Control Costs in Your Divorce by Avoiding These Expensive Behaviors
Getting a divorce can sometimes be an expensive experience. Even when you’re on relatively good terms with your spouse, there are the unavoidable costs of forming a new and separate household from your ex, the court’s filing fees, possible alimony or child support payments, and attorneys’ fees. However, there are some ways that parties to a divorce can make the process even more expensive than it needs to be. A skilled attorney can guide you toward an agreement with your spouse that doesn’t leave you bankrupt. Be aware of the following ways that costs can accrue unnecessarily in a divorce.
- You failed to agree on as much as possible before going to court
After you’ve reached the point of wanting a divorce, it can be hard to imagine agreeing with your spouse on much of anything. But, since you’re likely still operating off a shared budget before the divorce is final, you both have an interest in trying to work out custody sharing and property division as much as possible before going to court. An attorney can serve as an informal mediator through this process, serving as a helpful and experienced guiding hand.
- You’re holding out on disputes in an effort to try to reconcile with your spouse
It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s more common than you think—many reluctant parties to a divorce will stall on decisions or draw out disputes in an attempt to buy more time with their spouse and win them back. On the whole, this isn’t a successful strategy. Look forward to your new life, rather than backward at your old one, and save the money you’d spend on a long divorce to use in building your future.
- You take all your differences with an ex before a Judge
An obstructive ex, or one who regularly disobeys court orders, can be infuriating. However, if you insist that your attorney file a motion to appear before the Judge each time you fail to agree on a term of your divorce, or even just to cause your ex to incur the expense and hassle of going back to court, don’t forget that you’re also causing yourself to incur that hassle and expense, as well. As hard as it may be, try to reach out to your former spouse personally to resolve differences, rather than only speaking to them through the Judge.
For assistance with your divorce or custody dispute in Kentucky, contact the dedicated and experienced Louisville family law attorneys at John H. Ruby & Associates for a consultation at 502-895-2626.