Divorce is not easy at the best of times. But it can be especially difficult when enormous legal bills add to the usually stress and strain. Here are some tips we recommend that you consider to keep your legal bills manageable.
1. Is a lawyer really necessary? Often the answer is “yes”. Where else can you go to find out what your legal rights and responsibilities are? But after you get the answers to your questions if may be possible for you to take care of the remainder of your divorce by yourself - possibly with just a little help.
The vast majority of divorce cases are uncontested - the spouses have agreed on the terms of divorce. The relationship is over and needs legal closure. You cannot expect the court office to prepare your paperwork for you but there are some affordable alternatives to law firms.
The first is a do-it-yourself divorce kit. This is really a workbook with a lot of fill-in-the-blank type forms. They usually cost between $20 and $40 and you can find them at most bookstores and stationary stores. Expect to spend many hours figuring out how to fill in the forms but you will save a lot of money in the end.
A second way to go is to hire an online service that will take your information, prepare your forms, and email them to you along with specific instructions allowing you to file them at the court office yourself. For a couple of hundred bucks this is far easier than the do it yourself kit and still saves loads of money compared to hiring a lawyer to do it all for you.
2. Hire a mediator. If there are some issues that you and your spouse have been unable to settle by yourselves a mediator should be the next person you turn to for help. Mediation is where your negotiations are assisted by a person who has specific training in helping two sides come to an agreement they can both live with. Most issues, even the most dificult issues, will be resolved through mediation.
Mediators are professionals and a day of mediation will cost a few thousand dollars which you and your spouse can split. But if that saves each of you tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills then it is money well and wisely spent.
3. Most lawyers will offer a 30 minute free consultation if you ask for it - even lawyers who do not advertise this. When you call a law office to set up an appointment, don’t be shy about asking if there is a free initial consultation. If not, don’t set up the appointment, call another firm instead.
4. Although almost all lawyers charge based on an hourly rate, they will bill you for every single minute they spend working on your file. That means writing, dictating, preparing documents, and even just speaking to you briefly on the phone. Every minute is costing you money so don’t make frequent calls for updates. Instead establish some regular reporting system up front such as arranging to receive a copy of all letters and documents or a monthly report letter.
5. Some, but not most, lawyers will agree to bill you a flat fee for your divorce. It won’t be cheap but at least it will give you the peace of mind of knowing what the damage is right from the start. If you need to arrange financing it helps to know how much you will need to borrow or set aside. You and your lawyer can then focus exclusively on results.