While many family law attorneys try to keep their fees reasonable for these services, the client may still feel left out of most of the process for which he or she is paying. The Cost of Fear and Anger Much of the cost of litigated divorce is driven by one or both parties' fear or anger. This may be because of an affair, bad financial decisions, substance abuse, or other issues which caused mistrust. However, a party can still use mediation for decision-making, while using a consulting attorney to advise the client, examine financial documents, and review the Marital Settlement Agreement to protect the client's interests. This is much less expensive than taking the whole case to court because of fear or anger.
Counseling can also help remove the emotional issues from financial and legal decision-making.
At worst, you might spend a few hundred dollars on mediation and end up in court anyway. However, there is greater likelihood that you will finish in mediation if you start. In that case, you may have saved yourself tens of thousands of dollars.