Money is tight these days for a lot of Salt Lake City residents, which is why some spouses fear getting a divorce. The misconception that divorce has to be expensive causes some people to remain in an unhappy marriage. The truth is that divorce can be as expensive or inexpensive as the couple wants it to be.

Saving money is a goal for many people regardless of their financial standing, and there are a lot of ways to save money during a divorce. One of the best ways to keep costs down without sacrificing the protection that a divorce attorney provides is to undergo divorce mediation.

Extensive court appearances can quickly cause the cost of divorce to increase, but divorce mediation can keep couples out of court. When couples can use mediation to negotiate a settlement agreement out-of-court, it can significantly reduce the cost, speed up the process and even keep the terms of the agreement private.

One way to aid the success of mediation is for each spouse to really think about what they want to get out of the divorce. They should look both at the emotional and monetary value of assets to determine what is most important to them.

It isn’t just property agreements that can be mediated. A lot of couples may not be in love anymore, but don’t contest the fact that the other is a good parent. Child custody agreements can be determined and modified outside of court.

If saving money is an important part of your decision to dissolve your marriage, an attorney can lay out your options and provide creative solutions that save while ensuring that your financial future is also protected in the process.

Source: Fox Business, “How to Make Your Divorce Cheaper,” Andrea Murad – 5-16-2013