Guide to Reducing The Cost of Divorce in North Carolina

In addition to using John Walker Attorney to file your no contest divorce in North Carolina, here are some additional suggestions from our legal staff.

1. Educate yourself - Learn as much as you can about divorce and all related issues in North Carolina. In addition to our answering your questions, you can also research the NC divorce laws on the Internet or visit a local law library in North Carolina for answers about simple no contest divorce and contested divorce.

2. Do not litigate - You will keep more of your money by filing a no contest divorce in North Carolina instead of giving it to a lawyer to go to court to argue a divorce. Only as a last resort if all else fails do you hire an attorney to fight your divorce. Try negotiation, try collaborative, try settlement conferences or mediation, but do not litigate. You might win at the trial but the cost will be expensive. Most divorce attorneys charge by the hour and It doesn't make sense to give a divorce attorney the economic incentive to make your life miserable by dragging things out. By avoiding long-winded telephone conversations and unnecessarily long meetings with a trial attorney, you will save an enormous amount of money. Physicians don't bill hourly - they charge a fixed fee for an office visit or your surgery. In addition, litigation is destructive. Unfortunately, litigation is necessary in some cases and there will always be people that just can not agree no matter how hard you try and is only for the most desperate situations. That's why The Divorce Clinic has successfully filed over 26,000 divorce judgment's because we swiftly file your paperwork and our fee of $150.00 is very affordable.

3. Analyze the cost-benefits of a no contest divorce - Don't get caught up in the emotion and make all of your decisions from that vantage point for your divorce. Spending time analyzing your case from a logical, cost-benefit perspective can bring rewards. Stay focused on getting the divorce finished so you can move on with your life. Some divorcing people make bad financial decisions like spending $5,000 to get a $150 divorce. If you can't see a clear connection between your actions and achieving a final resolution of your case, then don't take that action.

To get started, you can either complete this simple online form so
that we have some basic information about you or you can call
our office at 1-800-303-0960.

North Carolina is unique in that not like most states, married couples can obtain a divorce without discussing finances, property or child custody. If you do want to discuss finances, property and child custody, John Walker and the Divorce Clinic provides a basic Separation Agreement for $400.00. We suggest that you make a small list of the things you and your spouse agree on first. By getting these things covered you may be able to save money by resolving the areas of disagreement. Specifically, what you really want and need and what your spouse really wants, what your financial situation is, and is likely to be. Plus, maybe you'll realize that you agree on all the major issues and the others aren't worth fighting over. If you do decide to try one-on-one negotiations with your spouse, use these guidelines:

A. Negotiate in a neutral place where you feel safe and designate a predetermined time. If things get hot, break off negotiations immediately. Another fight isn't worth it and will make the next meeting that more difficult. B. When discussing settlement between you and your spouse, list all the areas that you agree on. There may be more than you think. C. The harder discussions - what you can't agree on. Try to hear what your spouse has to say, without arguing the points. Then try to get your spouse to hear what you have to say, without raising your voice. D. Think about the items of property you'll be getting when you and your spouse make guesses about their value the lower the values on your items, the more items you'll get in a 50% division." Don't prematurely offer some dollar amount that you'll offer, or that you're willing to accept - this can either set expectations too high, or cheat you out of what you'll need to live on." E. Address all the issues at once, even though you have the option to deal with key areas - child custody, property at different times, it generally makes more sense to try and do it all at once. In addition to speeding up the process and prompting closure this can also reduce expenses.

Using John Walker Attorney can help you avoid expensive miscalculations and devastating mistakes. In the end a large number of couples in North Carolina opt for private settlement. It's a less difficult and less unpredictable outcome than letting things deteriorate to the point that can only be left to the whim of a judge. A no contest divorce also keeps financial and personal secrets that you and your spouse don't want to make public.