Divorce is infamous for being an emotionally exhausting experience – some research has even likened it to the pain of suffering a death in the family. But it can also be financially draining. Depending on how contentious the parties are, whether custody of children is at issue, and how large and complex the estate is, a divorce in Virginia can cost over $100,000. But it doesn’t have to. Individuals can make strategic decisions at the onset of separation and throughout the process to keep costs down. Our experienced family law attorneys have compiled a list of 5 tips for a cost-effective divorce.
Here is some advice from CGG lawyers for keeping costs down:
Work With Your Spouse
If you and your spouse can sit down and work through some or all the major issues such as child custody, child support, spousal support, and property distribution, you won’t need to pay an attorney to negotiate these matters on your behalf. In general, the more you and your spouse can do yourselves, the lower your cost will be! If you are parting on amicable terms, negotiating with your spouse first, coming to a consensus on some (or all) issues, and bringing an outline of agreement to an attorney to review and put in proper terms is not only likely the most cost-effective avenue for separation, but it also gives you the most control over the outcome. (Just be careful not to sign or initial the written terms that you reach with your spouse. Even jotting down agreed terms on the back of a cocktail napkin and initialing them can legally bind you to things you may not have intended! Seek out a lawyer for help in putting your agreed terms into a properly drafted Settlement Agreement!)
Settle Your Case
For some couples, sitting down at the kitchen table alone and hashing out each big topic simply is not feasible, and that’s okay. However, to keep costs down, your main goal should be to settle your case outside of the courtroom. Mediation is an extremely cost-effective alternative to litigation. The costs of litigation are exorbitant, and the risks of an uncertain result do not generally justify the cost. Family law attorneys are experienced in working across the aisle to settle complex matters through mediation or settlement conversations with opposing counsel. By remaining reasonable, cordial, and open to settlement, you can keep the cost of your divorce down and avoid the price tag of litigation.
Streamline Communication With Your Attorney
Try to limit and organize your communications with your lawyer. It is much more effective to send your lawyer one long email each week with questions and updates, rather than multiple emails per day. Your attorney wants to answer all your questions! You can help your attorney by organizing your communications into an easily accessible format. By allowing your attorney to answer your questions at one time rather than various sporadic times during the week, you will also save on hourly fees.
Be Proactive and Responsive
Take an active role in your case. Whether you mediate or litigate, your counsel will likely need lots of information and documents from you. Do your best to produce everything to your legal team as quickly as possible and in an organized fashion. For example, if responding to a Request for Production of Documents, group documents in response to specific request numbers and label your documents so they are easily identifiable.
Find a Pro Bono or Legal Aid Service
Even using the above strategies, the cost of divorce can still be too much for some to take on. Another way to keep costs down is by finding and qualifying for a pro bono or legal aid service that is willing to take your case on. Local resources include the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center operated by the Fairfax Law Foundation (www.fairfaxlawfoundation.org) and Legal Services of Northern Virginia (www.lsnv.org).