How much will my legal case cost?

There are so many variables that determine the cost of your legal case. Family law attorneys cannot charge contingency fees where the lawyer takes a percentage of the money you "win" in your case. Instead, most family law attorneys require you to pay a "retainer" fee and sign a fee agreement before the attorney can represent you and give you legal advice.

The retainer is an advance payment for the costs and fees that will be incurred in your case. As work is done on your case, funds are withdrawn from the retainer to pay for the work. You will receive a monthly bill that shows how much of the retainer has been used.

Sometimes the retainer will cover the entire cost of your case. In other cases, the retainer is used up before the case is completed. In the event that your case runs over the retainer, you will be billed on a month to month basis.

Conflict, more than any other factor, determines how much a case will cost. As a client, you can keep your costs down by keeping conflict with the opposing party at a manageable level. Part of our job is helping our clients pick their battles wisely. Not every irritating thing your soon-to-be ex-spouse does is worth fighting about in court.

Our retainers begin at $2,000 and increase from there. During your first meeting, we will ask you questions to determine how complex your case may be.  We will then determine the amount of the retainer. Remember, a retainer is not a flat fee and it is not a promise of the total cost for your case.

For more information, call our office to set up an appointment.