J3B - Sounds like your second lawyer was cut from the same cloth as mine. My L suggested various ways to avoid his services and save money. And he as a straight and experienced shooter when it came to court and negotiations.
Funny part of my story was that when I tried talking separation with my "very difficult to reason with MLC/WAW wife", she would threaten me by saying she was going to find a rich guy so she could afford the best lawyer in town. When push came to shove, I was the one that ended up getting the best lawyer in town. The L her sugar daddy connected her with informed her that my L was well known throughout the Portland area as being very competent and succesfull in family law. It was a bit of schadenfreude when she admitted this to me.
Bradley - If you must, try do work with your W as much as possible on getting written agreements pertaining to separation. Once you get L's involved, it can easily turn into a pissing match.
