In movies and television, divorce is often portrayed as a contentious and prolonged court battle that racks up extravagant legal fees. While some complex divorce cases can last for months or even years, many can be settled relatively quickly and without enormous cost.
There are several steps that separating couples can take to save time and money while splitting. Here are just a few tips and strategies for the low cost settlement of your divorce case:
- Be ready to negotiate. At Sandoval Family Law, we have been able to finalize divorce cases for under $2,500. In this type of scenario, both parties come to the table willing to negotiate and have done their homework ahead of time, which leads to the next point of our strategy:
2. Do your homework. In a divorce case you will likely have to divide assets and debts, so it’s important to start compiling documentation that shows what the current state of the assets and debts are. This can help the case move a bit quicker.
3. Consider an uncontested divorce. In an uncontested divorce, the couple works out all conditions for the marriage’s end between themselves and files a dissolution of marriage form with the court. This can help keep legal costs low, but is not a good tip to be recommended for complex divorce cases or situations in which the couple is not on the same page.
4. Hire an attorney. An attorney will be able to provide insights about what a court may do in your divorce situation and will walk you through other steps that come along with the division of a marital estate, in addition to representing you in court. Even if you opt for an uncontested divorce, an attorney can help you work out the terms of the agreement.
5. Agree on general terms. To keep costs low, parties can walk through what they want the outcome to be and reach a compromise ahead of time. If you can reach general terms of agreement, you can take the agreement to your respective attorneys and work on final orders.
The short answer to the question of how much a divorce will cost is “it depends.” There are a number of factors that influence how quickly a divorce case is settled and how legal fees accumulate. The biggest unknown is the other party’s goals and actions. Unfortunately, if the other party wants to litigate or does not want to settle amicably, the costs can add up.
An attorney can help both parties in a divorce negotiate an agreement and make sure assets are divided fairly. To speak with one of our legal experts, please send us an email or call 512-580-2449. We serve Travis County and Austin, TX
At Sandoval Law Firm we understand the stress of dealing with divorce, child custody and domestic violence. Our firm consists of founding attorney Raul Sandoval Jr. and a dedicated support staff. Mr. Sandoval earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law. Since that time, he has been practicing family law in the Austin area, as well as teaching seminars, classes and other forms of professional development.
