Dallas divorce attorneys are frequently asked by their clients how they can keep the costs of a divorce down. Here are several tips to keep in mind:
1. Begin tracking down all of your financial documents. In almost every divorce case your attorney will need to see copies of your bank and savings account information as well as your 401K statements. Getting a head start by gathering up this information can save you the time (expense) of having your attorney track down these documents. It is also important to remember to gather up complete documents, not simply the cover page or summary page of the statements. Your attorney will need the complete statements in order to effectively present the information to the other side.
2. Start making a list of all the property that you own. Again, in almost all divorce cases each party will have to complete a document called an inventory and appraisal which lists all the property and liabilities each party has. Getting a head start on gathering the information which goes in the inventory and appraisal can cut back on the amount of time your attorney has to spend preparing the inventory and appraisal.
3. Communicate with your soon to be former spouse. If at all possible (i.e. if your divorce is relatively uncontested) a lot of attorney time can be saved by negotiating the terms of the division of the property with your soon to be ex. Although this may not be possible in every case, if there is a open line of communication available, use it to your advantage!
Hat tip to Dick Price’s blog for the idea behind this post.