How Much Will My Divorce Cost?

Understanding the Average Cost of a Divorce Lawyer within Our Family Law Firm and How Attorney Payment Works

By Tom Trahan

Your financial relationship with Goranson Bain Ausley (GBA) is represented by the three R’s: Retainer, Replenishment, and Refund. By keeping the financial “gas tank” of your case full, our attorneys and the paralegals that support them can take action to assist in the achievement of the goals in your family law case.

A. Divorce Attorney Retainer Fees: What is the Average Retainer Fee for a Divorce Attorney?

GBA bills for its work on your case by the hour. Depending on each attorney’s experience and expertise, their billable rate ranges from $250.00 per hour for a newer associate to more than $700.00 per hour for a partner who is a leader in our profession. In the initial meeting with your family law attorney, they evaluate the complexity of your goals and set the initial retainer for your case. That retainer is reflected in the attorney-client engagement agreement you sign and is the amount that you deposit with GBA to start the representation. The typical minimum retainer fee at GBA is $3,500 and may be $25,000 or more depending on the complexity of your case and the urgency of the issues involved. The beginning of the attorney-client relationship occurs when the engagement agreement is signed (by you and by the attorney) and the retainer is deposited.

As the representation continues, the amount on deposit with our firm is used to pay for attorney’s fees and expenses related to your case. When unusual expenses occur (such as hiring experts, mediators, or investigators to assist with the resolution of your case), you may be asked to pay those expenses directly or to increase your retainer. Certain events in your case may also lead to a request for an increased retainer – particularly for significant events such as trial, depositions, mediation, and hearings.

B. Replenishment: The Monthly Cost of a Family Law Attorney

GBA requires the retainer in your case to be replenished each month. This means that if the billing on your case is $1,500 in a month, you will receive a statement the next month requiring you to pay $1,500 to bring your account back to the full retainer amount as set out in the engagement agreement. Maintaining your monthly retainer account ensures efficient continuity of your case and supports a healthy working relationship with GBA, allowing us to focus resources, knowledge, and skills to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

C. Refunding Family Law Attorney Retainer Fees at the Conclusion of Representation

At the conclusion of GBA’s representation, GBA will refund funds remaining in your account at the end of the next monthly billing cycle.

Each month during the representation, we will provide you with a detailed bill showing activity on your case and the amount in your account, the charges made to cover the cost of your family law attorney, and the amount we are requesting that you replenish for the upcoming month’s work.

Our pledge to you is:  

• to be transparent with the terms of your financial relationship with our firm,
• to keep you reasonably informed as to anticipated extraordinary expenses, and
• to be conscious of ways to save you money on family law attorney’s fees and expenses in a manner consistent with your case goals and financial resources.

If you ever have any questions about your financial relationship with GBA, please contact the paralegal assigned to your case, who will either answer your questions or communicate your concerns to the attorney or our financial team.