No matter how you slice it, divorce is an expensive process. From the costs of starting it to the paperwork you file to the money you may have to pay to your spouse or children afterward, you could end up losing more than you expect.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can cut these costs. This is particularly true of the divorce process itself, which often costs thousands of dollars for couples that choose to take their case to court.
Choosing collaborative divorce
Forbes looks at several ways to lower your divorce costs. One of the biggest ways to do so is through collaborative divorce compared to traditional divorce. Traditional divorce involves a trial, which means it also involves lawyers, judges, paralegals, and more who all work together to finalize all aspects of the split. Needless to say, with so many parties involved, your costs will skyrocket.
With collaborative divorces, you either each have one lawyer, or you share a lawyer between the two of you. The lawyers essentially act as mediators, helping all parties navigate negotiations together that will benefit everyone and satisfy most – if not all – concerns that you or your spouse may have. This not only saves time and money, but it puts control back into your hand since the final call is not left to a judge.
Getting organized in advance
You can also save money by organizing your information and assets before bringing things to your attorney. Lawyers spend hundreds of their billable hours every year sorting assets out, so even the act of collecting and fully documenting them before bringing them to your attorney can save you a lot.
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