“Why is divorce so expensive? Because it’s worth it. “- Unknown
As a Jacksonville divorce lawyer, I can tell you that the average person that is thinking of divorce worries about the cost of divorce. The ugly truth is that divorce can be expensive, but divorce does not have to cost a lot. There are things that you can do to help keep the costs down during your divorce.
1. Be Reasonable
Some things in life are certain… like death and taxes. Other things are mostly certain. In divorce cases that involve minor children, child support is one of those things that will be mostly certain. Each parent has a legal obligation to support children. Florida has developed guidelines that are used to calculate child support. The right of the child to be supported by parents cannot be negotiated away by husband and wife during divorce, since the right to receive support belongs to the child. There are circumstances where child support could potentially be little to nothing, but they are not commonly present in my experience. Therefore, be reasonable. For example, fighting to pay no child support where there are three small children involved in a case is unreasonable and will be a waste of financial resources in most instances. There are plenty of examples of unreasonable positions that can be held in a divorce case. Here, I only want to make the point that the more unreasonable you are– the more the fighting that takes place– the more fighting that takes places– the higher the attorney fees will be.
2. Don’t Be Spiteful
Being angry at your soon-to-be ex-spouse is normal during a divorce. People have hurt feelings. People are sad for their lost. And for most divorcing couples, the decision to end the marriage is a big deal. However, the time to be spiteful and do annoying things to get back at your spouse isn’t during the divorce. Being spiteful leads to unreasonable decisions. Tip number one above explains why this can be an expensive thing to do.
3. Find a Close Friend or Family Member to Talk With
Although lawyers are commonly referred to as “Attorney and Counselor at law”, you don’t want to use your lawyer as your counselor. Spending time explaining to your lawyer all of the things that make your spouse horrible should not happen often. Your attorney should focus on addressing the legal issues that protect your interest. Focusing on the issues at hand rather than talking about your feelings with your divorce lawyer is the ideal situation. Lawyers understand the stress that comes during this time in your life. Most will accommodate your request and talk with you when they are available, but keep in mind that this is considered as time dedicated to your case. You will likely be billed for the counseling session.
These are just a few ways money can be saved. For more information or for help with a divorce or other family law issue, contact the Law Office of David M. Goldman, PLLC at (904) 685-1200. Our experienced family lawyers can help.