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Whether your marriage lasted a few months, years or decades, your divorce process may be an expensive one. In certain cases, a relatively expensive divorce is inevitable if a couple chooses to litigate a complex, contested split. In these cases, incurring expenses during the process may serve some truly worthy purpose or may save individuals money down the line. However, most divorces do not need to be overly expensive affairs. Instead, couples can opt to make certain choices that will drive the costs of divorce down and keep them as manageable as possible.

If abuse is a factor in your marriage, if you must contest certain property settlement terms or if you are contesting potential custody arrangements for a child, a collaborative divorce process may not be the best choice for you. However, if you and your spouse are in relative agreement about property and parenting plan arrangements, a mediated, negotiated or otherwise collaborative divorce will likely keep your costs low. Traditionally, collaborative processes are far less expensive and are resolved more quickly than litigated divorces are.

In addition, it is important that no matter what kind of divorce you are seeking that you use your legal counsel and other professional help wisely. For example, whenever it is both possible and advisable, do not communicate with other interested parties through your attorney’s office. Sometimes it is important and even necessary for your attorney to communicate with others on your behalf. But when it is not necessary to involve your attorney, communicating with others on your own will save you time and money.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Financial Tips That Ease the Sting of Divorce,” Julian Block, Dec. 25, 2013