How to Best Utilize Your Family Law Attorney

There’s a saying, “Time is money”, and this certainly rings true when working with attorneys, who typically bill by the hour. Litigation is emotionally draining on its own without the added pressure of extensive attorney fees, so here are some tips and tricks for mitigating your legal fees:

• 1. Don’t blindly go with the cheapest attorney you find. While this may seem contradictory in cutting down costs, experienced attorneys, who charge more, also tend to be more efficient with your time and with producing the court documents you need, saving you money in the long run.

• 2. Don’t make unscheduled calls to your attorney. Your attorney needs to be prepared before meeting with you. Calling them without a heads up can lead to unproductive conversations that waste your time and money. Of course, if you are having a legal emergency, a call may be warranted, but a quick way to cut down on communication costs is by emailing your attorney to schedule a time to call along with a brief synopsis on the points you would like to discuss with them.

• 3. Reach out to your attorney’s paralegal/legal assistant. Your attorney’s paralegal is often able to answer many, if not all, of the questions you have regarding your case, and for a lot less money. Think about the nature of your question and ask yourself if it’s something that absolutely must be answered by the attorney.

• 4. Keep emails to the point! This can be hard to remember, especially when dealing with highly personal matters, but try to keep your emails concise and go through prior communication with your attorney to confirm that you are not asking duplicitous questions.

• 5. Hire a therapist. Again, this seems contradictory when it comes to cutting costs, but it’s vitally important. Not only is having a therapist great for your mental health, especially when dealing with family law matters, but it can save you money with your attorney. Clients will often turn to their attorney for emotional support, and while your attorney is invested in your case and sympathetic to your situation, using your attorney, who is not a licensed therapist and is more expensive than one, as an emotional counselor can be a waste of your time and resources.

What tip surprised you the most? Have any other tips for potential family law clients? Leave them in the comments below!