Everyone has heard the ill-informed notion that a divorce will cost you an arm and a leg. According to bankrate.com, the average cost for a divorce is upwards of $10,000 to $15,000. While certain divorces, such as contested or those with a great deal of property or assets, tend to be more expensive, there are plenty of ways to save money during the process.
Keeping the Divorce Process Inexpensive
In a story recently published by the Huffington Post via Reuters, writer Tim McLaughlin discusses how he managed to navigate his way through an uncontested divorce with children for the rough sum of $1,500.00. McLaughlin took some extreme steps to slash the possible financial burden of divorce, including leaving the marital residence to his wife and daughter, and moving into a studio apartment with a low rent. A less drastic, and fairly common, way to save money during a divorce is to opt for mediation over litigation. By doing so, you can potentially save thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Other ways you can save money during divorce are:
- Try to come to an agreement with your spouse on major issues before you hire an attorney, such as what you will do with a home or other items with high value. This can be done during mediation.
- Disclose all documents that are requested by the court or the opposing counsel. Do not try to hide assets.
- Don’t fight with your soon-to-be ex over the little things, like who get the bedroom set. Being petty and difficult with cost you.
- Settle outside of the court room, if possible. Attorney’s charge per hour spent at court (sometimes, a minimum number of hours are billed, regardless of how long they are out of the office). You will save big by settling with as few court appearances as possible.
- Hire the right attorney. It won’t be wise if you hire an aggressive litigator if you want an amicable divorce without the court’s intervention.
Hiring a New York Divorce Attorney
Many couples will postpone a divorce because of worries over the perceived cost. Matrimonial and family law cases can be expensive, but not if you take proactive steps to ensure that you are able to complete the matter within a certain budget. The attorneys at the law firm of Brian D. Perskin & Associates have well over 40 years of combined experience handling a wide variety of divorce cases. The lawyers regularly represent clients in all five boroughs with cases ranging from simple and straightforward divorces, to more complicated cases involving custody and support. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, contact (646) 760-1428 or (718) 875-7584 today!