Divorce (known as dissolution of marriage in the State of California) can be a costly process. In addition to the time and energy that you may spend resolving the matter, you may be faced with heavy legal expenses as well.
Doug McKeague, an Orange County divorce lawyer with almost 30 years of experience, recognizes this concern. He helps clients avoid unnecessary expenses by identifying cost-saving measures that will help them to settle their cases. These methods include…
Free Initial Divorce Consultation
When a potential client contacts Doug about acting as his or her divorce lawyer in Orange County, they meet for an initial consultation. This discussion is free of charge.
An initial consultation helps the potential client:
- Understand the process of divorce.
- Identify needs/wants and establish goals.
- Create a strategy for reaching a satisfactory settlement.
At the end of the session, the individual can choose whether or not to retain Doug as counsel.
Declaration of Disclosure
Another way in which Doug saves clients money as an Orange County divorce attorney is by eliminating billable hours.
Typically in family law proceedings, clients need to make a preliminary declaration of disclosure. This means that you and your spouse identify your income, expenses, assets, and debts.
If your lawyer gathers this information for you, you may face greater expenses because of the time involved. Doug recommends that his clients save money by doing the research on their own. He advises them about the requirements for disclosure and recommends a process to follow that makes research simpler.
In fact, many clients find that collecting information on their own is easier than having a third party, such as an attorney, handle it. That’s because the client already has access to credit cards and bank accounts and knows his / her holdings better. Plus, it allows the attorney to work on other important goals they have.
Questions about your Divorce and Communications
The divorce process includes several situations in which you will want an attorney present in Orange County. Divorce lawyers for the opposition may request a meeting with you to get additional information about your disclosure, for example. Or, Doug may schedule conferences to deal with issues such as spousal support, child support, and child visitation.
The result of these necessary meetings is that you may incur billable expenses. Doug looks for ways to limit billable time while providing you with the information and advice that you require. Unlike many attorneys, he does not typically charge clients for brief communications by phone, text, and email. Doug also handles in-person consultations efficiently; he structures these talks to give you the most out of your time together while reducing billable hours. As a result, you enter conferences prepared and less burdened by the expense of the process.