Most Nebraska residents walk down the aisle thinking that their marriage will last forever. The majority do not expect to find themselves in divorce court. However, statistics show that marriage ends in divorce for many people, and divorce often takes an emotional and financial toll on the family. Some estimates show the price of going through the divorce process ranges from $5,000 to well over $1 million.
The heavy toll divorce can take on a family’s finances may be minimized if the divorcing parties educate themselves and prepare themselves for divorce. This includes selecting a lawyer by doing due diligence. After reviewing qualified attorneys, the divorcing individuals should have a face-to-face conversation with them or talk over the phone. It’s important to pay attention to which lawyers are actually listening and which ones are not.
One should not allow the emotional aspect of divorce to blind them to the financial realities they will face. Part of this includes being very clear with an attorney about what they will charge for their services. The biggest mistake divorcing couples make is signing an engagement letter without inquiring about a professional’s rates.
Since attorneys charge by the hour, any extra work their clients have them do increases the end amount their clients pay. However, if a client is organized with the documents and paperwork ahead of time, they can save themselves money. Organization is important when asking an attorney questions. It’s best to group questions or inquiries together. This minimizes the amount of time the attorney will spend on them. They may be able to reply using just one email as opposed to sending multiple emails, which would increase the fee they charge.
When an individual is facing divorce, a family law attorney may represent them during the divorce proceedings. If children are involved, visitation schedules or child custody agreements might be drawn up by the attorney. Additionally, a divorce attorney may be able to advise the client on how to divide property as well as determine the value of different assets.
