Do you like the idea of getting something done quickly? What about saving money in the process? Both of those are admirable goals before entering into anything. We all like saving money and time. Much of the time we see advertisements for saving time and money for day-to-day tasks. In today’s blog post from the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, we are going to discuss the possibility of saving time and money in a divorce.
A divorce is more important than finding the cheapest car wash in town. There is something to be said for saving time and money in a divorce. Nobody is asking for their divorce to take a long time or to cost an arm and a leg. However, you need to balance the goals of saving time and money against other goals which are more long-term. That will be the focus of today’s blog post.
How long can you expect your divorce to take?
Divorce is not something that you can say takes “X” amount time of time. The reason is that every divorce is unique. The facts and circumstances of your situation matter a great deal. Depending upon those facts and circumstances you are looking at a divorce that may take a few months to a year to wrap up. More complicated cases tend to take longer than simpler divorces. Of course, you must work towards a divorce that completes itself in a relatively short amount of time.
There is no specific period that a divorce must take. Other than to say that there is a two-month (60-day) waiting period beginning on the date the divorce petition is filed. This sixty-day waiting period will allow you and your spouse a cooling-off period. Deciding whether you want to get divorced is not something you should rush. Even after filing for divorce, you may change your mind.
Once the divorce is underway a certain amount of momentum begins to build. It is hard to stop a divorce, in other words. Preventing a divorce is an easier step to take than stopping a divorce. If you think that your marriage is salvageable then work to explore options before you file for divorce. A divorce being filed does not mean that your marriage is over. However, it makes it much more likely that your marriage is coming to an end.
How much is your divorce going to cost?
This is the million-dollar question- no pun intended. Many people who walk into the Law Office of Bryan Fagan for a free-of-charge consultation would like to know how much money a divorce costs. The first answer we give these folks is that the costs of a divorce vary. Longer divorces, generally, end up costing more money. This is due to family law attorneys and how we will. Since family attorneys bill by the hour, the more hours worked the more money your divorce costs.
Whatever attorney you end up hiring, make sure that you speak to him or her about costs early on. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan goes through a lot of effort to talk to our potential clients about our billing practices. We have an entire team of people who work with clients on this subject. Our goal is to make sure that you as a client understand what happens when it comes to billing. It should not be a surprise when you hire us. Your focus should be on your case and not on the money.
That said, talk to your attorney about all aspects of your bill. Ask what each person in the office bills hourly. How far in advance are you expected to pay a monthly payment? Does the attorney require a separate retainer for trials? These are the sorts of questions to ask ahead of time. As we tell clients all the time: to be unclear is to be unkind. In other words, only work with attorneys who are clear when it comes to billing.
Do you need to hire an attorney for your divorce?
This is another critical question to ask yourself at the beginning of a divorce. As you prepare for a divorce, know that there is no requirement to hire an attorney. Texans divorce every day without an attorney. It is possible to accomplish your goals within a divorce without an attorney’s assistance. However, whether that is advisable for you in your particular circumstances is another question altogether.
Consider whether you would change your own car’s motor oil. Or if you would try to fill one of your cavities. What about fixing the air conditioner in your home when it stops working? I could go on and on with these analogies. My point is that when push comes to shove we rely on professionals to help us a great deal in our day-to-day lives. Not only do they know more about a particular subject than we do but they have experience when it comes to problem solving.
Yes, it costs money to hire professionals to perform a service for us. However, I would argue that this is a short-term investment into your long-term future. The costs of a divorce do not stick with you as long as an unfavorable divorce result. When you invest in a quality service like the legal services of the Law Office of Bryan Fagan it is for the greater good of your family. While hiring an attorney in your divorce is not mandatory it is advisable, especially in a few, specific situations.
When hiring an attorney is especially important
There are two situations where you should want to have an attorney by your side in a divorce. The first is any divorce involving minor children. Children of the marriage play a major role in a divorce. Determining issues like possession, visitation, and support of children is a major part of your case. Beyond that, wanting to ensure your relationship is maintained with your children after the divorce is a critical factor. Being able to help yourself means having an advocate for you and your children.
Next, you have divorces which involve a division of marital property. Even cases where you and your spouse do not own much property need serious consideration. A divorce is not only about the present moment but also your long-term future. When you position yourself well financially you give yourself options. The more options you have in life, the better quality of life you experience. All in all, when you build a successful life for yourself you do the same for your children.
These are two areas of divorce that are focused on most acutely. Finances and children. If you have either relevant to your life when you should seriously consider hiring an attorney. Even if you are not a person with minor children or significant financial commitments you should consider hiring an attorney. An attorney helps you to ensure your case moves along the process and is not delayed. This sort of peace of mind is not something that you can ignore or put a price tag on.
Online divorce platforms
We just finished discussing how options are a good thing in our lives. It should be no surprise that there are a range of options when it comes to getting divorced. We have already touched on two of those options: hiring an attorney and not hiring an attorney. You can successfully get a divorce by either of those two methods. However, there is a third option which has gained in popularity in recent years. Namely, that of an online divorce.
Online divorces have become more popular due to their perceived quickness and affordability. Spending money on a divorce may be necessary but we do not want to spend more money than we have to. As a result, budget-conscious divorce seekers have identified online divorce as a viable alternative to getting divorced with the help of an attorney. Since the divorce is theoretically less expensive it would also be less time consuming.
