How to Reduce the Costs of Your Divorce

Divorce in New York can be expensive and this is especially true if there are complicated issues involved regarding finances or your children. But there are things you can do to keep the costs down.

I recently contributed to a Forbes Next Avenue article 8 Ways to Lower the Cost of a Divorce. The article makes it clear that with planning and some DIY homework, you can lower the attorney fees for your divorce.

In addition to the 8 tips in the article, I would add these as well:

1. My best tip to save on legal fees is to simply avoid using the court system.

Paying lawyers to fight it out in court should be the last option you consider. Try mediation if there is a possibility that you and your spouse have a basic level of trust and respect for each other. Or, if your divorce has more complex legal, financial or emotional issues, try the collaborative divorce process. If you need more convincing, request our free guide: Why Court Should be the Last Resort For Your Divorce.

2. Hire a divorce coach.

Feeling anger, sadness, fear, guilt and many other types of emotions are a normal part of the divorce process. If your emotions aren’t properly handled, they will hijack your ability to make good decisions when it comes to the legal and financial issues in your divorce. I highly recommend that my clients use a divorce coach if they want to be at their best during this difficult time in their lives. Don’t use your lawyer as an emotional sounding board. As empathetic and caring as we may be, we are not therapists or trained coaches. In NYC, a divorce coach may charge one-third or even one-half the hourly rate that your lawyer is charging.

3.  Practice mindfulness.

I recommend that my clients incorporate some sort of mindfulness practice into their day to help them stay balanced when everything around them is changing. Try journaling, meditation, reading, or simply take some deep breaths. If you can stay calm and get less triggered by all the frustrating things your spouse will probably do during this process, I can guarantee you will spend less money on your divorce. My favorite free meditation app is Insight Timer.

Divorce legal fees can grow quickly. By using some of my suggestions you can help control the cost of your divorce and reduce divorce attorney costs Contact Vacca Family Law Group for more information about creative divorce resolutions without litigation that help you take charge of your own divorce.