Hiring an attorney to represent you during your divorce can eliminate unnecessary errors, save you tons of stress, and reduce your workload. But it isn’t cheap! Attorneys offer very specialized skills, and bring the benefit of experience to the table, which means that they charge a pretty penny for what they offer. However, while hiring an attorney can seem prohibitively expensive, there are many things you can do to reduce that overall amount. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The more work you give your attorney, the more you have to pay them!

Organization matters! If your attorney reaches out to you with a list of documents they need, or requests for specific information, it would serve your best interests to provide that in the fastest and most organized way. Organized, you say? What difference does it make if the stuff I give my attorney is organized? Believe it or not, it makes a huge difference!

Many people take the view that, since they’re paying their attorney good money to represent them during their divorce, the attorney should have to “earn their wages” by figuring details out on their own, or search through mountains of paperwork for the info they need. And while you’re attorney is certainly willing to do that – the reality is that you are going to pay them for the time spend doing it. So in the end, the easier and faster their job is, the less money you have to fork over!

Delegate work properly so as to save yourself money!

If something needs to be photocopied so that you can keep the original, don’t send your attorney the original so that they have to make the copy and return the original to you. Make the photocopy yourself and send them the copy. It will be faster, and it will save you money in the long run. Ditto for hunting someone down on line, reaching out to friends for character witnesses, or reaching out to your child’s doctor about signing a medical release.

There are bound to be loads of little things that you can take care of along the way, that’ll save your attorney time, and therefore save you money. So if there are other jobs that you can do, or a friend can help you with, that will speed up the process and help your attorney, it will ultimately help you as well. The more you are willing to help out, the more money you can save in the long run!

Listen to your attorneys advice and make smart choices!

Some clients are so bent on causing their spouses as much grief as possible, or fighting to the death over who gets to keep certain assets, that they drag the divorce process out far longer than it needs to go on. In most of these cases, their attorneys have already advised them of what will be the quickest solution to the problem, or explained what would be the most equitable solution. But anger, resentment and bitterness cloud their perspective. They lose sight of the end goal, and end up costing themselves a fortune in lawyers fees!

If your attorney gives you advice about something, or explains your options and suggests which choice would be best, you should definitely consider all of your options before making a decision. But you should also attempt to be as reasonable as possible. Keep your financial limitations in mind, and don’t let your emotions make choices on your behalf!

Good legal help can be costly, but you do have some control!

Attorneys are not cheap, and when it comes to legal help, you definitely get what you pay for! But you are not totally at the mercy of your attorney’s accountant. You can make smart, proactive choices along the way that help your attorney achieve the best possible outcome on your behalf, without breaking the bank. Being reasonable, helpful, and willing to do a little prep work can make all the difference in the final cost.

If you or a loved one are considering a divorce, but are nervous about the cost involved, come at talk to your skilled family law attorneys. We offer a free initial consultation to all of our potential clients, which will help us get a good idea of what your divorce will involve, and allow us to explain what you can expect. We are available 24/7 to help you prepare for your divorce, and to walk you through the process, no matter what it entails. Call 866 766 5245 to schedule your appointment today.