When people talk about divorce being expensive, they’re normally referring to more than just the costs of spousal maintenance and child support. Simply hiring a lawyer to help with your divorce can add thousands of dollars in fees and charges. Though divorce lawyers can provide valuable support, many people find the costs are a little higher than they truly need to be. The team from Divorce Options San Diego—the experts in San Diego divorce mediation who offer a comprehensive alternative to expensive, time-consuming divorce litigation—explain why divorces are so expensive and what you can do to lower the costs.
Total Costs Rise When You Make Lawyers Handle Petty Arguments
Divorce lawyers’ basic fees already tend to be on the high side, and this really adds up when you end up using your attorney for a lot of billable hours. Higher divorce costs are often directly due to petty arguments. For example, one spouse may decide he or she only wants to be contacted through the attorney, so he or she could end up paying hundreds of dollars for the attorney to read and pass on basic messages. Couples who want to bicker and prolong the process due to hurt feelings end up costing themselves a lot more than they would if they approach the process with a view toward mutual resolution through creative problem-solving.
High Costs Reflect the Complexities of Divorce Cases
People who choose to have contentious divorces fought out in court end up with very complex cases. Their attorneys spend a lot of time and energy doing things like going over financial documents and analyzing personal property information. Each time attorneys have to go to court or prepare for yet another hearing, costs rise even higher. Since divorces can often be more complex than other legal matters, the number of billable hours can be quite high, driving up the final total costs.
Skipping the Traditional Divorce Process Saves Money
As you can see, every part of a traditional court divorce costs a lot of money. Attorneys usually aren’t raising their fees to take advantage of clients. It’s simply inevitable that a contentious divorce results in a lot of expensive fees due to all the paperwork and time involved. Those who want to save money need to be willing to rethink the entire process. Choosing to work with divorce mediators allows couples to save money and create more flexible arrangements that work best for their individual situations.
Couples looking for an alternative to the enormously expensive adversarial manner in which divorces are usually handled should reach out to the experienced professionals at Divorce Options San Diego. We’re San Diego divorce mediators you can trust to help you dissolve your marriage in a way that’s based on respect and mutual satisfaction. Give us a call today at (858) 281-2628 to learn more.
