Ok, let’s face it, unless you and your spouse agree on EVERYTHING a divorce is going to be expensive. There is just no way around it if you cannot reach an agreement outside of attorneys. So if you are in this boat here are a few tips to saving you money on legal fees:
1. Prepare an Inventory and Appraisement going through everything you own and give it to your attorney as soon as possible. A sample form is located here: Inventory and Appraisement.
2. If you are asked to respond to any discovery requests, provide everything related to the questions. This will reduce the possibility of your spouse’s attorney filing Motions to Compel alleging you did not respond to the requests which will reduce the number of hearings your attorney will have to attend.
3. Unless it is an emergency, write down a list of questions to ask your attorney and wait until you have 4-5 questions before you call or email. Every time you call or email your attorney you are getting charged a minimum amount. If you wait until you have a few questions you may only be charged for one minimum amount instead of 4-5 minimums. Calls and emails are the quickest way to rack up attorney’s fees in a case.
4. Stay true to yourself for the things that matter most, but also realize that the cost associated with some things will far outweigh the benefits. See my previous post titled “Is it worth it” here