Talking About Family Attorney Services

Dealing With The Cost Of Divorce

28 July 2019

Norman Kelly

The cost of a divorce depends on several factors. Legal fees can be expensive but many couples only make things worse by the way they deal with divorce issues. For some helpful tips on navigating your divorce with an eye toward keeping costs affordable, read on.

Simplified and Cheap Divorces

In every state and county in the US, there exists an option for some couples to divorce inexpensively and quickly. A simplified divorce is perfect for couples that have no minor children and who completely agree on any property and debt divisions. The process means filling out the forms and paying the filing fees. Often, the fees for filing in a particular county are less than $500.00. To get started, sit down with your spouse and decide on property and debt issues by making a list of those items. While these forms can be quick and easy to fill out, it might be worth your money to pay a divorce lawyer a set fee to look over the forms before you submit them. As an FYI, the clerk's office where you file the paperwork is not allowed to help you with the forms – at all.

Simple and Inexpensive Uncontested Divorces

If you do have minor children and/or your debt and asset situation are more complex, there are still ways to control the cost of the divorce. Just as with the simplified divorce, an honest and erstwhile sit-down with your spouse to make major divorce decisions is the key. Anytime the divorce is uncontested, it's both less expensive and more quickly accomplished. An agreement forged at the kitchen table can easily be converted into a final petition.

Complex Divorces and Income Disparities

If you are in no position to pay for your own attorney, help may be available. No matter what, if your spouse has their own attorney, then you need one too. Never use a single attorney unless the divorce is simple and uncontested. When it comes to fairness, judges dislike overseeing a divorce where one party is unable to pay for legal help. An even playing field is required for those unable to agree on certain divorce issues and family court judges have been known to have a financial study performed on the parties to determine who is able to pay the legal costs. A judge might order your spouse to pay the costs for both attorneys in some cases.

Speak to a divorce attorney to learn more, or visit websites like raifordlaw.net. 

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