Saving Money During A Divorce!
UPDATED: Feb 2024
Even though I make my living as a divorce lawyer I am big believer that your divorce shouldn’t cost any more than it needs to! I recently read a good blog post by a Florida Divorce Lawyer who has the same idea, keeping costs reasonable for clients.
Reading that post made me think I should tell my readers about some of my money-saving tips for a divorce. Although I’ve written on this topic before (money-saving tips for your divorce), I think taking another look is important and just for fun I updated this for 2024!
I will say there is no magic bullet, you can’t do one simple thing to save money, but there are a lot of small things that really do add up and I’ve tried list them here to help you out
Top 5 Money Saving Tips For A Divorce.
- Get and Stay Organized: It’s very important to get and stay organized before meeting with your divorce lawyer. If you can easily give your divorce lawyer the information you need it will save him or her time trying to organize and find information in your case, the less you will pay!
- Have A List When You Call Or Meet With Your Lawyer: Instead of just coming in and trying to remember what you want to talk about with your lawyer, make a list! I appreciate it when a client makes a list of their questions or concerns when we meet.
I can also tell you that the clients who make lists often are a little more organized and seem to have an easier time proceeding through the divorce process. - Don’t Use Your Divorce Lawyer As A Therapist: While we generally all care about our clients and truly want to help, most divorce lawyers are not well equipped (let alone trained) to help with your emotional help!
Instead, try to keep the lawyer working on the legal issues, and if you need counseling, ask your divorce lawyer for some recommendations (most experienced divorce lawyers will know good divorce/marriage counselors). - Make A Budget: Many of the readers here will think “There he goes again…” but my two basic rules are 1) make a plan and 2) make a budget.
If you do these two things, you’ll not only make it easier on your divorceyou make a budget, lawyer, but if you’ll generally be more prepared when you have to start talking about who gets the house, the credit card bills, who will pay what… - If You Are Having Trouble Paying Your Lawyer, Talk To Them!: I can’t speak for all divorce lawyers, but generally if my client is trying to make ends meet and keeps me informed I will be much more likely to develop a payment plan with clients who are working with me.
If you see your retainer is about empty and it’s the middle of the case, call your attorney and ask about payment options.
This was a short list and it was a list that contains nothing magical or even super creative. However, if you read the list and follow it I suspect you will save thousands of dollars in legal fees!
Information obtained in mankatofamilylaw.com may contain knowledgable content about Minnesota Family Law that may be considered beneficial to some; however, in no way should this website or its contents be considered legal advice. Mr. Kohlmeyer is a Minnesota licensed Attorney and cannot provide legal services or guidance to those outside of Minnesota. If you wish to retain Mr. Kohlmeyer as your Attorney in your Family Law matter, contact 507-625-5000.