Collecting fees in a matrimonial case is often more difficult than in other practices. To begin with, the fees are paid by individuals, not companies. They are paid out of someone’s pocket and generally not deductible. It is common that the economically more advantaged spouse is required to pay or contribute to the legal fees of the other. So, in a divorce matter, one family pot winds up paying the legal fees of two lawyers, using after-tax dollars. This, by itself, is often very hard to swallow.
An additional problem is that feelings run high in these cases. The thin line between love and hate often frays into unadulterated hostility, which translates into intense and expensive litigation. There are often issues that are difficult or impossible to resolve, the law is not always clear, there are a host of things to fight about, and “giving in” is often not an option.