Let’s explore these preconceived notions about online divorces. There is nothing wrong with wanting to save time and money in divorce. However, there are competing interests that are just as important, if not more so. We think that by examining all the relevant facets related to an online divorce you will come away wanting to explore other options to achieve your goals. Let’s start by looking at your goals for the divorce and how best to accomplish those goals.
Determining goals for your divorce
Having goals is important in life and your divorce. For starters, many people wander into a divorce. It is difficult, however, to wander out of a divorce having achieved much of anything. It is not good enough to reason that as long as you get out of your divorce “alive” you will have accomplished a meaningful goal. Rather, it is up to you to arrive at concrete, specific, and achievable goals for yourself.
Needless to say, the vast majority of online divorce platforms completely neglect to mention the importance of goal setting in a divorce. These platforms emphasize the process but leave out the substance. To them, a divorce is all science and no art. There is nothing personal about a divorce online. You follow the same process and advice as everyone else. That should not inspire much confidence that your specific needs are being attended to.
Don’t expect to wander into a divorce and magically come up with meaningful goals for your case. Expect that this step will take time and effort. There is no one way to accomplish goals in a divorce case. You need to consider the needs of your family now and in the future. Once you have done so you can move on to meaningful goal setting.
Are you sure you know what you’re doing?
One of the most significant concerns that people have in a divorce is getting it done and over with. That is one of the main motivators behind hiring an attorney. The lawyer is there to help complete the divorce as quickly as possible. Preferably with little to no effort having to be expended by the person going through the divorce. Whether you have a goal like this, it is important to examine the mindset as you head into a divorce.
Online divorce platforms have documents on their website which will be completed for you. By providing the website with your information it completes the forms for you. This should give you plenty of reason to pause. There is no guarantee that these forms are up to date. Forms change over time as the law changes. Are you sure the forms that you are filling out are up to date on the current law? Not being sure of this makes it easy for mistakes to be made right off the bat.
When it comes to completing a divorce online you are leaving a lot up to chance. There is a lot of room for error when you take complex circumstances and combine them with the law. Even small drafting errors can cost you in a divorce. The job of the court is not to double-check your documents. That responsibility falls to you. No matter the kind of divorce you are involved in it always helps to have a helpful voice steadying you.
Negotiating a divorce with an online form builder
Online divorce platforms do not advertise themselves as being the best option when it comes to communication with your spouse. Rather, online divorce platforms advertise themselves as being fast and easy. Unfortunately, most divorces are not fast or easy. Trying to force your case into something does not mean you will surely encounter problems.
Just because you choose to use an online divorce platform to help you divorce does not mean that your case suddenly becomes a walk in the park. The pre-existing issues in your case are still relevant no matter where you choose to file your divorce. An online divorce platform may make your divorce seem simpler but that doesn’t make it so in reality. Whatever disagreements you had with your spouse before the divorce will continue after the divorce begins.
This emphasizes negotiation throughout the case. You need to be able to spend time during the divorce trying to work with your spouse and resolve your issues. Communication of some sort is a must. When you are working with an online divorce platform the process does not lend itself to easy negotiation. This subject is neglected within that type of divorce.
A perspective from someone who has been there before
Make no mistake, every divorce is different. You may hope that your divorce turns out one way, but it may go in a completely different direction. Divorces are full of surprises. As a result, planning on a particular outcome in a divorce can be dangerous when you don’t have a plan. Many times, people who are eager to complete their divorce as quickly as possible lose sight of the long-term impacts of their case.
This does not have to be you. You can take your time within the case to come up with solutions to the problems facing you and your spouse. Just because an option presents itself as quick and easy does not mean that it will necessarily be that way. Rather, there are many options for you when it comes to completing, the divorce. Your job is to look through those options to determine which suits you and your family the best.
What an online divorce cannot provide you with is the perspective of someone who has been there before. Technology is a great thing, but it can also be something that leads you down an unintended road. By relying upon An online divorce platform you forego the benefits of hiring an attorney he was better suited to negotiation. What you also lose is the personal touch of a support system offered by your attorney.
Final thoughts on online divorce realities
When it comes to your divorce, you must be able to put your personal touches on a case. It is not always true that the cheapest and fastest option is the best one for your family. Rather, there are a host of factors that need to be considered in your divorce case. The better prepared you can be the more options you provide yourself with in the case.
Thank you for choosing to spend part of your day with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our attorneys post unique and informative blogs each day of the week. We hope that you have learned something valuable and that you will join us again here tomorrow.
Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
The attorneys with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan offer free of charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn more about the world of Texas family law. Before signing a document or negotiating on a subject you do not know well, contact our office. We look forward to the opportunity of serving you during an important part of your life. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan is on your side.
Evan Hochschild was raised in Houston, TX and graduated from Cypress Creek High School. He went on to graduate from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX with an undergraduate degree in Political Science. While in college, Evan was a four-year letterman on the Cross Country team.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle before him, Evan attended law school after he completed in his undergraduate studies. He graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law and has practiced in a variety of areas in the law- including family law.
Mr. Hochschild is guided by principles which place the interests of clients first. Additionally, Evan seeks to provide information and support for his clients with the heart of a teacher.
Evan and his wife have four small children together. He enjoys afternoons out and about with his family, teaching Sunday school at his church and exercising. A veteran attorney of fourteen years, Mr. Hochschild excels in communicating complex ideas in family law simply and directly.
