As your marriage nears the end of the road, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. If this is your first divorce, you might not know how the process works, you may have heard that divorce is expensive, but you don’t know the real price. These issues can be amplified if you have a combative relationship with your soon-to-be former spouse.
When it comes to costs, there is no way to predict exactly how much your divorce will cost without looking at the specifics of your situation. However, as a divorce attorney like one from Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC can tell you, certain factors contribute to the cost.
Disputes Within the Divorce
Divorces are extremely costly when you factor in disputes. If you and your spouse were fighting a lot before the divorce idea, there is a good chance you might fight during the proceedings. If you have disagreements over your children, over alimony or the division of your property, you could wind up spending a lot of time and money fighting battles that you could work out in mediation. When you have to go to court, you could double your costs.
The Time it Takes to Finalize the Divorce
The time that it takes you to finalize the divorce will impact how much money you spend. Most divorce lawyers charge by the hour. While you should always have a divorce lawyer, you do not want the case to drag on. Sometimes, you will have to find areas to compromise. You need to pick which battles are worth fighting and worth spending the money on and which areas you can compromise on. Keep in mind that if you can meet in the middle with your spouse, then he or she may do the same for you. For instance, when it comes to property division, if there is a collection that means a lot to you, you may want to sacrifice something your spouse wants so that he or she is more likely to let you have the collection.
To ensure that you do not spend too much time or money, you need a divorce lawyer to help you through the process. When you’re new to divorce proceedings, you could wind up spending more money or dragging the case out longer than necessary because you don’t have adequate experience. Set up a meeting with a divorce lawyer to discuss your options and find out how much he or she predicts your overall costs might be.