During the Covid-19 Pandemic, AYOUN LAW experienced a 40% increase in calls for more information on the process of divorce. Many people amongst us are starting to feel the effects of the Pandemic in their personal lives and beginning to canvas the possibilities of wanting to divorce.
Family lawyer, Sabeeya Akram, offers some insider tips on how to work with a reputable lawyer to help keep costs at bay. Going through the process of a divorce can be overwhelming in many aspects. It can trigger emotional turmoil and have you feeling burdened with financial stress. Those people driving their decisions from emotions and financial distress, often turn to searching online for discounted rates for a divorce. What many people do not realise is that these pitched ludicrously low prices may come with hidden costs. Often costly court hearings and issues regarding support obligations arise leaving one to pay more than you would have if you just started your matter with a reputable law firm
“You could never imagine a cheap website diagnosing your medical problem, why would you resort to a cheap website for your personal family matters”
Family lawyers can help you with all areas of your family matters, from marriage contracts (also known as prenuptial agreements) before marriage to separation and divorce. They can keenly guide you through the process and help protect your interests. However, sometimes people feel such good service always comes at a high price tag.
Read more to find out how you can potentially save on your divorce process.
The Heavy Price of a Divorce
The process of divorce does not always have to be expensive. Often, Sabeeya Akram mentions we offer our clients a verity of options so that it best suits their budget.
Tip 1: TALK TO YOUR LAWYER ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
In the first consultation meeting talk to your lawyer about your budget. Do not shy away from expressing the fact that you may be limited in finances. This may seem like an obvious tip, but many people are embarrassed or uncomfortable to bring up the topic of a budget. You should build enough trust with your lawyer in the first consultation meeting to talk to him/her about your finances. Everything is always kept confidential.
Tip 2: TRY TO AVOID GOING TO TRIAL
Many lawyers mention the bill at the end will increase if the matter ends up in a trial. This is where we draw on our second most important tip. Going to trial means more filing, lengthy hours in court and all the associated overhead costs to go with it. There are many out-of-court options that you can talk to your lawyer about that can be just as effective. Such solution-oriented options include:
- Mediation
- Arbitrations
- Separation Agreements
These options will help you save on administrative and barrister fees.
Tip 3: ASK ABOUT YOUR BILL
Many lawyers must have money in trust before they can begin work on your file. This is the standard practice and is part of the process. Our third tip: request that you see your billable before you are billed. Sometimes this may not be possible however, often lawyers seek client instructions, this is the best time to ask how much you will be billed for the matter. You want to stay on top of the lawyers that just hand a bill towards the end of the month. This may surpass your budget and hit you by surprise.
Tip 4: KNOW YOUR COURT COSTS ARE DIFFERENT FROM LAWYER FEES
When starting a legal matter, you must know that court fees are not lawyer fees. A lawyer will not profit off your filing or overhead disbursements (expenses) they are just fees that cannot be avoided and must be paid when going to court. All court charges are listed on court websites and are usually a fixed charge build into the Retainer Agreement.
Tip 5: TALK LESS ABOUT THINGS, SAVE TIME
If your lawyer has you on a per hour billable you might what to save your sad story for some other time. If you must know you are being charged. The most cost-effective measure is to dive right into your materialised facts, push your emotions to the side and tell your lawyer how you want to move your family matter. This is as simple as it is.
This way you have saved yourself a tun of money without realising it.
Sabeeya Akram is the Principal Lawyer and one of the Founders of AYOUN LAW, a family law firmed based in Central Mississauga, Ontario.
Ms. Akram has a niche for family structure and works tremendously hard to ensure all her clients leave satisfied. The firm is proud to say that most of their clients are returning clients. Her mantra is to envisage yourself in the future, have happy thoughts and try to enjoy the process with your lawyer.
With experience and the ability to speak in four different languages, English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu she wants her clients to feel relaxed through the entire process.
Ask for further information. Call For A Free Consultation: 905-232-2793
