What are the real cost of divorce?  The real cost is psychological and physical in addition to financial.  Those that face divorce are less likely to think of the psychological and physical cost.  They will primarily dwelling on where they can come up with the money to fund a divorce.

They shop around for the right lawyer and are most likely told to not worry about the financial expense.  That is once you pay a handsome retainer fee.  You are told that the partner with the most assets will pay for the divorce.  That may be true, but when do they pay.  Not each time the lawyer presents the client with a bill.  

Lawyers don’t work for free.  If you don’t pay as billed you don’t get much representation.  Yes, the court does order the able partner to pay some payments up front, but the court is not present each time you get a new bill from your lawyer.

Your lawyer must be willing to petition the court for the payment before the court will require the able partner to pay each new bill .  Even though you are lacking in funds and qualify (according to the court) as the unable partner, basically you must be prepared to pay your lawyer as you are billed.

This is part one of a series.