While there is a lot of talk regarding alimony and the potential loss of dual income after the divorce process, one of the overlooked aspects of divorce is how much the actual divorce itself can cost. Particularly in acrimonious divorces, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to merely get through the process.
The overall cost of divorce surprises many couples, particularly older people. However, there are ways to save money on divorce. According to Forbes Magazine, the less acrimonious your divorce is, the less it will cost you.
The costs of being angry
When many people think about “divorce,” they often think about lawyers going toe-to-toe in a heated courtroom battle, trying to “get all they can” for their client. However, this is easily the most expensive way to go through a divorce. If a team of lawyers and judges needs to figure out every little thing, the costs go up exponentially.
However, if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse can at least agree on desiring an end result that is fair and equitable to all involved, the costs of divorce go down significantly. Instead of limiting yourselves to trial divorce, you can try a “collaborative” divorce, which is where you, your ex-spouse, and individual lawyers sit down and negotiate terms.
The potential downside of collaboration
The main negative to collaborative divorce is that it requires actual collaboration. If you and your ex-spouse cannot agree on anything from alimony to the color of the sky, it is likely that an attempt at collaboration will be a waste of money.
