06 Jun 3 Ways To Cut Costs During A Divorce
One unexpected problem that often comes along with a divorce is the financial impact that it will have on you. Many people who go through a divorce prepare for the emotional toll it will take on you, and the changes that it will make to your personal life, without considering the financial costs attached to it. Before long you could be spending more money than you can afford, and an already stressful situation has grown worse. If you would like to keep this from happening, here are a few ways that you can cut costs during your divorce.
Represent Yourself
One of the biggest costs that usually accompanies a divorce is a lawyer. There is a lot of legal work that goes into getting a divorce, and many people choose to hire a lawyer to help them handle all of this. While it is good to have someone with legal expertise represent your interests, it comes with a heavy price tag and is not always needed. With proper guidance and assistance, you may be able to represent yourself.
When you represent yourself, you handle all of the legal work yourself. Make no mistake, there is a lot of work involved, but it may be the better option for you if money is tight. You will need to research all of the documents that you need to complete and submit, and conduct everything on your own. If you would like some assistance during this process, you can consider hiring an LDA. Places like National Family Solutions provides attorneys and legal document assistants to help you with all of the paperwork involved in a divorce, child custody or any other type of family law. It is a great way to take your divorce into your own hands and save some money, while still having some assistance along the way.
Keep Communications To A Minimum
If the thought of representing yourself is too daunting, then you should try to find a way to limit expenses on a lawyer. One way to do this is to limit the amount of time you spend talking to them. Lawyers bill every time you need to speak with them, meaning you will want to keep communications to a minimum. Spend the first meeting gathering every piece of information about the process, along with all of the required documentation. Whenever you need to call them, have your questions ready before hand, and keep the conversations quick and concise. While it can be tempting to lean on your lawyer for emotional support during this time, remember that this is not why you hired them, and that any idle talk is going to cost you.
Scale Back Expenses
Besides just the money you will be spending on legal matters, you still have the other parts of your life to worry about. Getting a divorce means you may have new bills to pay – such as rent or for a mobile phone – that you did not have to pay on your own before. In order to make your budget work, you are going to have to scale back in some areas of your life. Try cutting out things like entertainment or going out for meals, and try to live more modestly. You will need to do this at least until the divorce is finalized, and the legal fees are no longer an issue.
Keep Track Of Your Money
The most important thing you can do during this time is to keep track of your money. Divorces are stressful, and that can cause you to put your finances in the back of your mind. This leads to over-spending, and eventually you may have trouble keeping up. By tracking your expenses as you go along, and finding ways to make the divorce cheaper, you can make your life a little easier in the long run.
