Divorces take a toll on the mental health of all the people concerned: the couple, their children, and their families. They often leave those involved in a state of anxiety, stress, loneliness, and confusion. But their impact is not just emotional. Divorces also cause a drain on the resources of the family, leaving both parties in a state of economic imbalance after separation.
Divorces cause a financial drain on court fees, trial expenses, and advocate charges. These leave the couple, who already have to deal with serious mental and emotional distress, perplexed and helpless. It often becomes difficult to afford lawyers, except a few divorce lawyers Plattsburgh NY, who focus on individual clients while providing family law solutions.
Are you wondering how to reduce the costs of your divorce proceedings without compromising on the fairness of the process? You are at the right place. Read on to understand how to reduce the cost of your divorce in six easy steps.
Click here to see the table of contents
How To Reduce Divorce Expenses: 5 Effective Ways
A divorce proceeding can become expensive unless you handle your resources wisely. Divorces have no standard rate of expenditure. Depending upon your particular situation and your style of management, they can cost anything between a few hundred dollars and tens of thousands. Contested cases can even cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Scary, right? But this does not mean you cannot have a cheap divorce. All you need to do is understand your situation and deal with it rationally instead of becoming overly emotional. We know that this might be a big ask, but keeping a cool head is necessary to save yourself from losing a fortune. Here are a few effective ways of reducing your court charges:
1. Work the Details out Before Going to Attorneys
To save yourself a costly divorce process, you must first understand why they tend to be expensive and learn from the mistakes others commonly make. A divorce becomes cost-intensive when the situation becomes complicated and complex emotions get involved. Often, spouses drag the matters and complicate them only to get their attention or punish them.
Source: jobdescriptionswiki.com
You must remember that this is the worst way you can choose to punish your partner as not only does it cost you your financial stability, but also makes your children and families bear the brunt. You must make this choice rationally and only when you intend to end the relationship with your spouse, and never for any other reason.
A very common mistake that divorce seekers often make is to go to a lawyer before deciding on minor details. Try to go for an uncontested divorce by settling the details amicably between yourselves. Going through a private negotiation before approaching the cost will save you a fortune as you can then avoid multiple hearings and save a lot of time in the lawyer’s office.
2. Use a Mediator to Split Resources:
A very expensive choice that most couples make is seeking to divide shared resources in a court. That drags the matter, requiring multiple hearings, each of which will put a dent in your pockets. A simpler alternative to this is going to a mediator who is ideally a neutral third party.
The more you and your spouse can work things out without involving the legal system, the better it is for both of you. A mediator is generally a lawyer with conflict resolution skills.
When you cannot split resources by yourselves, consulting a mediator is a much cheaper option than knocking on the doors of courts. Mediators are driven to emphasize facts and your desired goals instead of getting involved in the emotional dynamics of the process.
A mediator helps both parties understand the perspectives of the other to arrive at an understanding that is beneficial to both. They guide you in splitting common resources, valuables, and even responsibilities. This process can be fruitful, provided both can acknowledge their duties, rights, and facts.
3. Save Big on Lawyer’s Fees:
Source: alexanderandangelas.com
Lawyer’s fees are one of the biggest drains on the resources of parties seeking a divorce. Especially in metro cities, the amount charged by lawyers is often difficult for couples to afford. To reduce divorce costs, you must handle these charges carefully.
When it becomes impossible to consider amicable divorces or mediate the splitting of resources, you have no alternative except to involve lawyers right from the beginning of the process. To reduce the amount payable to your lawyer, you must remain organized and be prudent in deciding how you use your lawyers’ services.
The first thing to do in this regard is to remain organized and plan your moves. Remember, it is not essential to involve your lawyer in every phone call. Even if you must ask them to join in, try to remain on track without deviating.
Even in your lawyer’s office, retain the motivation to solve the crisis and avoid emotional outpours. Try to engage a paralegal or an assistant advocate in place of a lawyer whenever possible. Their fees are comparatively easier to afford.
4. Organize Your Financial Records Beforehand:
Lawyers often have to spend a lot of time organizing and submitting paperwork like financial records. That increases your fees, making it difficult for you to afford the expenses. You can reduce these costs by saving their time and organizing and submitting your records without their help. Remember, to save their time means saving your money.
5. Avoid Appraisal Fees:
Paid appraisals often cost an arm and a leg. You can save yourself a fortune by avoiding this expense. Instead, go to individual dealers and mutually agree on a value. For cars, you can use popular used-car value guide handbooks. For properties, ask a realtor to give you a comparative market analysis.
Conclusion
Divorces cost a lot in terms of the emotional stability and mental health of everyone concerned. In addition, divorce proceedings cost you a sizable part of your savings that could have helped you to start anew after the separation. Use these tricks to make prudent decisions and end the past peacefully without worrying about finances.