How do I figure out if pursuing patent protection is worth it?

We have been developing software for multiple platforms with a focus on financial and consulting services. Recently, we have invested considerable time and effort into the development of innovative financial technology that will be integrated into a new product release. Considering the time and money that a patent application could take, we are wondering if it might be worth it nevertheless, given that it could be difficult to maintain a competitive edge with the product otherwise. However, it seems like there is considerable uncertainty regarding the patenting of software and/or financial inventions. How can we figure out if we could end up spending a lot of money on a declined application?