Your marriage is coming to an end. You are about to begin a new chapter of your life, and you would prefer to start it without a mountain of divorce costs. Although the thought of a do-it-yourself divorce has crossed your mind, you know that doing so may complicate matters, drag out the process and often can result in additional, future litigation. Furthermore, if your partner has an attorney, and you decide to represent yourself, the judge may never hear “your side of the story,” and you may lose everything. If you know that having legal divorce help is your best option, but you are wary of the cost, try these budget-friendly divorce tips:

File for an Uncontested Divorce

Every couple that gets involved in a divorce case has varied expectations as to what the process is going to be like. Some people have prior insights obtained from friends and relatives, while others have no insights at all. The truth is, however, that every divorce is unique, and there is no foolproof method to predict how a break-up will happen. The only factor common to every divorce is the outcome: one married life becomes two separate lives. 

Going through a divorce is almost always difficult. Those who successfully dissolve a marriage earn a great deal of knowledge in the process that they often wish they had before the divorce began. Many divorced individuals will then happily pass on their knowledge to others who may be facing divorce. Here are a few of the best tips from those who have already been where you may be today:

Social media is ostensibly meant to bring people together, not tear them apart. However, in recent years, these sites seem to have accomplished the opposite for many couples, as there are studies which indicate that sites such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram may be a contributing factor to divorce rates. 

Although most people begin using social media accounts with positive intentions, these apps can start consuming a high percentage of a person’s day. The average American checks their social media 17 times each day. Although this statistic is much lower than many other countries, Americans utilize the most mobile data on a consistent basis, using an average of 4.7 hours daily per person. You may also be surprised to learn that adults ages 25 to 54 are the most frequent culprits when it comes to compulsive social media checking. All of this time we spend attached to our phones can take away from valuable family time and can give too much of our attention to the lives of others. These sites are now commonly cited as a factor leading to the demise of a relationship.

Social media is everywhere. Over the last decade, social media usage has skyrocketed to over 90% of the population. From opinionated tweets, to eye-catching photography on Instagram, to everyday stories on Facebook, everyone has something to say. While this is great for building businesses and maintaining relationships, sometimes not everything is meant to be shared with the world. Poorly timed posts have resulted in job loss, lawsuits, and even arrests. Likewise, anyone considering divorce should carefully think about who may be watching.

Admissibility in Court

Accuracy is essential when it comes to the paternity of a child. What the future may hold for a child is often at stake, in addition to any pending marital, custody, or support issues. An accurate test enables the child to have a bond with a paternal figure, a relationship that is proven to have numerous benefits for the child even after they enter into adulthood. However, before you grab a paternity test at your local drug store, you will want to consider the accuracy rate of such testing.

How Paternity Tests Work