Getting a divorce can be painful for many reasons, not least of which may be the amount of money it costs. But there are a few ways that you can reduce your costs by cutting lawyer's fees and being a good negotiator.

Pinpoint the Issues Where You Disagree

The first thing you can do to cut costs is to get a handle on the issue before you contact a family law specialist. Speak with your spouse and see what issues you already agree on. These are ones that you may be able to settle between the two of you without getting a lawyer involved. The less time that you need to spend with your lawyer helping you to mediate the issues, the more money you can save.

Hire the Right Specialist

Once you know the issues where you disagree with your spouse, this is when you can start to choose a lawyer with the right specialty. Do you need someone with a lot of experience in negotiating custody battles? Is it more about how to split up your non-liquid assets? Whatever your main concerns, do yourself a favor and find a family lawyer who has some specialty in these areas. They will be more efficient about settling these battles for you.

Look at Attorney Fees and Conditions

There are a lot of things that go into choosing an affordable lawyer, so be sure to consider all of the fees involved. Do they live out of town? You may be billed for their travel time. What are their rates for consulting a paralegal rather than talking with the lawyer directly? If you can get advice from a paralegal on some of your issues, then your case might be billed at a lower rate for those hours.

Choose a Balanced Personality

Another thing to think about is how the personality of your lawyer will cost or save you money. You don't want someone who is a pushover; you'll lose a lot of ground in negotiating for your possessions. But at the same time, having a lawyer who is unwilling to budge will only send you to court. This is where you can start to rack up some major bills.

Do Some Legwork Yourself

Finally, you can save some money by doing some of the work yourself. For instance, if you need to collect documentation for your case, offer to do the grunt work yourself. Any way that you can cut down the hours for your legal fees is money saved.

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