The cost of family law cases varies widely for reasons other than your attorney’s hourly rate. (The ethical rules governing attorney conduct prevent family law attorneys from billing on contingency). Many factors affecting cost are outside your attorney’s control. For example, if you and your spouse agree to the division of your assets and debts early on, in general the cost will be far less than a trial in which a judge makes the decisions. In some instances, costs are driven by litigation tactics employed by your spouse and his/her attorney. The less reasonable and cooperative the other side is in negotiating a resolution, the more expensive the litigation will be.
