Cost in Family Law Cases

How much will my case cost?

Understandably, clients are concerned with legal fees and costs. In most cases, Ms. Edwards earns an hourly rate for her services, whether in court or out of court.  She may delegate some case-related tasks to her non-attorney staff member when it is appropriate and can save her time and the client’s money.  No attorney can or should guarantee a timeline or outcome. Not only is it unrealistic and misleading, particularly for lawsuits, but these sort of assurances or guarantees may also violate the Rules of Professional Conduct.

The truth is that the cost of your case will depend on many factors, some of which cannot be fully estimated at the beginning of a case. Some of those factors include: the willingness of either side to settle the case; the number of documents (including financial documents) the attorney must review; the complexity of the legal issues and claims; the procedural requirements imposed by the court system; the time it make take to collect or exchange all relevant evidence, reports and information; the number of times a client calls, e-mails or meets with Ms. Edwards; and any continuances or delays from either side or from the court.

Can I just pay a flat fee?

We only quotes flat fees to represent clients in obtaining uncontested divorce, or a few other similar types of cases. For these cases, our firm offers clients a flat fee, as there is a limited, predictable range of work possible with cases such as these. The fee quoted generally includes attorney’s fees and any court fees (including certified mail or sheriff’s service fees), UNLESS it is necessary to run a separate newspaper ad to “serve” an opposing party or it is necessary to serve an individual out-of-state, in which case, service fees could be higher than those charged in North Carolina.

When Money Runs Low: Options For Clients

What Do You Mean By “Fees” and “Costs” in My Case?