Child custody guidelines will need to be established during a divorce. Decisions will be made about who will have physical custody of the children, who will pay how much in child support, how much visitation the non-custodial parent will be allowed, and other issues regarding the well-being of the children. Later on, however, the circumstances of one or both of the parents may change which could require further litigation. If this happens, both parents have to hire a child custody attorney. These attorneys can cost as much as a doctor, so you’ll need to decide if their services are worth the money.
You will likely have to pay an advance fee known as a retainer. The cost of your bill will be deducted from the retained as you start getting billed for the hours. You will be billed for any additional money if the case takes longer than expected. Family law attorneys have high rates, with anything between $75/hour to $500/hour. You will also need to think about the time you’ll need to spend in court. Even if your case is quite simple, it could end up costing you $3,000 to $5,000. Some cases also require investigations and depositions which will increase the price even more.
All cases take various amounts of time, so no one can predict how long yours will take. You’ll stand to save a lot more money if you reach an agreement without the court’s intervention. More involved custody cases may cost $35,000 or more due to everything that’s involved. If you’ve decided to go back to court to have your child support raised, you’ll need to stop and do some figuring first. If you need a substantial raise in payments just to cover your lawyer fees, the whole suit may prove to be a financial fiasco for everyone except the lawyer.
Other fees may also creep into a child custody case. You may need to pay up to $100 in order to buy a book that explains the system for you in detail. Some attorneys will bill you separately for filing fees, court costs, and miscellaneous expenses. This would increase your bill even more. An alternative to a lawyer is a mediator who can charge between $80 and $250 an hour. Some choose to bill for the initial consultation too. It’s in your best interests to get a written estimate so you can know what to expect with your case.Doc No. hlsoehasl-sldhgt
Kristie Brown writes on a variety of topics from health to technology. Check out her websites on marriage advice, free marriage advice and marriage help
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