When two people in love get married, they can’t imagine a time when they may feel differently about their spouse. But over time, the spark may go out for a wide range of reasons, leaving them filing for divorce. It’s easy to place blame but sometimes, it just happens, through no fault of you or your spouse.
The divorce requirements in the UK are strict. In fact, the UK doesn’t have a so-called “quickie” divorce option. Therefore, the average cost of a divorce in the UK is slightly higher than in the U.S.
Divorce is Emotionally and Financially Draining
Perhaps due to stricter requirements or other reasons, the divorce rate in the UK is slightly lower than in most other countries. However, regardless of your home country, divorce is a brutal and oftentimes contentious proceeding.
No one gets married thinking their marriage won’t last. The disappointment and disillusionment can present as anger and spite toward your spouse. Accepting that your marriage is overtaken a huge emotional toll.
8 Tips to Reduce the Cost of Divorce
The thing to remember about the emotional and financial tolls of divorce is that you’ll move on from it. It can feel overwhelming while you’re going through it. But as with most things, it gets better.
But reducing the financial costs can help alleviate some of the emotional stress for the time being. Here are 8 ways to save money on divorce costs.
1. Share the costs with your spouse. Splitting the cost with your former spouse can ease the financial burden of the divorce for both of you.
2. Compromise on the splitting of assets. Consider this – the longer the divorce proceedings last, the more it will cost. Instead of bickering over who owns what, divide your assets evenly or, at the very least, fairly.
3. Listen to the advice of your solicitor, not your friends or family. Your friends and family will have a lot of well-meaning advice to offer. However, their loyalty to you will render them unable to be objective. Listen to the true objective professionals. Divorces are literally their job.
4. Organize your financial documents yourself. Hiring someone to organize your financial papers is yet another cost to add to the financial burden of divorce. If possible, handle your documents yourself.
5. Skip professional appraisals on assets. Similarly, hiring someone to appraise your house or car is an additional expense. You can avoid this by coming to an agreement with your spouse as to the worth of each asset.
6. Divvy up household possessions yourselves. Another frivolous cost that can be handled on your own. Unless you have millions in rare artwork, dividing the household items, such as furniture, is a relatively simple task.
7. Go the ‘no-fault’ divorce route. When filing for divorce, the other party can consent or contest the divorce. If the divorce is contested, it can take an additional three months or longer. Filing a “no-fault” petition can save time and money.
8. Don’t forget to file paperwork to separate financial responsibilities. The divorce only legally dissolves the marriage. In the UK, another petition must be filed to separate financial responsibilities. Failing to do so can cost you big down the line.
Divorce is a Modern Fact of Life
There was a time when couples simply suffered together until the end of their days. However, now we are more accepting that sometimes a marriage just doesn’t work out. It’s a sad but common fact of life.