For more information on unbundled legal services, see the website of the [https://unbundlinglaw.peopleslawschool.ca/ People's Law School]. For more information about retainers and how lawyers usually charge for their services, see the [[You_%26_Your_Lawyer|You and Your Lawyer]] section in the chapter on [[Understanding the Legal System]].

The end of a relationship can be a messy business at times. In addition to the legal issues that sometimes come up, there are always emotional issues, and the emotional issues can sometimes cloud people's <span class="noglossary">judgment</span>. (This is one of the reasons why hiring a lawyer can be a good idea; the lawyer's job is to help you see the forest when all you can see is the tree in front of you.) Over time, the intensity of the emotional issues changes and, hopefully, mellows. This can have an effect on how the legal issues are managed; things that seemed terribly urgent or incapable of compromise become less urgent and more susceptible to alternatives.