If your marriage is not working out quite like you expected, filing for divorce may give you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse an opportunity to live the life you each want. Still, after your marriage ends, you may have to adjust to living on just one income.
In Massachusetts, you are likely to walk away from your marriage with an equitable share of the marital estate. You may also qualify for spousal support. Nevertheless, the following three tips may save you a small fortune during your divorce.
1. Rethink a bitter court battle
Despite what the movies would have you believe, divorce does not have to involve a drawn-out court battle. Increasingly, those seeking to end marriages choose divorce mediation or another type of collaborative divorce. Because collaborative divorces give couples an opportunity to work together to find common ground, they are often considerably less expensive than courtroom fights.
2. Set your emotions aside
Even friendly divorces can quickly become acrimonious and expensive if the involved spouses let their emotions rage out of control. Therefore, it may help you to think of your divorce as a business transaction. Rather than allowing yourself to become angry or vengeful, consider approaching each divorce-related matter logically and as dispassionately as possible.
3. Ask questions about your fee agreement
Just like other professionals, lawyers need to make money. To comply with ethical requirements, your attorney should have a comprehensive fee agreement for you to review and sign. If anything in the agreement does not make sense to you or seems vague, it is advisable to ask questions. You may also want to explore how and when your attorney collects payment.
While sticking to a budget may not be your paramount concern during your divorce, it is important not to waste money needlessly. Ultimately, by employing some cost-saving measures, you and your spouse can use any money you save to start the next chapters of your lives.