Kaye: If you are involved in a long term marriage, they would have a lot to talk about and he had an Attorney who has a fancy office with a high rent/heat/light bill........and therefore had to charge him a lot, then a lot gets spent. Like you said, he was probably convinced you were going to file and wanted to look into it fully/protect his finances/had his defense all set up in the event you hired an Attorney. Yes, I think it would be a good idea for you to have a consultation with an Attorney and get an opinion. Sometimes the first visit is free, if it continues, they charge for every e-mail, phone call, court time and face-to-face time. My Lawyer had a home office and it was less expensive this way. If you have kids (even ones in college full time), Family Lawyers are best for that, if not, find one who is an experienced/specializes in divorce.