Clients have asked over the years what they can do to save money in their divorce or child custody cases. I always have suggestions. I am sharing my most common suggestion – which also happens to be common sense. The largest expense a client incurs in a divorce and/or child custody case is the attorney fees incurred in preparing for trial and trial itself. Eliminating the trial eliminates the expense of those attorney fees. The easiest way to reduce the attorney fees is to avoid trial by entering into a settlement agreement.
A settlement agreement, also known as a separation agreement, is a written agreement whereby Husband and Wife are able to agree how the marital assets and debts are to be divided. In child custody cases, the settlement includes discussing where the child or children will live, how much time they are going to spend with each parent, where the child or children will attend school, etc. The key to a compromise settlement is for husband and wife to be able to communicate. Maintaining the ability to communicate helps facilitate the possibility of settlement rather than trial. Discussing with your spouse what assets or items each person wants are extremely helpful. As you might imagine, incurring attorney fees to argue as to who should be awarded the pots and pans, linens, etc. is not the best use of a client’s financial resources because many household items can be replaced with new items for the amount of money a client will spend in attorney fees. Clients will generally save money in their divorce cases if they can openly discuss with their spouse how to divide certain assets and debts.
Sometimes a husband and wife are unable to communicate with each other during a divorce, either because a restraining order has been entered or because the circumstances leading to the divorce make communication difficult. A compromise settlement can still be achieved even under these circumstances. The key to a compromise settlement is maintaining a reasonable approach to the division of the marital property and debts. Nobody really wants to take all the marital debts but receive none of the marital assets. In other words, a spouse is not as incentivized to settle the divorce case if they can only benefit from a trial.
This article is not intended to suggest that you should abandon obtaining a lawyer. A divorce is filed with a court. Courts are always involved even though lawyers can sometimes obtain a divorce for a client without the client actually attending court. Courts are not user-friendly to those people unfamiliar the rules, procedures and laws which judges are required to follow and uphold.
For more information regarding your rights in a divorce and/or child custody case, please contact me at (573) 821-4013 or by email at scotthamblin@brydonlaw.com.
A Jefferson City man faced DUI charges following a field sobriety test. Charges against the defendant were dropped after Scott successfully maintained the client’s claims that the test results were inaccurate. While the client initially appeared to be in a difficult situation, Scott was able to push investigators to determine the sobriety test results as invalid, so the charges were dismissed.
A mother was seeking sole custody of her children following a divorce. The father refused to cooperate, leaving the client in a difficult situation as she felt as though her children didn’t have a voice. Scott recognized her need for an advocate and carefully listened to the children’s wishes, which conclusively helped the client achieve sole custody of her children and protected their best interests.
A client from Fulton was accused of drug possession as a result of a home search. While drug charges may potentially be filed as a Class C felony involving severe consequences, Scott was able to help the client receive a reduced sentence. Ultimately, the client faced significantly smaller penalties compared to the initial charges.
Scott assisted a defendant in a particularly challenging divorce case in which the other spouse was not cooperating. Scott was able to help the client avoid court through an aggressive legal approach to resolve all outstanding disagreements while maintaining the client’s long-term needs.
One client sought legal assistance after an altercation with another individual in Jefferson City. The client was arrested on assault charges despite allegedly not starting the fight. Since an arrest can lead to life-altering penalties such as being terminated from employment and serving jail time, Scott was able to build a solid legal defense in the client’s favor and argued in favor of the client’s innocence.
A grandparent sought visitation rights to his grandchild after the parent tried to block him. Scott takes grandparents’ rights very seriously, and so he devised a strategy to help the grandparent set a visitation schedule. Scott developed a strategy to show that the child’s best interests were fulfilled through the grandparent’s ability to visit the child, helping push the case towards a resolution in the client’s favor.
Scott assisted a client who was injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence. The defendant claimed that the opposing party using their phone at the time of the crash, and Scott emphasized this claim to show that the other driver was at fault for the client’s injuries. The case concluded with the client receiving the necessary compensation for medical bills following a long hospital stay due to injuries.
My husband and I hired Mr Hamblin for a criminal matter that happen to me by accident I had some issues that happen and I have never been in any trouble. However I did some research on criminal defense attorneys and Mr. Hamblin named appeared. I did some research on him and found that he use to be a prosecuting attorney. Any way making a long story short we hired Mr . Hamblin for my defense lawyer,he did not judge me for what had happened, he provided me with straight foward answers and he knew the law very well I…
Scott is an extremely knowledgeable lawyer. Gives his 100% on every case.
I'm not sure where the one star review came from, but Scott is a wonderful attorney! He did such a great job, didn't rush me in my consultation and helped me win my case! Thanks again Scott!
Helped my family with a variety of issues!
Scott Hamblin represented my company in a civil litigation. He was incredibly responsive and knowledgeable. His incredible passion to do the very best for his clients was not only apparent it was effective when we were able to gain the results we were looking for. I highly recommend Scott Hamblin for your legal needs.
My husband and I have used Scott as our lawyer for adoption , he was very professional as well as caring in the case. He also helped us with our personal Wills, Durable Power of Attorney, and our Health Directives. He is very thorough and explains everything step by step, and answers any questions you may have to make you feel 100% secure. We would use Scott for all and any matters requiring a lawyer. Thank you Scott, you are a top notch lawyer.
Scott did an excellent job. He was available as needed and always listened. He responded quickly to e-mails or phone calls. He didn't just "tell me what to do." Instead, he listened to my input and helped me make informed decisions. I always felt as though he had time for me as a client.
Scott is very compassionate but honest man. I have known Scott for 10+ years. I met him while fostering children with Cole County Childrens Division. When he became the adoption lawyer for Cole Couuty Childrens Division in 2007 my husband and I was one of the first to use him to become adoptive parents to our then two year old foster son. Our son just turned 13 years old this year. In 2013, he represented my husband and I to get guardianship for our foster daughter. We are beyond blessed to have such a great guy like Scott to represent…
Exceptional to work with, easy to talk to and extremely efficient. We have used Scott on two major issues now and have walked away both times more than satisfied. If someone has a significant legal issue pressing, Scott Hamblin, without question is who they need representing them.
For accessible and experienced representation, contact attorney Scott Hamblin today.
NUVEW | Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved | Accessibility Notice | Privacy Policy
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Attorney Advertising. This information is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors, therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. By providing contact information, users acknowledge and give explicit consent to be contacted via the methods of communication provided, including SMS. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. Reply STOP to opt out.
