A Texas divorce has the potential to cost you quite a bit of money, but it does not have to be this way. If you and your former partner are both willing, you may be able to part ways through a collaborative divorce, as opposed to a traditional courtroom one.
Per U.S. News and World Report, a collaborative divorce, or an uncontested divorce, means that you and your ex sort through the same matters you would in divorce litigation, but you do so without going to court. Collaborative divorce has the capacity to save you and your ex considerable money, and here is why.
It is often less contentious
When you enter into divorce litigation, you and your lawyer typically take sides against your ex and his or her attorney. This creates an “us versus them” mentality, and it may lead you and your ex to fight over things you otherwise would not simply to “win.”
It has less attorney involvement
A collaborative divorce often still involves attorneys, but they typically do not devote as much time to the case as they would in a courtroom divorce because you and your ex are going to work through many related matters together. Nolo’s national survey of divorcing clients found that the average total cost of a full-scope, attorney-handled divorce was $11,300, while a more typical bill for attorney’s fees was closer to $7,000. Those figures climbed sharply for couples who went to trial, averaging $20,400 when at least one issue was contested and $23,300 when two or more issues reached a courtroom. Because collaborative divorce keeps attorney hours lower and avoids trial altogether, it can help you sidestep these steeper litigation costs.
While a collaborative divorce may save you a good deal of money, it may also help preserve as least some semblance of a relationship between you and your former partner moving forward. This may prove particularly beneficial if you need to maintain a co-parenting relationship in the future.
