If you’re contemplating divorce, going through a divorce, or have been through a divorce, the first question you will likely ask, or did ask, your attorney, or prospective attorney, is, “How much is this going to cost me?” While it’s a very reasonable question to ask, the answer is always “It depends.” And what does it depend on? It depends on you and your spouse. The legal fees in a divorce depend on how much time the attorneys need to spend on your case. If the parties are willing to work amicably and be reasonable then the legal fees will be astronomically lower then those of the couple who refuse to ever compromise on anything and are always battling out issues in court.
Here are a few suggestions to help keep your legal fees lower during the divorce process:
1) Find an attorney whose fees are reasonable and that is a good match for you. The best attorneys are not necessarily the most expensive;
2) Follow through on all tasks your attorney asks you to complete and do so in a reasonable amount of time;
3) When giving documents, financial or otherwise, to your attorney try to make them as organized as possible;
4) Be reasonable. Understand going into the divorce process that you and your spouse will each need to compromise on certain issues.
5) Pick your battles. This goes hand and hand with being reasonable. If you are constantly going into court to battle over small issues then your legal costs are going to be a lot higher then if you were able to resolve those issues on your own. Some issues may require you to go in front of the Judge, however, other issues can easily be resolved without the trip to court.
6) Speak to your spouse. Going through a divorce is hard and emotionally tolling, but keeping the lines of communication open may allow you to resolve some issues between your spouse and yourself thus keeping the court and attorneys out of it.
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Levine-Piro Law offers compassionate and cost effective services for clients going through divorce and other family law issues. Call 978-637-2048, or email office@levinepirolaw.com, to set up a free consultation.
