Everybody knows that divorce is emotionally, mentally, and financially draining most of the time. But do you know that there are several ways to save money during your divorce? Yes! You can reduce your expense during a divorce, aside from lessening the stress that divorce can bring to you. 

How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Family Lawyer For Divorce?

The average cost of a divorce filing is $15,500, with a total of $12,800 allocated for attorney’s fees. Most divorce lawyers charge a flat fee or retainer to help with a divorce. The cost of hiring a family lawyer during a divorce can range between $150-$250 per hour. But some might charge you as much as $650 or more per hour to help you get through a complicated divorce case. One example of a complex divorce case is when couples have their businesses or have more complicated shared assets. Whereas, attorneys can also ask for a retainer that covers most of the filing fees and court fees. It will also include the lawyers’ time when meeting you in person, correspond with you via email or phone, and appear at court hearings or other court proceedings. 

Tips on How to Save Money During a Divorce

Filing a divorce is both emotionally and financially draining. However, you can save money during your divorce by knowing all the necessary things about filing a divorce.

Understand Your Fee Agreement

One of the essential things to consider to reduce expenses during a divorce is to read your fee agreement and understand what and how much you will be charged. Your fee agreement usually tells you if you will be charged for a paralegal or legal assistant’s time. This agreement will also inform you if your attorney charges for travelling, copying and mailing of documents, etc. It’s crucial to understand what you will be charged for and at what cost.

Prepare Everything On-hand

Whether you are preparing for sending a document on email, placing a phone call, or attending a meeting, make sure that you have organized your thoughts. Prepare every paper needed for the case, ready a list of topics or questions that you want to discuss during the proceedings. It will help you stay focused and allow you to provide all the necessary information and get the answers you want to hear in a time-effective manner. Organize your papers so that you can quickly find what you are asked to provide. Preparing everything will save not only your time but also your money.

Ready your Financial Disclosure Statement

You are the best person to know your finances. So before attending your meeting, better to fill out the first draft of your financial disclosure statement. Gather all the supporting documents such as bank statements, mortgage statements, credit card balances, past tax returns, and retirement account balances if you have. With this, you can save money for the cost of hiring a family lawyer during divorce since you’re attorney will not put a lot of time to gather all the information needed.

Contact Paralegals and Legal Assistants When Appropriate 

Paralegals and legal assistants usually bill at lower rates than attorneys. If you need answers on administrative issues about your case, court dates, pleading copies, you must contact the paralegal or legal assistant. Talking to a paralegal or legal assistant can save your money during a divorce filing because you’ll get a quick and appropriate response. Contact your attorney when you have clarity about the documents or other requirements that you need to provide.

Hire the Appropriate Professionals 

Aside from hiring a family lawyer, it may be necessary to hire other professionals who can guide you with the divorce, as well. These professionals may include financial planners, accountants, and appraisers. They can help you provide accurate valuations of your privately owned businesses, value investment, or retirement accounts. They can also help you identify your assets, value real property, and explain the tax implications of every settlement option. Hiring the appropriate professionals can save both your time and money.

Handle Your Emotional State 

You hired a family lawyer for your divorce case to advise you legal advice based on your case’s facts. Your attorney is not professionally trained to help you deal with your emotional state. If you can handle your emotional aspect well, you can save money during the divorce process as you will not need to hire a counsellor or therapist.

Make an Agreement on Personal Property Items 

Work cooperatively with your spouse to divide your tangible personal property, such as household belongings and furnishings. You can save time and money during the divorce process if you and your spouse do not argue over furniture. To make it easy for you and your attorney, make a list of the items you want to get and have an exchange list with your spouse. Suppose there are a couple of things that you cannot agree upon considering the item’s cost. Imagine the time being wasted by arguing over a couch that is only worth $500. Remember that your attorney charges per hour, the more hours are taken, the higher the cost. 

Consider Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Attending trials for your divorce case is expensive. However, you have an option to skip the court by getting a mediator or by participating in a settlement conference. Mediation allows both of you to take control of the process and have a say in your divorce outcome. This kind of alternative dispute resolution can help you narrow and limit the issues for a court trial. Reaching an agreement can save money during a divorce process than litigation.

Final Thoughts

The average cost of a divorce filing is quite expensive. Even the prices of hiring a family lawyer during a divorce significantly vary based on some factors. But you can always save money during your divorce filing if you have proper knowledge of how to handle your case. Of course, with the help of a reliable family lawyer. 

At Lichtblau North York Law Office, we can handle both uncontested and contested divorces. We can help you find practical solutions to your family dispute while establishing a good relationship between the parties involved. You may call us at 416-633-2465 to schedule your appointment.