After my last blog post, I am getting a lot of emails… let me say this as clearly as I can, divorce’s are cheaper now due to the fact that most court appearances are virtual. Sitting around the courthouse waiting to be reached usually doubles the time in court on a motion. Trials are notoriously interrupted by a host of administrative and emergencies which routinely eat through the day.
People get caught in traffic, they forget their file… human error causes delay, and as I’ve mentioned before and will again, yes it takes time to get everyone to look at the same exhibit.
Another point to consider is lawyers have more time to do substantive work. Pre- Covid it sometimes became difficult to set up a conference due to the time constraints put on the workday joined with the physical location of everyone in the matter that was in need of attendance. Now with virtual platforms available at the ready, most of us have found more time available for substantive discussion now that we are not focused on more mundane tasks and driving to court. All these innovations are really efficient and enure to the benefit of the litigants. I would encourage you to not be afraid of the courts under these new rules. If your matter is complex and the lawyers agree there are still trials in person with appropriate approval but most of the time a virtual courtroom works just fine.
Review your issues with your lawyer and discuss the economic savings of virtual litigation. I am willing to bet you will be pleasantly surprised. You can still have a quality outcome while having less of a hardship on your wallet and savings. Keeping the cost of a divorce down is important. These new tools should be discussed and explored!