Cost of Divorce

One of the biggest worries for people about to get divorced is the cost.  It would seem simple enough.   Every state has specific laws that govern divorce, so the process should not be expensive or protracted.  Yet the costs and time can be unendurable.  Yet, even in uncontested cases the fees can range from three to five thousand dollars and take up to a year.  In fact this guy charges $7,000 for an uncontested divorce.  Of course you can  pay him $199 a month until you case is complete, but then guess how long that would take?  That is as bad as paying an hourly rate, why do people do that?   They have no control over how many hours they are paying for in the beginning and don't know if the hours are actually being put in.  If a lawyer says that he spent five hours on research and writing a letter, how is that verified?  All anyone knows is that he wrote down five hours on a time card.