You need a second or even third opinion from attorneys. See if you can get some free consultations.

The attorney isn't going to do anything for you unless you pay them. Usually every phone call, every fax, email, text etc comes with a fee. Wouldn't it be nice it we could all do that in life - our time is important also.

Lawyer is probably telling you to do all that work yourself to save your money. Many will do the work and then just charge you for it, this one sounds like they are being a bit more honest then the rest.
Consultation with an attorney will just review what your status is and what you would need an attorney for. Many will do a consultation for a fee and reimburse you the initial confrontation fee after you give them a retainer.

My divorce decree did not say that I had to refinance, but it said that he was held harmless if I defaulted on it.

If you pay the mortgage by yourself and his name is on it he could technically try to take part of the deduction on his taxes even if he didn't pay any of it. And unless you have paperwork that says he is hold harmless, you can not deduct the full amount.

Did you get a divorce? if so, how does the decree read in respect to titles of property? if not, unless both parties agree to a quit claim, you can't change a title. Agreements have to be in writing and usually notarized by a court official

Hi. I was just reading the threads here. I paid $350.00 an hour for my attorney 13 years ago. All I can say is this . it took 2 1/2 years and many court dates to finally get that divorce. ( I had to sell my home to pay her off) do they care?? hell no.. did I get everything and more she promised me? yes! But, there's not a lawyer out ther that isnt scum of the earth re: $ (including mine) ( they'll even pretend to be your friend, dont trust them..it''s just (business and $) they care about. AND ive always heard/seen that whoever files first, wins.

I had an excellent female lawyer represent me in separation and divorce. She had to content with some real problems my STBX presented and she did well.

Ha ha, doesn't matter about how good the attorney is. I have had good, I have had bad.
I think its The complexity of the divorce, the mood of the judge, the craziness of the ex.

The attorneys practice often before the same judges so they know their idiosyncracies and how the judges like things done, and the good attorneys may cost more and are usually more skilled to handle the complexities, which include crazy exs. I hired her because she came highly recommended from an attorney friend. My divorce petition was filed "with cruelty" (with a cause and not a no fault) and I had a real crazy ex all during it and we were before the Judge constantly.

She did an excellent job and knew the 3 mediating attorneys and how they conducted mediation and what they wanted (which the opposing attorney didn't know them and didn't know the way they conducted their mediations).

A bad attorney gets you no where. A good attorney knows what's coming or is expecting it and has it under control.

I am having my first meeting with a lawyer on Tuesday and you guys are scaring me. Until this is settled I have no idea where I will stand financially so I hesitate to commit too much to a lawyer. Yikes!

Don't be scared. My divorce was pretty complex, not due to assets, but due to my abusive husband that was acting crazy all through it (coming to the home and threatening me; calling my boss at work asking if I was having an affair with him, etc.).

Below is a client interview form I had found on the internet a while back and it has info the attorneys can use. Try filling it out and take it with you. it will save you time and give the attorney a better idea of what you would be dealing with in divorce.

http://www.arlingtonfamilylaw.com/images/pdfs/Client_Interview_Divorce.pdf

In my opinion it is good for everyone to learn how to do things. Call your bank and find out what you need to get the title done. When I bought my first house, the realtor I used told me I was the first person she didn't have to explain anything to at the closing. It is wise to research things so you won't be afraid. $350/hr is a good price and I would be glad to do some of the things myself to free up money to pay the lawyer to do the things I can't. When I went to see my lawyer I took copies of important things I knew she needed. Heck with paying her paralegal to make copies.

For those on here that like to bash attorneys, just remember: this is their job; it's how they get paid. If they didn't charge you for their work then they wouldn't make any money. They bill by the hour. That's standard. Divorces can be complex; the more difficult the case, the more time it takes, so it costs more money. No, I'm not a lawyer, but I do work for a large law firm. I see lawyers putting in 15-hour days, 6 days a week. It's exhausting work, and they usually get crapped on my the more senior lawyers. So cut them some slack. There are a lot of complexities with divorce. I'm currently divorcing myself, and was recommended to a lawyer outside my firm by a lawyer I work with. My advice it to choose a lawyer wisely, then let them to their job. Give them all the information they ask for so they don't have to go about getting it themselves. Keep the calls to minimum, and be aware that they will usually charge you at least a .1 for each 6 minutes you take of their time. That's how they bill - in tenths of an hour. They're not ripping you off - they're just doing their job.

I agree with Cheryt and she said it well.