The cost of proceeding with a divorce is oftentimes one of the reasons why Florida residents hold off on committing to such a life-altering legal process. Divorce is quite common in America, so most people know a friend or family member who has been through the process and that person may not have had a good experience, either legally or financially. However, there are options to consider that may lower the overall cost of a divorce. For instance, can a collaborative divorce help lower your expenses?
According to a recent report, avoiding litigation and finding a way to get your divorce case settled sooner rather than later is one of the best ways to lower the cost of the divorce process. While direct negotiations between the parties and mediation are also options, a collaborative divorce involves getting the parties together to go through the various issues that are unique to their divorce case and attempting to find common ground and solutions.
Of course, there are other ways to lower expenses when it comes to a divorce case as well. For example, the more organized you and your financial records are prior to initiating the divorce process, the less time you will need to spend on sorting through documents and figuring out exactly how much in assets will be at stake in the divorce. Also, if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse can agree on the value of assets, such as the value of real estate or artwork, it may be possible to forgo appraisals, which can cost thousands of dollars in many cases.
Collaborative divorce and other smart, efficient decisions can help Florida residents lower their costs in a divorce. However, each case is unique, so anyone who is contemplating filing for divorce will likely need to assess their own case.