My attorney's retainer was $3500. One of my friends paid $2500 and another paid $7000 so yes, prices do vary. You can call just about any attorney though and get a free consultation. Some attorneys will only give you 10-15 minutes free, but I had one who gave me a whole hour. During that time, they will let you know what your rights are, what the laws in your state are and may even go over some of the specifics of your case. At that time, you can ask them what their rates are.

I wrote the following in reply to someone else's question here on the board, but it's pertinent for you as well:

"Another thing I did was to read everything I could about divorce. Go to your public library and see what they have. One book that was extremely helpful to me was NOLO's Essential Guide to Divorce. It's kind of like divorce for dummies, but it's written by an attorney. It goes through EVERYTHING from A-Z. I got so much from that book. NOLO is a series of books written by top lawyers. I put a link to it below, but I got mine from my library. If your library doesn't have it, ask them to get it for you via inter-library loan.

http://www.nolo.com/products/nolos-essential-guide-to-divorce-nodv.html

Some people can do it simple and do it themselves,

My ex wanted to do it ourselves to save money
And he would be fair. I did not fall for that, he filed
Against me and retained a lawyer, i also hired one.

Some use one lawyer that is legally tricky it can be
Overturned. They can only represent one person.

Every state is a little different on their rules And
regulations about seperation and divorce. The
Financials and the parenting are the big ones.

The total price depends on many variables
Such as hourly rates. My lawyer was 200.00
An hour. They want 2,500 -5 k down as a retainer
Mine billed after retainer is gone. Lawyers fees
Vary where you live, i live in the country no frills
Law office one secretary.

The best thing is find a good lawyer and then
find Out all the information. When there are
children there are many more steps. More court
Time and mediation from what i heard.

HUGS and good luck

The one my friends recommended me to charged $100 for the consultation and charges a $6000 retainer. They tell me he's one of the best in our area and the courts really respect him but I have a hard time paying that much. My County courthouse also offers a self help center

So, does she know you are this close to walking away? Does she REALLY know? As in, you have said "I am so unhappy I am thinking about whether we would be better off if we separated".

Because, divorce is expensive. Not just the lawyer and the division of financial assets - the emotional cost for everyone is huge ( spouses, kids, parents, friends).

If there is even a chance, it is much cheaper to invest in saving your marriage. Counselling and therapists are expensive - divorce is more expensive. But, both have to want it. Both have to work at it.

I guarantee you that, if my ex had told me he was struggling ( instead of just having an affair) I would have moved heaven and earth to address the issues. But, he was a coward, he lied and pretended everything was fine... Fine for home I guess ... He had a girlfriend.

Anyway. My point it just that the lawyer fees are just one small part of the cost. Money could be well spent in marriage counselling ... If she is game.