This is a guest post from Rhiannon Ford, a divorce coach and consultant
No one wants to be in the position of getting divorced. It’s a sad and difficult time in anyone’s life.
People getting divorced often worry that it will also cost a small fortune to get through the divorce process itself.
This does not have to happen.
There are steps you can take to minimise the money you spend on your divorce. These will help to maximise the money available to divide between you and your spouse, and minimise the money spent on legal costs.
Here are my seven top tips:
1 – Be prepared for meeting your solicitor
A simple way to save time and therefore money is to be prepared for your first meeting with your solicitor.
Before the meeting make a note of the background information about your case- e.g. finances and children. Take this with you to the meeting, along with any other relevant information/documents.
2 – Be aware of solicitor charges
Make the most of the time your solicitor spends on your file. Remember they charge for all work undertaken on your case.
Be organised about the information and questions you have for them. You can do this by writing a list of points to discuss and perhaps contacting them once a week, rather than contacting them separately about each query.
What may have seemed urgent in the heat of the moment may seem less so when you give yourself some time and space before contacting your solicitor about it.
3 – Get the right support
Don’t rely on your solicitor for emotional support. This is not their job and spending time with your solicitor talking through your feelings about the divorce, will cost a great deal of money.
Work with a counsellor and/or divorce coach. A counsellor can help you process your feelings about your situation which will help you to feel emotionally stronger to deal with the divorce.
Divorce coaches can provide practical help and support at a fraction of the cost of solicitors. They can also provide suggestions on how to keep your legal costs to a minimum, and can work with you to ensure you communicate productively with your solicitor.
(Please note: neither are an alternative to having a solicitor and cannot provide legal advice).
4 – Choose the right solicitor for you
Solicitors and mediators vary greatly. Find the right person for you.
Ring around a few to find out who you would feel most comfortable working with. Make sure you find out information about their charges and understand how their bills are calculated. Make sure the solicitor you choose has plenty of experience in family law.
An inexperienced solicitor may have lower charges but could cost you more in the long run if they take longer to progress the case.
5 – Be reasonable
Fighting over every small detail during the divorce is bad news. It will increase your stress levels as well as your legal costs.
Likewise, the easier you reach agreement with your soon-to-be-ex, the less work the solicitors have to do, which keeps legal costs down for both of you. Fighting over the family silver, may end up costing you more money in legal costs, than the silver is actually worth. Look at the bigger picture and learn to compromise.
6 – Do some things yourself
You do not need to rely on your solicitor to do everything for you.
There are some jobs that you could easily take on yourself. For example, filling in forms and finding out information about your financial position etc. When you and your solicitor decide on the next course of action in your case, think about whether there any appropriate steps you could take yourself, instead of the solicitor.
This will keep costs down. The less work the solicitor has to do, the lower your legal bills.
7 – Consider all the options
There are various legal options available to help the divorcing couple work towards resolving their issues in a cost effective way. The two main ones are Mediation and Collaborative Law.
Ask your solicitor about these options to help make an informed decision about how best to approach your divorce.
The most cost effective divorces are also the ones where the couple managed to reach an amicable agreement on the main issues. It is of course in the best interests of both of you for the divorce to be as straightforward, stress-free and cost effective as possible.
Rhiannon Ford is a divorce coach and consultant. She provides practical help and emotional support to people going through divorce and separation.
Find out more about her divorce consultancy services at www.rhiannonford.co.uk
