Law and Justice

Posts Tagged ‘Prenuptial Agreement’

It is never wise to represent yourself. Even lawyers tend to hire other lawyers to represent them in various matters. This is for two reasons. First, all lawyers are not experts in all areas of the law, especially in areas that require specialized knowledge such as family law. Second, when one is dealing with their own personal lawsuit, one is more emotionally attached to the situation. As such, emotions can interfere with effective handling of the case. This is especially so in the case of divorce. Hiring a MN divorce law firm to handle your divorce will ensure that your case is handled professionally, objectively, skillfully, and with your best interests at the forefront.

But how can you keep your costs down if you engage the services of a MN divorce law firm? For some people, it is worthwhile to have a prenuptial agreement drawn up prior to even entering into the marriage. This is typically done when one spouse has significantly more personal wealth and / or assets than the other and wishes to protect that wealth and assets should there be dissolution of the marriage at a later date. If your prenuptial agreement is ironclad, then there should be fewer issues to be addressed at the time of divorce as a settlement of the marital property has already been agreed upon ahead of time. There may end up being some custody, visitation and child support issues, but if the parties work together to come to a mutually agreeable solution and schedule, it should not take a great deal of time to work through. If the parties honor their prenuptial agreement and do not attempt to contest it at the time of divorce, the process should go relatively smoothly without incurring much in the way of attorney’s fees.

The majority of people, however, do not enter into prenuptial agreements. Without having an agreement ahead of time how the marital assets would be divided or a settlement should the marriage end, there tends to be more fighting between the couple on these issues, as well as on custody issues. The best way to minimize costs in a divorce and custody case is to work with the other side to come to a resolution quickly that will satisfy all parties as best as possible. The more couples fight in a divorce, the more it costs. If one or both parties intend to fight over each and every little item, the case will drag on possibly for years, racking up the MN divorce law firm attorney’s fees.

This not only hurts your pocket, but if you have children, it hurts them as well. If you and your spouse can work in a cooperative manner to resolve your case quickly, then your attorney will not need to engage in discovery, which can end up costing a lot of money, especially if it gets to the point of depositions. Discovery is typically needed in a divorce case if one or both parties are attempting to hide information, such as assets. Your MN divorce law firm is certainly capable of conducting discovery if need be, but it is best to avoid getting to that point. Moreover, the longer you drag out your divorce, the more animosity builds up between the parties and it become a vicious cycle that feeds upon itself.

Cooperation is definitely the key to keeping divorce costs down as much as possible. An amicable divorce means an inexpensive divorce, where you will likely only need to spend attorney’s fees and costs on the initial divorce petition and the cost of filing it in court and the drafting of a settlement agreement. If you are truly concerned about being able to afford to hire a divorce attorney to handle your matter, make an appointment with a MN divorce law firm and discuss your concerns. You will likely be presently surprised on how willing they will be to help you find ways to minimize the expense of your divorce and even ways that you can spread out your payments.

Brown Family Law is a MN divorce law Firm of experienced divorce lawyers and attorneys focusing on Divorce and Family Law cases. Our attorney’s represent clients throughout Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area. Call or contact us or visit our Blog – http://www.mnfamilylawblog.com/ – for advice and guidance in contested divorce, uncontested divorce, child custody cases, child support, and more.

When it comes to sports and pastimes, we usually let the experts handle the game. It is no different if you are looking at facing a divorce, you should let the experts handle the law’s game plan, the game plan of having everything right the first time so your divorce can be affected quickly and there are no surprises. A MN Divorce Law Firm specializes in Family Law and Divorce falls under this category of legal action. However, by shopping around and doing a little research, you may be able to get your divorce done a lot cheaper by a MN Divorce Law Firm than a MN pro-player’s salary.

Divorce is expensive and it seems to never go as quickly or smoothly as anyone prefers. Nevertheless, by having a good Divorce Law Firm you can at least get a free consultation to let you know about how much your divorce will cost you and how long it should take, if it is uncontested. Uncontested, meaning you and your spouse have or will be able to agree on most issues regarding possession or custody. Your MN Divorce Law Firm will also be able to explain the process and let you know the fees when there are issues that you and your spouse cannot agree. This then would cause the case to be heard in a trial and be presided over by a judge. That is why you need a good Law Firm on your side to be watchful over the process and ensure your personal rights are not violated and that you get at least a certain portion of the marriage estate when the marriage is dissolved. Remember, it is never a good idea to represent your self; even lawyers hire other lawyers when they have a legal issue. They know they want the required expert knowledge and have someone who can objectively take care of their case and you should too.

Many ask the question, “How do I keep down the costs in a divorce proceeding?” First, it is a wise decision for you and your spouse to have a prenuptial agreement that was executed before the marriage. Prenuptial agreements are usually drawn up when one of the spouses is significantly wealthier and who has more assets than the other spouse has when they marry. The prenuptial agreement protects this wealth for the spouse that the prenuptial defines and this agreement has most of the issues already defined should a divorce be desired. Then the only issues would be child custody and assets that were earned or purchased after the marriage. The second way to save some time and money is for you and your spouse to sit down together and make your own agreement lists to be discussed with your MN Divorce Law Firm.

The more you agree upon, the less you will be charged in fees associated with your divorce and will reduce the amount of time to process the divorce. Third, you can represent yourself. However, this may result in being more expensive and take much more time in filing as there may be many points of law that are not properly addressed and the judge wants to be clarified and corrected as they pertain to the rules of law that pertain to divorce. You are much better off having a good MN Divorce Law Firm represent you in a divorce hearing and ensure your paperwork is correct and completed in accordance with Minnesota Law.

Having a competent MN Divorce Law Firm on your side when getting a divorce in the state of Minnesota will help ensure your divorce is fully compliant with the law, all agreements and division of real property, personal property and custody of any children affected by the divorce.

Brown Family Law is a MN Divorce Law Firm of divorce lawyers and attorneys focusing on Divorce and Family Law cases. Our attorneys represent clients throughout Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area. Call or contact us or visit our MN Divorce Law Firm Blog for information and guidance in contested divorce, uncontested divorce, child custody cases, child support, and more.