CINCINNATI -- As the economy sours, so have many marriages.

But WLWT-TV in Cincinnati reported Tuesday that many divorce attorneys are saying divorce rates have not climbed as the economy tanks.

"These folks are just scared and they can't go through with the divorce process, so yeah, they're staying together," said Cincinnati-based attorney Kevin Hughes.

But they're not staying together in hopes of rekindling their marriage, Hughes said.

Instead, couples are calling off calling it quits because they can't afford to get divorced.

"They also can't go out and get a credit card or personal loan to pay attorney fees, or to even try and find a piece of real estate because the lending market is tightening down on them," Hughes explained.

Attorneys and court fees alone can run several thousand dollars in a standard divorce and additional expenses often are incurred.

"You've got people in the household, spouses, that are financially dependent on the other that can't afford to maintain two households," Hughes said.

Couples can split the bills if they continue living together, and Hughes has noticed that the economy has forced some troubled couples to stay together.

"They're staying together to try and make it work, but unfortunately living as an unhappy married couple," Hughes said.

Some couples go through the divorce process only to find they can't afford to live on their own, and Hughes said some of those couples continue to live together even after their marriage ends.