Divorce and Money
March 22nd, 2010There are some things I agree with and there are some things I don’t with this ABC News report. I agree with the “expert” that kids are not pawns to be utilized to hurt your spouse or to get more money or pay less child support. I don’t agree that you should give a settlement figure that makes you shake.
I mostly don’t agree with this expert’s view that most of the money will go to the divorce attorneys. He’s obviously never met me or how I run my law firm. Since I charge flat fees, I don’t charge more to my clients simply because there’s more to do in a case. Lots (or a majority) of divorce lawyers in and around Boston that I know, do do that. That is what’s so great about flat-fees. Your attorney’s interest in resolving the case is aligned with the client’s interest. There is no incentive to drag the case out longer because the lawyer will get richer.
I agree that it is NOT always true that “most of the money will go to the divorce attorneys.” I think the old adage, “you get what you pay for” is true. That is, if you want to spend your time either fighting or inflicting damage on your (ex-)spouse, then it is your choice to spend all your money there. And when such attacks and disagreements occur, it really is twice as expensive, because the other party must mount an (expensive) defense.
Note that caveat emptor also applies: it is up to the client not to accept solicitations to prolong the fight. Yes, an attorney may offer to go down some (expensive) path, but it is up to you to also decline this path.
So, if you can be reasonable in an emotional time, then, yes, expenses do not have to be out of control.
That said, I found the lawyers that I dealt with, on both sides, to be gentlemen and ladies in my divorce. I treated them with a smile as best I could and as professionals, and they treated me as such.