Mediate Michigan

The recession has hit all of us where it hurts the most — in our wallets. If you’re looking for ways to save money, don’t forget to look to your co-parenting agreement for ways to make some cuts.

Reduce Legal Fees

If you are currently in a divorce or are back in court arguing over an existing custody plan, think about how much money you are spending in legal costs. Your attorney is likely charging you upwards of $150 or $200 an hour. That’s a lot of money to spend on something so unpleasant as a divorce or custody fight. Obviously, getting a fair divorce settlement or a custody plan that works for your child is very important, but there are lots of ways you can reduce your legal costs:

Try to work it out. Yes, I know you’re in court because you can’t agree, but if you point out to your ex how much money you’re throwing away over this, it might be possible to sit down in a calm and rational way and work something out yourselves. Almost every case settles before trial, so why not work the settlement out yourselves instead of paying lawyers to do it?

Consider mediation. If you can’t work it out on your own, hire a mediator to help you do it. Your net cost is going to be much lower than paying for a trial.

via Brette Sember: Recession Co-Parenting.