Get the cheapest divorce that fits

There are at least seven ways to get divorced. Start at the low end and move up only for a reason.

Drawn from the book: Chapter 28.

Route	How it works	Right when
Do it yourselves	You settle everything and file the court’s paperwork. Self-help centers explain it, and online services fill it out for a few hundred dollars.	The marriage was short, with no kids, no pension, and little to divide
Simplified procedure	A fast track that many states offer.	You pass your state’s checklist, which usually means a brief marriage, no kids, few assets, and no disputes
Mediation	A neutral helps you reach terms, and each of you can have a lawyer check them.	You can sit in a room together and you both know the money
Collaborative divorce	Two lawyers and a signed pledge to stay out of court, often with one shared financial expert.	Both of you are acting in good faith and the finances are complicated
Negotiated settlement	The lawyers swap disclosures and offers and resolve it before trial. Most contested cases end up here.	You have a real dispute
Arbitration or a private judge	You pay the person who decides. It’s quicker and private, though most states limit it to money.	You’re stuck but want it fast and confidential
Trial	A judge decides.	All else has failed, or your spouse is concealing assets or is dangerous

When cheap is wrong

Skipping lawyers backfires when there’s a pension, a company, or a house with serious equity. An error there can cost more than the fees you saved, and a property settlement is final. Mediation doesn’t fit after abuse, or when one of you has no idea what the two of you own.

Spending less on any route

• Hire a lawyer for one task. Many states now permit it. Have one review your settlement, prep you for a hearing, draft the pension order, or show up once. Spending $1,500 on a specialist’s read of a deal you negotiated yourselves is a bargain.
• Ask about flat fees for an uncontested case, a prenup, or one motion. More family lawyers now offer them.
• Split the furniture and dishes yourselves. Those decisions aren’t worth $450 an hour.
• Bring in a mediator for the middle of the case. One person at $300 an hour beats two at $450 each.
• Name your budget at the first meeting and ask what it buys.

If you can’t afford a lawyer

You’d have company. Most family court cases include at least one person with no lawyer.

• Court self-help centers are free. They can’t advise you, but they walk you through forms, deadlines and steps.
• Legal aid is for low incomes, and cases with violence or children go first. Offices can’t take everyone, but apply even if you doubt you qualify. LawHelp.org lists offices by state.
• Law school clinics often handle family cases at no charge, with students under supervision.
• Many bar programs refer people over the legal-aid income limit to lawyers who charge less.
• Fee waivers cover the filing fee. The clerk has the form.
• One paid hour with a family lawyer before you sign a settlement beats any other hour you could buy.
• A fee award can make a spouse with money pay for your lawyer. A first consultation can tell you if that’s realistic.

If you’re in danger, skip all of this and call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233. Its advocates can connect you with free lawyers for protective orders.