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Getting divorced is never easy. But when you have to deal with high legal bills along with everything else it can be scarier than it has to be. We have come up with several ways you can keep your legal costs under control. 1. Do you really even need to hire a lawyer? If you are unsure of your legal rights or responsibilities then there is no substitute for the advice of a lawyer, especially one with experience in divorce matters. However, once you have had your questions answered, you may find that you can handle your divorce on your own - or with just a little help. The vast majority of divorce cases are uncontested - the spouses have agreed on the terms of divorce. The relationship is over and needs legal closure. You cannot expect the court office to prepare your paperwork for you but there are some affordable alternatives to law firms. One is a do-it-yourself divorce kit. You can buy one of these for about $30 at most bookstores or office supply stores. They give you the basic information you need along with the blank forms you will need to fill out. It will still take some time to read through and figure out what they are telling you to do but it has the advantage of being the cheapest possible option. A second way to go is to hire an online service that will take your information, prepare your forms, and email them to you along with specific instructions allowing you to file them at the court office yourself. For a couple of hundred bucks this is far easier than the do it yourself kit and still saves loads of money compared to hiring a lawyer to do it all for you. 2. Consider mediation. In the mediation process you are still in the driver’s seat, no judge gets involved and lawyers are optional. Instead a mediator, a professional trained in assisting spouses to negotiate with each other, will help you settle any issues you have been unable to agree upon. Even touchy issues are usually successfully resolved when both spouses are prepared to give mediation their best effort. Mediation is going to cost you a few thousand dollars so you have to keep the alternative in mind. Sure, if you and your spouse can settle matters without a mediator then that is the way to go. But if the alternative is a court room battle you will both by out tens of thousands of dollars. If you can spend a couple of thousand and avoid this through mediation then the choice is obvious. 3. If you need legal advice see how much of it you can get for free by taking advantage of the common 30 minute free consultation. Be sure to ask if the lawyer offers these freebies before you make an appointment. They are common enough that if you call around you should be able to find someone who will talk to you for a while for free. 4. Although almost all lawyers charge based on an hourly rate, they will bill you for every single minute they spend working on your file. That means writing, dictating, preparing documents, and even just speaking to you briefly on the phone. Every minute is costing you money so don’t make frequent calls for updates. Instead establish some regular reporting system up front such as arranging to receive a copy of all letters and documents or a monthly report letter. 5. If possible you might try to arange to pay a flat fee for some or all of your lawyer’s services rather than paying by the hour. Most won’t agree but if your lawyer will it will relieve both of you from the concern over billing and let you place all your attention on getting results. This is also an excellent motivator for your lawyer to get the whole case finished as quickly and easily as possible.