Keeping Divorce Costs Under Control

 Posted on February 16, 2018 in Divorce

The divorce process can be time-consuming and extremely expensive, especially if the proceedings drag on for many months or possibly years. In some situations, hiring a divorce attorney may be among a person’s largest expenses, but there are a number of other factors that can dramatically increase the costs of a divorce. While some people may be tempted to forgo hiring a lawyer, handling your divorce on your own can actually increase the cost of your divorce over the long-term, as mistakes made during the process could cost you thousands of dollars in property and support considerations. Fortunately, there are some other things you can do to keep control the costs of your divorce.

Communicate and Plan

While it may be difficult to tell your spouse that you want a divorce, most divorces involve spouses who are able to be civil to each other—at least at the beginning. Bitterness and acrimony tend to develop as the proceedings become heated. If, however, you and your spouse realize that a divorce may lie ahead, the two of you can start discussing tentative plans before filing your petition. By remaining calm, cool, and collected, you may be able to reach basic agreements regarding property division, parenting responsibilities, and other matters in advance, which can dramatically decrease the amount of work your lawyer and the court will need to do.

Setting Priorities

The longest, most expensive divorce cases are those in which the parties fight tooth and nail over virtually every detail. Very few of these details are actually important to the long-term happiness of either spouse, but the fight drags on because neither side wants to give in to the other. The flip side of this reality is that you can eliminate much of the unnecessary fighting by deciding what is truly important and worth fighting for, and what you can reasonably let go. Protecting the best interests of your children, for example, may be worth your money, time, and energy, while fighting over who gets the flat screen television is likely not.

Reasonable Expectations

As you determine your priorities, you must also consider what you expect to get out of the divorce process. Those who decide that getting closure and moving with their lives are the most important part of a divorce are more likely to get through the proceedings more quickly. While you should not carelessly give up any of the rights afforded to you under the law, a happy life should be more important than scoring “victories” over your spouse.

We Can Help

At Pesce Law Group, P.C., we realize that those who are going through a divorce often worry about money. That is why we work hard to help our clients get through the divorce process efficiently and without unnecessary costs. If you are considering a divorce, contact an experienced DuPage County divorce at our firm. Call 630-352-2240 for a free consultation at any of our five office locations.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/emmajohnson/2015/12/29/getting-divorced-5-ways-to-save-thousands-of-dollars/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eva-sachs-and-marion-korn/keeping-divorce-costs-dow_b_1935816.html