Getting a divorce, for whatever reason, is not always an inexpensive process. Lawyers cost money, but they are highly beneficial to have on your side during divorce proceedings, particularly when child support is involved. You want to ensure that all the details regarding child support are carefully evaluated by a legal professional. Having a child support lawyer working for you will save you a lot of money and heartache in the scheme of things.

However, many divorcing couples want to find the least expensive route to divorce in order to save money. Many times, couples who have decided to work out everything on their own with regard to the settlement of child support, custody, and the like want to attempt to use the same attorney to represent the couple as a whole rather than hiring two attorneys. The following is some information regarding if this is possible, along with some additional cost-saving measures for divorce and support hearings:

Can the Same Attorney Represent All Parties in the Proceedings?

In almost every case, one attorney cannot represent both parties to a divorce or child support issues. Aside from legal and ethical issues that can arise, it is actually not legal in most states. One attorney is not able to represent a couple as a whole with the best interest of both parties in mind. No matter how amicable a couple may be when divorcing, there are always issues that can arise in the midst of the proceedings that will have competing interests. This is especially the case with regard to custody and child support issues. If you both have conflicting opinions on child support, having one attorney is not going to be helpful, because he or she cannot objectively represent two different points of view. What is a lawyer to do in a situation like that? As you can see, using the same attorney is not feasible, and is prohibited by law in many states.

What Are Some Ways to Save Money During These Proceedings?

Although hiring one attorney for divorce and child support is not possible, there are some ways to reduce your expenses. The first thing you need to do is research different attorneys to see which ones may have some fee arrangements that line up with your needs.

For instance, some attorneys will provide a flat fee payment arrangement if you have already worked everything out between the two of you. The lawyer will simply review your arrangements and work with you on filing the required paperwork. There is less work for the attorney to do and will, therefore, reduce the amount of money you will need to pay.

 Another option is for one of you to hire an attorney while the other person to represent him or herself. This is referred to as pro se. If you are the pro se party, you can still hire an attorney to check over your documents without having to hire one for a full divorce and child support proceeding, also known as an unbundled package. This is best for couples who have already worked everything out or are amicable on all terms of the divorce.

In addition to these options, you can also choose to go through a mediation. Licensed attorneys will work with you to help reach a final decision regarding the divorce. They are not there to give you legal advice, but they do work through everything so that you all can come to a final agreement. This ensures that the interest of all parties remain protected.