Separation is scary, emotional and stressful.  When you add in the concept that you’ll need to spend money on legal fees, you might wonder if you can even afford to separate.  If for what ever reason separation is unfortunately on your horizon, Lagom Family Law can help you with these tips to minimise your legal fees.

1.       Be open with your Lawyer, let your guard down and remember that honesty is the best policy

Let’s face it; Spilling your personal business to a stranger can be a daunting process. Just keep in mind that we are highly accustomed to dealing in personal business!  There is no judgment and it makes our job much more efficient if we have a clear understanding (warts and all) from the start.

If we find out things along the way that change your position, or that you haven’t been honest about, this can drive up legal costs as it often results in changes to work already completed. Pair this with how it will be perceived if your matter progresses to Court and we are caught off guard at that stage and its simply not worth being anything but open and honest.

2.       Slow down, breathe, and consider your answers

Lagom are acutely aware that being personally involved in a family law matter is far from enjoyable. Just like pulling a tooth, you want it over and done with yesterday!

You might be tempted to answer questions we ask with as little detail as possible or try to avoid it altogether or in an effort to decrease time and fees.

This is counter-productive!  If you want to know why something we are asking is important, just ask. We’ll be happy to explain why but, in general, getting the full story (good, bad and the ugly), helps us prepare for how we might go about defending a position and providing you with the best advice.

So take a breath and think about your answer, it might take longer initially, but will take less time overall and less time means less fees.

Take notes and be prepared

You’ll have plenty of questions.  This is completely normal and to be expected.  Oftentimes clients might call or email us any time a question pops into their head, but by putting them down on paper (and ideally emailing them through first) in groups, we can actually save you time and fees with the efficiency it gains in being organised. It can also act as a record so that we don’t cover the same thing 2 or 3 times during your matter as you can refer back to our answers at a later date.

Being organised and doing your homework is also a must.  The more you do, the less it costs.  We promise we won’t ask you to do something unless we feel it necessary. Not all clients want to be this involved – some are happy for us to handle absolutely everything, but if being conscious of costs is a high priority for you then make sure you take this feedback onboard and be prepared to roll up your sleeves and be organised.

The best tip we can provide is to not sit on tasks and responses we are asking of you. Each time we need to chase something, that is time spent on your file which all adds up.

3.       Be decisive – think longer term gain for short term pain

There are times when you will need to make decisions to progress your matter.  Quite often clients dwell on a decision particularly when it’s something scary such as whether to file a Court application because their ex partner is digging in their heels and not participating in the process to find resolution.

Being hesitant to pull the trigger is natural, but flip flopping and becoming entrenched in a stalemate can prolong your matter and potentially your fees.

Our final tip is sometimes just to “let it go”.  So often we see parties who are unwilling to compromise and cannot view their matter in a commercially sensible manner.

Like fighting over who retains some furniture which has no real monetary value resulting in you spending more money on legal fees than what an item is actually worth to replace.  We’ve seen it, and it is ultimately up to you, but we think this is a mistake.  There are no ‘winners’ or ‘losers’ in family law so trying to fight for a win at all costs will probably only end in a loss for your wallet.

We appreciate that there are many other things you would rather spend your money on than legal fees but when quality advice is required, we are confident our track record speaks for itself. By following our tips we can significantly reduce your legal costs. This way the money you save can be spent on you and your family.

If you are thinking of separating but are worried about legal fees, contact us and we can have an obligation free call regarding your matter. We’ll walk you through the process and initial costs so you understand the process of working with us. We believe that  our transparency and flexibility around fees makes us different from other firms.  Check out more here https://www.lagomlaw.com.au/legalfees

Many clients tell us that after coming out of our Initial Client Conferences, that they simply weren’t expecting the kind of value and clarity we offer.

Lagom Family Law pride ourselves on being approachable and down to earth and we would love to help you through this time.

Author: Kalisha Martin, Senior Lawyer

Lagom is Swedish and means not too little, not too much, just right. This is our philosophy of practice as we aim to provide tailored advice specific for your individual needs - that’s just right for you!

Lagom Family Law is a boutique legal practice lead by Principal Lichee Hogland who strives to achieve the best possible outcome for her clients whilst being approachable and respectful.