I’m Jennifer Moore of Moore Family Law in Plymouth, Minnesota. Our legal practice encompasses trusts, estate law and probate as well as family law. But the holidays present a special challenge for families that are going through a divorce, a process which often brings with it disputes over emotional hurts, property, child support and alimony, custody and visitation and Spousal Support Lawyer MN.
TIMES ARE TOUGH – Discussed by a Minnesota Family Attorney
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has read / watched / talked about the economy this past weekend and gone, “Yikes!” Times are tough! This puts the emphasis on being very flexible, very opportunistic as it were, about how you stretch your precious few dollars and still get done what has to get done. We find people faced with this every day in our family law practice.
BARTER
Remember the story about Abraham Lincoln, who took various items in trade for legal services? True story! I could also tell you a story about how my mother paid for her first baby’s delivery by selling her cow Becky. Turned out she, and the baby, were quite happy with the results of the trade. The point is, if there’s a service you really need, and you are short on money, find someone you may be able to make a trade with, and make an offer to them. I wouldn’t expect the IRS to take a cow in trade (whether named Becky or not) but perhaps a solo Divorce lawyers Minnesota, your accountant, or small practitioner would take some work on their house or office or car or home computer. Try it! And, be ready to be flexible.
BARGAIN
Many of us are not good at this at all, except maybe during port time on a vacation cruise. The point here, I think is to go for not the cheapest but the best you can afford. I know of one family who always got everything the cheapest when they built a garage behind their house. They spent a lot of time in the courts trying to get recovery from the fly by night contractor who swindled them, *and* the garage leaked, too. Use your brain! If, for example, you’re bargaining for a lawyer and the cheap one has to look up everything in a book before he answers you, while the higher priced one knows the law already… you may be better off with the “more expensive” attorney since she has a better chance of actually accomplishing what you want.
CUT BACK
OK, I’m preaching motherhood and apple pie here, but cut back cut back cut back. More than a few people we know have discovered the parsimonious joys of shopping at that really bare bones – and small! – Grocery store chain. What applies to groceries applies to much of what we need in life. Yes we have to give up variety and some expensive favorites but if the alternative is between living parsimoniously or living on an ever increasing credit card balance, I for one would choose parsimony.
DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Anticipation of a dire situation is often worse than the situation itself. Someone once wrote that the fact that there is a problem means that the elements are already present in the situation, for a solution. You just have to dig it out. For myself, I find that doing *something* — provided I’ve put some thought into its appropriateness – is better than doing nothing. And, if after consideration, nothing is what you are compelled to do, that can work too.
DO SWEAT THE BIG STUFF
Family, friends, your own dignity and honesty. THIS *stuff* is well worth paying attention to; and making sure that even if at the cost of some short run advantages, there are principles you can stick to.
Please come back to our blog as we discuss more topics about Family Law and the economy. You can visit our website, or give Moore Family Law a call 763-951-7330, if you have questions that you need answered. We would be happy to assist you.
About Author
Jennifer graduated from the University of Minnesota cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. In 2006, Jennifer achieved her life’s dream; owning her own Family Law Attorney Minnesota practice. She practices every day as Divorce lawyers Minnesota with the intention of representing her clients’ future.
Moore Family Law Minnesota 