Our job as family law attorneys is to help protect our clients and their assets. But what if there was a way for you to do more—helping them save money in their family law cases? Saving your clients money may sound like the impossible dream in a legal world of pure emotions and billable hours, but with a few savvy improvements and a little bit of knowledge about low-cost and no-cost options, it can be done. This article will show you how you can help keep your clients’ legal costs down while still delivering excellent service!
Legal technology has the potential to revolutionize how lawyers practice law and, in turn, decrease the cost of legal services for clients. By streamlining processes such as document drafting and research discovery with automation, technology can save an enormous amount of time over more traditional methods. Additionally, analytics powered by artificial intelligence can help lawyers quickly identify key facts within cases that are essential to successful outcomes without having to manually read through each document.
Moreover, these same tools can be used by firms to manage case information more efficiently while providing their clients with digital portals that allow secure, direct access into their family law matters. Ultimately, with legal technology at their disposal, law firms can dedicate fewer resources per case while delivering better results faster—allowing them to pass the savings on to their clientele. One piece of software that can assist you with these features is case management software from a reputable provider. Most modern case management software has some form of automation. If you take the time to create templates of the most common pleadings you draft in family law, your custom fields from the case management software will prepare the document in just moments—not hours. It will further decrease the odds of drafting embarrassing, error-ridden documents.
Finding and gathering relevant evidence in family law cases can be a challenging and expensive endeavor. However, with the right resources at hand, gathering pertinent information for your case does not need to deplete your client’s wallet. Low-cost or no-cost resources exist to help litigators access crucial pieces of evidence that could make or break their case.
The Internet is filled with free public records such as property values from county tax assessors, court dockets, and mortgage filings that may provide valuable insight into financial matters such as asset division after divorce or income for child support payments. Additionally, local law libraries are great sources for legal texts that may aid in understanding statutes related to custody issues and other aspects of family law litigation processes.
It is important not to underestimate how much critical evidence may be found from a social media search. Spouses in family law litigation love to trash their counterparts on social media more times than advised. Also, don’t forget to look for spouses posting pictures from travels with their mistresses. These pieces of evidence can add validity to your argument requesting spousal support.
If your matter involves alleged domestic violence, be sure to request apartment complex records of any reports showing a pattern of complaints of any party in the action. Depending on your jurisdiction, these records may fall under the business record exception to the hearsay rule.
As family law litigation becomes ever more complex, attorneys sometimes must use an expert to drive home their arguments in court. Rather than the “go-to” psychologist, accountant, etc., consider the up-and-coming experts who are less known and less costly. These experts can provide helpful advice and insight into the case while saving limited financial resources.
These specialists can range from forensic accountants to property appraisers or even mental health counselors. One possibility to consider, should your jurisdiction permit it, is to use an expert who is completing the last requirements of licensing and is under the supervision of a licensed professional.
Utilizing these professionals is essential for an attorney to gain a full understanding of all relevant information concerning the client’s case. These professionals also offer invaluable opinions that could help sway a judge or jury (in jurisdictions including Texas and Georgia) should a trial become necessary. Ultimately, utilizing expert witnesses who have specialized knowledge related to family law litigation provides attorneys with a greater depth of knowledge and guidance throughout their proceedings and helps achieve better outcomes for their clients. Even if you do not use the expert as an actual witness, consider a phone consultation to learn more about the field in question.
Lastly, find out the treatise your expert and the rest of the specialized community uses for their knowledge in their particular field of study. You may then use this resource as a guide for the judge in your matter if your jurisdictional evidence code permits. Using the treatise is invaluable for crafting direct and cross-examination regarding the topic at hand. You will essentially get the expert information admitted without the expense of the expert.
More information and in-depth discussion on other cost-saving tips in your practice of family law can be found in Cost Effective Child Custody Litigation (which I co-authored with Kumudha N. Kumarachandran), published in 2022 by the American Bar Association Family Law Section.
