Tips for controlling attorney's fees.

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Nathan Anderson

Make no mistake about it, divorces can be quite expensive.  Notwithstanding, there are several ways that you can help reduce the amount of attorney and paralegal fees you incur in your case.  As a Dallas divorce attorney our office has found that the following are quite helpful in controlling costs:

  1. Communicate with your attorney via email.  A typical day for me involves reviewing hundreds of emails and returning several phone calls.  Putting your thoughts down in writing helps you to single out what your concerns are when you talk to me.  With that in mind, when you email me, try and be as concise as possible.  In doing so I won't have to dig through your email to determine what the question or concern is.  
  2. Keep accurate financial records.  In all likelihood you will be required to file an inventory and appraisal of the community and separate estates.  By keeping up with your financial records, or at a minimum knowing where to readily obtain them, you can greatly reduce costs.  If you don't keep accurate records, or know where to get them, either I or my staff will have to obtain them for you and then sift through them.  
  3. Understand that while I genuinely care about you and your case, I have to charge you for my time.  With that in mind, try to limit our communications to the subject at hand.  We are genuinely empathetic to all our clients and are very passionate about what we do, but if your emotions are running high, you can save a good deal of money by talking to a counselor, friend, clergy member or family member.
  4. When our office sends you something for your review and approval, please do so as soon as possible.  If I or my staff have to contact you to remind you about a task, you will incur fees.

If you keep these tips in mind, you can greatly reduce the amount of attorneys fees in a divorce case.  These tips are simply guidelines and not hard and fast rules.  When seeking out an attorney, it is completely appropriate for you to ask how you can help control costs.  If the prospective attorney does not have an answer, I suggest you keep looking. 

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It is best to win without fighting.

Posted on June 20, 2009 by Nathan Anderson

Recently I posted an entry about the lamb, the bulldog and the fox,  In keeping with that post it is fitting to share an entry which describes the perils of being overly aggressive.  In Fox Rothchild's New Jersey Family Law Blog the author described how fighting for the sake of fighting distracts the court from the two most important things: (1) our client; and (2) our client's rights and needs.  Clients hire divorce attorneys for two main reasons: (1) the attorney knows the law; and (2) the attorney will be objective.  If the attorney is more interested in fighting for the sake of fighting, then objectivity is frequently lost.  When objectivity is lost the client is the one who suffers. 

Although our Dallas divorce firm zealously advocates on behalf of our clients, we also understand how to combine the right amount of aggressiveness with tact in order to acheive the absolute best result for our clients. 

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You look so nice, but can you be mean?

Posted on June 7, 2009 by Nathan Anderson

I recently came across a blog written by an Alabama divorce attorney that covers one of the questions our firm is asked a lot:  You look so nice, but can you be "mean"?  Typically people come into our office looking not only for a way to move on with their lives, but also for some sort of revenge.  The style of your lawyer will greatly influence to what extent this is possible and appropriate.

Divorce lawyers generally fit into one of three categories: (1) the lamb; (2) the bulldog; and (3) the fox.  The lamb is the type of lawyer who takes a reactive instead of a proactive approach to case management.  The lamb avoids confrontation with his or her client and opposing counsel at all costs, and often at a disadvantage to the client.  In short, the lamb's laissez-faire mentality hinders client advancement and often results in an inequitable resolution of the case. 

Directly opposite the lamb is the bulldog.  The bulldog seeks out confrontation (often on frivolous issues) at all costs and is typically the first personality type that comes to mind when clients think of a "mean" lawyer.  Although the bulldog's aggression is no doubt appropriate in some instances, it also poses an obstacle in the road towards favorable resolution.  The bulldog's aggressive approach can end up costing the client both in terms of property and custody matters but also in unnecessary attorneys fees. 

Finally, we have the fox.  The fox sees the forest through the trees and is cunning enough to know when aggression is appropriate and when it is not.  Unlike the lamb, the fox is not afraid of confrontation; and unlike the bulldog, the fox knows that fair out of court settlement are always preferred to litigation.  The fox is assertive when appropriate and aware of the consequences of its actions. 

Do yourself a favor when searching for a divorce attorney and hire yourself a fox (our Dallas divorce firm has three of them). You'll be far better off in the long run than you would with a bulldog.

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