Limited scope divorce may be most easily explained by what it is not. The most common structure for working with an attorney in a divorce is to have that attorney be your attorney of record. When an attorney is your attorney of record, he or she will place their name on all legal filings made with the court. They will handle negotiations and other discussions with your spouse’s lawyer (or the spouse directly, although you can always negotiate and discuss the divorce directly with your spouse, no matter the structure), and they will be required to appear on your behalf in any court proceedings, among other things. Needless to say, these court appearances and interactions with opposing counsel can result in more attorney’s fees than you were hoping to pay. Also, when your spouse receives legal documents with the name of an attorney on them, that spouse may feel like it’s necessary to get his or her own attorney as well.