Getting a divorce in New York can be costly. There are, however, things you can do to keep divorce costs down.
ORGANIZE YOUR PAPERWORK
There are any number of documents your divorce attorney will need. These documents can be organized by you, or you can offer them to your divorce attorney in a jumbled mess. However, in either event, the documents must eventually become organized. When you present documents piecemeal or without any semblance of order, someone at the law firm will have to organize them. This will cost you money.
APPROACH THE DIVORCE WITH AN EYE TOWARDS RESOLUTION
While some divorces are litigated, most, in the end, are resolved without the need for a trial. This is because if you insist on letting the judge decide the issues, you are giving up all control. Additionally, trials are a matter of public record. By resolving the issues with the assistance of your lawyer the matter remains much more private – and significantly less expensive.
ORGANIZE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
When you have a question for your lawyer, consider writing it down, along with other questions you may have. Then contact your lawyer only when you have gathered a series of questions. Lawyers charge you for their time. If you call every time you have a thought about your divorce, you will find your bill growing quite quickly. Often, if you wait to call your attorney for several days while you gather your thoughts, you will find the number of questions tend to reduce and blend together in a way that will shorten the total amount of attorney time you need.
LISTEN TO YOUR LAWYER
Your lawyer has far more experience with divorce cases than you do. Sometimes, people who are divorcing find themselves so hurt or so angry about the situation, they make decisions based on emotion rather than facts. If your lawyer tells you there is no way you will get $5,000 a month in child support, for example, believe them. Even if you want $5,000 in child support, if the law or the facts of the case don’t support this, your lawyer will communicate this to you.
You could, of course, insist on protracted litigation to force the judge to decide all the issues, but the end result will likely be the same or similar to the negotiated outcome as suggested by your lawyer. In all things, trust that your lawyer has your best interests at heart. If your lawyer tells you a certain strategy will be more expensive, without any real possibility of a return on the investment, listen to them.
CONSIDERING DIVORCE?
If you are considering a divorce or legal separation, contact the lawyers at Frost & Kavanaugh. Our practice includes family law (custody and visitation, and child support) and divorce law. When you retain our firm to handle your divorce, you can rest assured we will work tirelessly to meet your divorce and family goals. We worry about your problems so you don’t have to. Attorney David J. Kavanaugh has more than 50 years of experience handling divorce cases, from the newly married who simply made a mistake, to long-term marriages with multi-million dollar marital estates. Let him put his experience to work for you. Contact us today.