You have probably considered that hiring an attorney to handle your divorce reduces the stress and aggravation of trying to handle it yourself. But did you know it could also save you money? Here are some ways that hiring an attorney may cost you less money in the long run:

Mistakes in calculations of child support or maintenance (commonly referred to as alimony) can cost you money

You could end up paying more than you should or not get as much money as you should. Of course Kansas has Child Support Guidelines the Court has to follow, but those guidelines are complicated! What figures are used to calculate gross income? What can be deducted from gross income? What adjustments should be made? Your attorney should be very familiar with the guidelines and make sure you are paying or receiving an amount that is just and fair.

Mistakes are expensive to fix

If you do your divorce yourself and make a mistake, you will likely end up back in court trying to fix the issue. You may even need to hire an attorney because your case has become too complicated to manage on your own. You may have to take more time off from work to meet with attorneys or attend court proceedings.

Wrong language in a document could have an unintended, negative result

Some words and phrases have special meanings in the legal world. If there is a dispute down the road, you could find that your divorce settlement agreement doesn’t say what you thought it did and end up in court arguing about it.

An attorney can ensure all issues are addressed

If you forget to address an issue in your divorce settlement, you may end up back in court to resolve the issue. Your attorney can make sure that everything that should be addressed is being addressed. You might be surprised at the number of things you haven’t considered.

An attorney can give you legal advice that may save you money

f you do a divorce on your own, you have nobody to give you legal advice on what may be the best way to proceed, what options you have, and what you are entitled to. The clerks at the court house and the judge assigned to your case cannot give you legal advice. Attorneys are not psychics, but they can foresee many issues that, if not addressed, could cost you money in the long run.