Modern Law Divorce Workshop #2: The Cost of Divorce and How To Save Money
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This document summarizes a divorce navigator workshop that discusses options for managing the costs of divorce. It outlines representation options like do-it-yourself divorce, online divorce forms, traditional attorneys, and limited scope or flat fee attorneys. It also discusses factors that influence divorce costs like property, children, debts and how to control costs through organization, discipline in communications, and knowing your objectives. Average divorce costs nationally are estimated at $20,000 but costs can be as low as $500 for simple DIY divorces.
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Modern Law Divorce Workshop #2: The Cost of Divorce and How To Save Money
- 1. THE DIVORCE NAVIGATOR WORKSHOP T H E M O D E R N L A W O N L I N E W O R K S H O P F O R M A N A G I N G A N D S U R V I V I N G Y O U R D I V O R C E
- 2. NEXTSESSION SESSION 2: Divorce Fees How Much Does It Cost To Get Divorced • How To Save Money • Do It Yourself Divorce • Online Divorce • Flat Fee Divorce • Limited Scope Divorce WHAT WE’LL COVER
- 3. UPCOMINGSESSIONS 3. So What Is Disclosure and Discovery? 4. Phase 2 Prehearing Conference 5. Surviving Divorce Negotiations 6. Trial Preparation and Presentation 7. Divorce in Arizona 8. Child Custody 9. Child Support 10. Spousal Maintenance (Alimony) 11. Property Concerns UPCOMING SESSIONS
- 4. AVERAGECOSTS HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DIVORCE? DIVORCE COSTS $20,000 average per person As low as $500 for Simple DIY
- 5. AVERAGECOSTS HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DIVORCE? KEEPING COSTS DOWN LOWEST COST MEDIUM COST DIY Simple divorce with no children and no property Use a paralegal or document preparer
- 6. HOW TO SAVE MONEY IN YOUR DIVORCE
- 7. WHATAREYOURISSUES? COMMON ISSUES First, think about the issues that must be resolved in your case: Child Custody Property Division Debts Alimony
- 8. CANYOUWORKTHESEOUT? COMMON ISSUES PROPERTY • Family businesses • Inheritances • Retirement accounts • Student loans • Mortgages ISSUES • Domestic violence • Addiction • Mental health • Religious differences • School differences • Medical differences • Income PREFERENCES • Work schedules • Parenting time • Locations • Children’s school • Legal decision- making
- 9. GATHERYOURRESOURCES GATHER YOUR RESOURCES Assess your financial position Protect yourself financially and emotionally Decide the best and worst-case scenario Build your support team
- 10. Determining the cost and how to pay for it can broken down into two categories: 1. What are your representation options? 2. What are your funding options? ASSESSINGYOUROPTIONS OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT!
- 11. THEOPTIONS Representation Options DIY/or paralegal Online Divorce (AccessLegalDocs.com) Traditional Alternative: flat fee/limited scope OPTIONS for representation
- 12. SHOULDYOUDIY? DO IT YOURSELF DIVORCE Do It Yourself Is POSSIBLE 80 to 90% of divorcing people do it themselves. Sometimes this works fine. Other times…it can be DISASTROUS
- 13. CANYOUDIY? CAN YOU HANDLE IT? CAN YOU DIY? Yes, IF… • I’m always on time, and I can meet deadlines • I have time to make this happen • I do my own income taxes, so forms don’t scare me • I can keep my cool under pressure Rules are for Other People I Fly Off The Handle I Can’t Talk To My Ex I Don’t Like Public Speaking
- 14. DIYRESOURCES ONLINE DIVORCE FORMS TRY FREE OR LOW COST RESOURCES: AccessLegalDocs.com for online DIY forms Maricopa County Court Forms
- 15. THETRADITIOALOPTION TRADITIONAL If your divorce is complicated, involves property, a business, or difficult circumstances with custody issues, you may get the best outcome with an experienced attorney.
- 16. TRADITIONALARRANGEMENTS Policies and Fees Typical Attorney Fees • $250-$250 an hour for the attorney • $90-$180 an hour for paralegals • $60-$100 for administrative costs
- 17. LIMITEDSCOPE LIMITED SCOPE ATTORNEYS Limited Scope Representation • Pay only for what you need • Be prepared to do some work yourself • Costs are much reduced
- 18. FLATFEEATTORNEYS FLAT FEE ATTORNEYS Flat Fee Divorce • Pay one bill and you’re done • Attorney is obliged to get the job done efficiently • Never worry about surprise legal costs
- 19. SHOULDICHANGEATTORNEYS? OPTIONS TO PAY FOR YOUR DIVORCE Cash or reserve funds Credit Cards Borrowing Options
- 20. KEEPINGCOSTSDOWN OTHER COST-SAVING METHODS Be Disciplined In Your Communications Get Organized Remember Your Objectives
- 21. GET A COPY OF DECODE YOUR DIVORCE T H E M O D E R N L A W O N L I N E W O R K S H O P F O R M A N A G I N G Y O U R D I V O R C E WE WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS! HERE’S HOW TO CONTACT US: CALL OR TEXT 480-649-2905 FACEBOOK.COM/MYMODERNLAW/
Editor's Notes
- From the Prepare For Your Divorce graphic on page 14 of Decode Your Divorce
- Regardless of which representation option you choose, there are always things you can do to save money in your divorce. Proper planning and preparation will help you avoid spending too much during the process.
- First, think about the issues that must be resolved in your case: custody issues, property issues Debts Alimony Consider the range of outcomes you can live with for each issue below and think about your best case, worst case, and the happy medium you can live with.
- Property and debt division • Family businesses • Student loans • Mortgages • Credit card debt • Separate or premarital assets or debts • Inheritances • Insurance settlements • Property • Legal decision making • Domestic violence • Addiction issues • Mental health issues • Differences in religion • Differences in schooling preferences • Differences in medical treatment opinions • Parenting time • Consider work schedules • Consider how far apart you live • Consider where the children go to school • How old are the children?
- As a client, I appreciate being told what is being done on my case and how much I should expect my overall bill should cost. I want to know how my attorney is spending my hardearned money and what they are doing on my project/case. You have a right to expect the same courtesy from your attorney.
- Limited Scope gives you the ability to rely on attorney for things “above your pay grade” while allowing you to save money by doing some of your own administrative and court paperwork.
- Borrowing can include family, friends, or a third party divorce funding companies like bblchurchill.com or balancepointfunding.com or Nationwide Divorce Funding.
- Get organized. Deliver to your attorney a complete set of the documents they have requested in an organized and easy-to-understand format. If you need assistance with this, hire someone to help you do your homework! It will be much less expensive than paying an attorney to organize your documents. Be disciplined in your communications. Resist the urge to email or call your attorney every time your ex does something that you don’t like. Instead, keep a journal of your thoughts and questions and put together a thorough email once a week of everything that you consider important. Alternatively, schedule a meeting to go over your questions with your attorney. Remember your objectives. Resist the urge to get caught up in the details and drama of your case. Continue to refer to your goals and objectives and remember what you determined you “could live with.” People rarely get everything they are asking for in a divorce and it makes sense to continually do a cost-benefit analysis of each and every step your attorney proposed. By staying purposeful, you can help control your divorce costs and outcome. If you don’t feel you can trust your attorney, or if you are uncomfortable in your current situation, consider making a change.
- Tell people how they can get a copy of the book which goes into more detail