Is your main divorce or de facto separation fear having a very expensive legal bill? Are you currently going through separation negotiations, mediation, property settlement or a child custody battle? In this episode we discuss the five most common and easy ways to rack up your legal bill and how to avoid it. If you don’t want an expensive divorce or separation, listen to these five things your lawyer or you might be doing and learn how to stop it.  Please note this is general advice only. Please always seek independent legal advice as everyone’s situation is different.  Click here to learn more about your DIY DIVORCE BLUEPRINT Click here for our free before you leave checklist  Click here for our free mediation checklist Sign up here for our next free online webinar Waitlist for our self represent in the family court course   Cases mentioned Strahan and Strahan Case   Podcast Episodes that are related to this topic Choosing a Lawyer and Red Flags not to ignore Costs and Calderbank Offers Episode   You Don’t Want to Miss Out On The case of strahan and strahan and why its a cautionary tale Lawyer “Ping Pong” letters and how to avoid them Why getting the facts matter  Why proof will save you $$$ in your legal bills How to negotiate and keep your legal costs down Why negotiating your property settlement isn’t the same as negotiating for a house or used car with a sales agent.  What you need to take if you are self representing yourself at mediation How does hunting for documents cost you high legal fees Bank statements and disclosure in negotiations What type of disclosure do you need for mediation The new family law rules for disclosure  Why you should have a reason for each document your lawyer starts hunting What happens with disclosure in your court case Questions to ask yourself for each disclosure you ask for How disclosure correlates to legal costs Why the court is still using paper instead of online documents Why you need to have a copy of your documents in hard copy sometimes Post separation abuse, disclosure & your privacy Domestic violence and disclosure and privacy The central practice direction on disclosure Subpoenas and the process Who is allowed to issue subpoenas and how many Documents and disclosure and legal costs What is the step in step out approach What happens if you don’t like your lawyer? What happens if you need a second opinion from another lawyer? Can you change lawyers? Issues with changing lawyers The difference between an accredited family law specialist and a general lawyer Choosing a lawyer and how it can affect your legal fee costs Can you use a general lawyer for your family law case? Statistics of court self represented litigants  Statistics of cost of family court matters If you need emergency help you can also contact: WOMEN'S SHELTER SERVICE  LEGAL AID Lifeline 13 11 14 Mensline Australia 1300 789 978 Kids Help Line 1800 551 800 Aboriginal Family Domestic Violence Hotline 1800 019 123 Relationships Australia  Police on 000 DVConnect Womensline on 1800 811 811 (24 hours, 7 days a week) Note: This number is not recorded on your phone bill DV Connect Mensline on 1800 600 636 National DV line on 1800 737 732.1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on the next practical steps and guide to your divorce or de facto separation coming soon. And, if you’ve found this episode helpful, please leave a rating and a review so it can help others. Thank you.  Please note this is general advice only. Please always seek independent legal advice as everyone’s situation is different.