Divorce is certainly expensive in terms of the time and emotional toll it takes on most people. However, divorce can also end up being very expensive in terms of dollar amount, as well. In certain instances, divorce can end up costing the persons involved over $100,000, depending on the circumstances. According to Forbes Magazine, you can make divorce cheaper if the divorce is civil and you can negotiate with your ex-partner.
At its heart, this is a very logical premise: essentially, if you have to have a parade of lawyers and judges to make every single decision, that is going to run up the cost of a divorce considerably. Being able to negotiate with your ex-partner for the betterment of you both (and any children involved) after the divorce is going to require less intervention and thus end up saving money. Trial divorce is the most expensive option: many couples instead opt for mediated or collaborative divorce, both of which are much less expensive.
Another way to save money is to ensure that your finances are all in order prior to getting the divorce. Many billable hours are spent on lawyers rooting through financial records and trying to get all of it in order to understand who gets what during the divorce proceedings. If, instead, you come to the lawyer with all of your assets properly organized, the lawyer spends much less time sorting through paperwork and much more time drafting the terms of the divorce. Again, this makes the divorce less expensive.
Working over your financials with an accountant is a great way to ensure that your paperwork is in order and your divorce goes smoothly for a lower cost.
