Many people assume that divorce is expensive, but many people wrongly conjecture the reasons for this. For instance, many people think that child support and alimony are the only reasons why divorce costs so much.
The reality is that, depending on your situation, child support and alimony may only be the beginning of the expenses associated with divorce. The process of divorce itself can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, with some careful planning, you can ensure you save money on your divorce.
Do as much DIY as possible
If you are working with an attorney, rest assured that nobody is going to expect you to produce your own legal briefs. Rather, divorce is a civil suit highly rooted in financials. This means that your lawyer is going to need access to all of your assets.
Of course, your lawyer can look up your tax returns and retrieve bank statements on his or her own, but it will save you a lot of billable hours to do this legwork yourself. Any time your lawyer needs information from you, ask if you can DIY and deliver.
Communicate strategically
Divorce is often as much of an emotional journey as it is a financial and legal one. However, your emotional support should come from trusted friends and family members and licensed counselors, not your attorney. Make sure that you are judicious when contacting your attorney to save on billable hours.
Naturally, many things are better explained over video conferencing or the phone as compared to an email. But before you pick up the phone, take a moment to ascertain whether an email would suffice.
