And I Thought My Divorce was Expensive.....

I spent $40,000 in legal fees for my divorce, but that seems like a bargain compared to what Britney Spears will have to shell out in attorney fees.

It is estimated her legal bill will be close to $700,000 for her divorce and custody fight with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

The majority of that bill comes from her former lawyer, Stacy D. Phillips, who claimed in court filings that she is owed nearly $407,000 for four months of work. She also claims she has written off an additional $125,000 in fees.

A half a million dollars in four months? It is hard to believe a lawyer can justified charging a client that much money for such a short time period. Kevin Federline's lawyers charged $250,000 for representation but worked well over a year on the case. Laura Wasser, the attorney who helped the couple finally reach a settlement, charge $60,000 for 2 months of work.

The moral of the story here for us normal, non-celebrities, is that divorce lawyers sometimes do jack up fees and prolong cases when a couple has assets and money. I am sure Ms. Phillips wouldn't have billed a "normal" client a half a million dollars for the same amount of work as she billed Ms.Spears.

The other lesson to take from this seemingly unimportant story about Britney Spears is something I have said over and over again. The biggest winners in your divorce will be not be you or ex, it will be the lawyers if you choose to litigate your divorce in family court. It is is possible to reach a divorce settlement without fighting, animosity and outrageous legal fees. That of course requires that both you and your ex cooperate and consider the use a mediator. If this is not a possibility, protect yourself from soaring legal fees by keeping close tabs on what your attorney is charging you and encourage he or she to try and reach a settlement with your ex's attorney as soon as possible instead of duking it out in court.

The Legal Aspect of Divorce-What You Need to Know...

Most of us are not prepared when faced with a divorce. Our world is turned upside down and we are emotional wrecks, trying to deal with feelings of anger, hurt and sadness and yet at the same time, needing to protect our legal rights.

It can be overwhelming and frustrating to get educated quickly about divorce law, so naturally, most of us hire an divorce attorney with whom we entrust our financial futures to. This blind trust of a stranger, who may or may not represent us to the best of his or her abilites can be dangerous.

It is crucial that you get a divorce education and do it fast. There is a new book that I recommend that gives you all of the legal notes and bolts of divorce. Quick Divorce: Everything You Need to Save, Time, Money and Get it Done Fast and Legally by Linda Connell, Attorney at Law is jam packed with legal information.

There are checklists, tips and sample forms and the book even list divorce lawyers by state. This book covers all of the divorce legal issues that you need to be familiar with and it maps it out in a simple, easy to use format.

No matter how distraught you are right now, you need to find the inner strength to take control of your divorce and protect yourself legally. You do not want to turn your divorce over to a professional without getting up to speed first. By becoming educated, you hold the cards. You can become an active participant in the legal aspects of the divorce. In any situation in life, you take back your power when you gain knowledge and are able to make more clear, rational decisions when you understand what is going on.

How To Hire A Divorce Lawyer With No Money...

The Washington State Supreme Court rejected a woman's claim that she had a right to have a publicly appointed attorney in her divorce case. Sadly, the woman lost custody of her three children during her divorce because she could not afford an attorney and represented herself. The court feels that "divorces are civil matters that do not warrant state-funded counsel".

The playing field in divorce court is obviously not level when the spouse who has greater access to money can hire a divorce lawyer and the poorer spouse is left to represent herself. The woman in this case did initially hire a divorce lawyer using her rent money, but was financially unable to continue to pay legal fees.

The old saying "only a fool represents themselves" is quite true in divorce court. Without a lawyer you stand very little chance of being successful, especially if your soon to be ex has hired a legal shark. But there are some measures you can take if you are facing a divorce and have very little or no money for an attorney:

1. Most divorce lawyers do not want you to know this, but they can file a motion with the court asking that your spouse foot your legal bills. If your spouse is the primary breadwinner and you do not have access to the martial funds, this is a good option. But beware, unless there are significant martial assets, most divorce lawyers prefer to get their retainer directly from you. They rather not petition the court before they have received any funds. You may have to interview several lawyers before finding one who will agree to this.

2. If borrowing from family and friends is not an option and you have no open credit or assets, then you can try pleading your case to divorce lawyers and ask them to represent you without a retainer. If there are martial assets that will be divided after the divorce is final, a lawyer may agree to represent you and collect his fee later.

3. If there are no martial assets to be divided in the divorce and you are facing a custody issue, you could try asking divorce lawyers to represent you pro bono (free of charge). This will be difficult, but if you are at risk of losing custody of your kids, and have a solid case, you may be able to persuade a law firm to help you. After all, lawyers are people too and you never know who may have a heart and lend you a hand. If this is the route you must take, you need to be persistent and not give up after being told no. Keep trying until you find someone who can help you.