5 Tips for Saving Time and Money During Your Divorce

Posted By Menduni Martindill, PLLC || 14-Jan-2014

There's no avoiding the fact that the divorce process is costly, both financially and emotionally. Here are some tips that will help ease the process.

1. Do your homework in advance. Locate and obtain important documents and financial records as soon as possible! It is very likely that your attorney will need bank and credit card statements, documentation of loans and mortgages, pay stubs, tax returns, information on your retirement and benefits, and other relevant documentation while arranging the division of your estate. Having gathered these items early will keep an idea of your financial situation fresh in your mind, making for more efficient communication with your lawyer. You will also avoid being billed for his or her staff's time spent trying to track you down and pry information from you.
2. Be honest and forthcoming with important details of your case. Trust us, experienced family lawyers have heard it all! Discretion and professionalism are central to our line of work, so you can expect patience and non-judgmental reception of sensitive information. Also, if your attorney doesn't find out about an affair, a secret bank account, or other relevant issues until he or she is in the court room, matters will be much more complicated (and expensive) for you in the long run. But that being said…
3. Call your attorney for legal counsel only—not for therapy. Divorce is likely to be an emotionally exhaustive experience, with tension and tempers running high for all involved. It's important to secure a safe place to express your feelings early in the process so that you can remain as focused and clear-headed as possible while making the many important decisions that will be required of you. Keep in mind that most divorce attorneys charge by the hour, so a high volume of calls or emails could deplete your retainer more quickly than necessary, only adding to your stress.
4. Do everything you can to maintain open lines of communication with your spouse. This is without doubt the most effective strategy for making it through your divorce with as much money and sanity as possible. If the two of you are not on speaking terms, 100% of your negotiations will need to take place between your respective attorneys, and you will be charged for every minute of it. Being able to sit down with your spouse and arrange matters together, on the other hand—even if this requires considerable restraint or repression of pride—will save you unspeakable amounts of stress. If you become frustrated in your efforts to make peace enough to communicate this way, consider your attorney's hourly fee. You are essentially paying yourself that much per hour to come to an understanding with your spouse!
5. Consider your divorce a business transaction. Do your best not to lose sight of the fact that your spouse will always be a parent to your children, and that your obligation to work together as a team will endure beyond your marriage. Important decisions should come from a place of logic, fairness, and calm. If you struggle with this, ask your attorney for a removed perspective and what her experience would suggest that you do in that situation. Finally, try not to dwell on how you were wronged by your spouse or what led to your divorce. Instead, look forward to the fresh start of your new life waiting for you at the end of the process.

For more information about your case and how our firm can help you save time and money throughout the divorce process, call (512) 686-0332.