We agreed to attend the FMS, its a state run, free mediation service to try and sort a separation agreement without the cost of lawyers, now at the end of it there will be a document which is court ready, but has to go to a solicitor to be submitted to the courts if either party want, I will be doing this because it means if he defaults on payments it can be tagged then to his earnings without having to delay and go through the whole process.
Now the thing about the Family Mediation Service is it is impartial mediation and all aspects of the family are taken into account, children, assets, debts, etc.. each party separate financial position is taken into account and then the costs are kinda divided out to an equal point.

I have to say its very hard to be fair to someone when you feel everything is unfair to you..

He came in with an agenda give her f all. He has achieved mostly that, I now have an interest only mortgage in the short term which will probably end up long term, and it with the child support figure just about pays the new mortgage payment, I am paying everything else, we both have equal jobs, but he has his new costs, his rent on a new place which amazingly is the exact difference that he would have given me before the split.  I am not sure if I will be able to manage with this because i have no stash, i always had a stash, maybe a couple of hundred it started straight after christmas, went through to school books and uniforms etc and then a christmas  
save, no way i can do that now.  So I accepted without prejudice the amount, he almost had a eyeball pop out of his head when i said this, cause he knows a solicitor told me that term, You can get a free consultation from most places now, thank god for the recession!!
Anyway Im not sure, but if I have to pay someone I will, and if I have to pay, so will he.