will work with you to help you reach an agreement when your lawyer has not had any luck doing so. The idea is to come to an agreement instead of going to a trial. Not only will it save time and money, but a trial often ends with things getting a bit mean and nasty.
It is important that you both try to be reasonable during a divorce if you want to save money. This may mean that you end up taking some time between legal meetings to calm down and think things through. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to realize what is important and what isn't. A divorce is hard enough to get through; keep the expense of it to a minimum.