When you and your spouse decide to go your separate ways, the financial burdens and benefits you shared previously will be ultimately split between you. As a result, the financial consequences of divorce can be significant. Adding to that already daunting situation is the cost of the process itself. Thankfully, there are a number of ways that you can help to ensure that your divorce process costs remain as low as is prudent.

Perhaps the most cost-effective approach to divorce involves keeping tensions between you and your spouse low. The more that you and your spouse fight about property division, child custody, and other matters, the more hours that your attorneys will be required to bill. If you and your spouse can largely settle matters amicably and out of court, your costs will remain relatively low.

With that said, it is important to fight for the property and rights that truly matter to you. Make sure to hire an attorney who is on the same page as you about how these matters should be handled. When you do need your attorney to put in hours on your behalf, make sure that the advocacy you are employing meets your needs.

It is not always wise to pinch pennies during the divorce process. The decisions you make now will almost certainly impact your future in substantial ways. But if you can keep your costs low through an amicable process without compromising what is truly important to you, it will likely be in your best financial interests to do so.

Source: Huffington Post, “5 Ways to Cut Costs During a Divorce,” Elliot Grey