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Dollars and Sense in Divorce: Three Avoidable Mistakes That Can Drive Up the Cost of Your Kansas or Missouri Divorce
By Adam Peer - Owner of The Law Office of Adam Peer, LLC
A divorce in Kansas or Missouri can be mentally and emotionally exhausting for the divorcing couple and even for their extended family. It can also prove to be a costly affair if you both choose to hire divorce attorneys to handle the case, which is generally an advisable step. The cost of a divorce can be impacted by different behaviors and decisions made by the couple, collectively and by each party, individually. During the course of the case, you will need to address several important topics including child custody and support, property division, asset and debt division, as well as maintenance or spousal support. The following seeks to address three common mistakes that can serve to increase your costs in a divorce and how to avoid them.
1. Having Unclear Objectives During the Divorce
This is the most common mistake one can make while interacting with a divorce lawyer. Changing course or shifting your goals during the course of litigation will necessitate a course correction by your divorce attorney. This generally results in additional work, damage control and unavoidably higher billable hours. To efficiently resolve your Kansas or Missouri divorce case, it is important to be clear on what you hope to accomplish and have definite goals and objectives that you want to achieve from the start. Your Kansas City divorce lawyer can help by asking the right questions and addressing indecisiveness at the inception of the case. Have a clear and honest discussion with your divorce lawyer so that you can reduce the chances of unnecessary litigation and extra costs will help keep your costs at a reasonable level.
2. Using your Lawyer as a Therapist
Due to the mental trauma involved in the process of a divorce, people tend to vent to their divorce attorneys as if they were therapists. It is important to be candid with your divorce lawyer and one should not hold back any information that could be relevant to the case. On the flip side, a good Kansas City divorce attorney will listen with understanding and empathy and, in the face of unproductive venting, will sensitively guide the client back into the realm of what is relevant to the case. Try to keep conversations and billable hours on task to avoid driving costs up to an unnecessarily high level.
3. Being Overly Entangled In the Case
Entanglement occurs when a litigant constantly and almost obsessively tries to micromanage their attorney. This issue can generally be addressed by improving communication. A good Kansas City divorce attorney will keep you up to date on what is happening in your case after meeting with you to clearly discuss and establish goals and strategy at the beginning. Many times, client entanglement (or litigants trying to micromanage their attorneys every move), seems to stem from misunderstandings or insufficient communication at the outset of the case. If this starts to happen, a seasoned family law attorney will schedule a meeting to address any lingering concerns the client might have and this can many times resolve the situation.
Contact The Law Office of Adam Peer for more information or to schedule an initial consultation with an experienced Divorce attorney you can trust. Adam’s goal is to resolve your legal issues effectively, quickly and affordably. Adam will work with you directly, keep you informed, and work tirelessly to aggressively fight for and protect your interests.
You can request a free case evaluation online. You can also call The Law Office of Adam Peer at (913) 553-4222 or email info@adampeerlaw.com
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Adam Peer – Attorney at Law
The Law Office of Adam Peer, LLC