Divorce can be expensive and time-consuming. If you end up embroiled in a highly contentious divorce, then the process will be dragged out even longer, and the possibility of full-blown litigation will be amplified. But if you’re ready to simply get your divorce over with, then you’re probably looking for the quickest and cheapest way to wrap up the process. While there are steps you can take to streamline your marriage dissolution, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t rush your divorce so much that you end up giving in on key issues that are important to you. This could leave you at a significant disadvantage as you move into the next chapter of your life. That said, let’s look at what you can do to expedite your divorce and save yourself some money.
How to speed up your divorce while saving money
There are multiple ways to approach your divorce. If you want to save time and money, then you need to seek out efficiencies while avoiding getting bogged down with conflict. With that in mind, here are some tips that you may want to consider implementing in your marriage dissolution:
- Know the process: By educating yourself on the divorce process, you cut down on the amount of time it takes to get up to speed on the legal implications of your marriage dissolution. Speaking with your attorney can help here, but so, too, can simply reading up on the laws applicable to your case.
- Get organized: Your divorce is going to be document heavy. Financial records alone can take a significant amount of time and effort to gather and organize, not to mention other records that may come into play, such as those pertaining to your child’s medical care and academic performance. If you can gather these records on your own, including those possessed by your spouse, then you can shave time off your divorce and you won’t have to pay the expense of having to litigate over access to some of these records.
- Be honest and transparent: Although you need to be strategic as you navigate your divorce, you should also be honest. If you try to misconstrue the facts or try to do something like hide marital assets, then the process is going to be prolonged while the facts of the situation are figured out. Being dishonest and lacking transparency can also lead to a lot of conflict which, again, can drag the process out and leave you facing more costs than you’d like.
- Pick your battles: Sure, you could fight over every marital asset and every little legal issue that arises during your divorce, but it’s going to cost you in time, energy and money. You might be better served by picking your battles, focusing on those issues that are truly important to you and are key to your post-divorce success. By allowing your spouse to “win” on matters that are less important, you can generate goodwill that may spur settlement negotiations and lead to a favorable outcome that’s quicker and more cost-effective.
Find a divorce legal strategy that’s right for you
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to divorce. Instead, you need to custom tailor your strategy in light of Georgia law so that you position yourself to achieve the desired outcome in light of the unique facts at hand. This will require thorough preparation of course, which may seem like it’s prolonging the process longer than you’d like. But being armed with strong legal arguments and plenty of evidence is going to save you time and money in the long run. It also gives you the best chance possible of securing the post-divorce outcome that you want. So, if your marriage is heading toward dissolution, then now is the time to start thinking about which sort of divorce legal strategy you want to use.
