There is no question that the divorce process is costly. Unless you’ve only been married for a few months, dividing your household into two distinct households will cost both you and your spouse time, energy and money. Thankfully, there are ways to keep your legal costs relatively low so that they aren’t unnecessarily burdensome during an already financially significant time.
The primary thing you’ll need to keep in mind if you’re trying to keep your legal costs in check is that you have more control over your situation than you think. You are the only one who can decide when it makes sense to compromise with your spouse, when to give in and when to fight.
To fight, to compromise or to give in?
Whether you and your spouse hope to resolve your divorce process amicably or a traditional “courtroom battle” is inevitable under the circumstances, you control your own mind and your own choices.
Every time that you’re faced with the decision to fight, compromise or give in, consider both the short-term and long-term consequences of each option. Most of the time, the choice to fight will result in short-term legal costs. Sometimes these costs aren’t worth the price of the fight. However, the long-term costs of not fighting for a valuable asset, a specific custody matter, etc. could make the cost of a fight worth your investment.
Most of the time, reducing your legal costs in the short term will involve lots of compromises and/or giving in, as fighting for something that you want means that your lawyer will need to invest time into achieving your goals. Yet, you’ll also want to make informed financial decisions with your eye on their long-term costs as well. Either way, careful consideration of your options will hopefully benefit you both now and later.