Pay-As-You-Go Family Court Representation
Family Court moves in steps: a petition, then a first appearance, then a conference, then whatever comes next. Our flat fees bundle a set number of appearances into one price, which we recommend because you know the cost up front. If a lump sum is not possible, you can pay for the case one step at a time: no large retainer, and each stage billed only when it happens.
How it works
- Free consultation: up to 30 minutes, at no charge.
- Petition preparation: $500 for drafting your petition or amended petition, assembling the exhibits, filing it with the court, and telling you how to serve the other side. There is no filing fee in New York Family Court.
- Virtual court appearance: $500 the appearance, plus up to 30 minutes of out-of-court work since your last court date, used for whatever your case needs.
- In-person court appearance: $750 same included time. Travel outside the Bronx is billed separately.
- Out-of-court work beyond the included 30 minutes: $450 per hour billed in 6-minute increments, which is $45 each.
The more work your case requires, the higher your total cost. Every call, text, email, and letter is logged and shows on your statement. If your case settles at an early appearance, there are no further court dates to pay for.
What a typical case costs
Cost depends on how many appearances your case takes and how much work is needed between them. These figures use virtual appearances; each in-person appearance adds $250.
| Proceeding | What a typical case includes | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| Custody or visitation petition | $500 petition preparation and filing + 3 virtual appearances + 2–4 hours of out-of-court work | $2,900–$3,800 |
| Modification or enforcement of a custody order | $500 petition preparation and filing + 2 virtual appearances + 1.5–3 hours of out-of-court work | $2,175–$2,850 |
| Child support petition | $500 petition preparation and filing + 2 virtual appearances + 2–3 hours of out-of-court work | $2,400–$2,850 |
| Order of protection (seeking or defending) | $500 petition or answer + 2 virtual appearances + 1.5–3 hours of out-of-court work | $2,175–$2,850 |
Hearings and trial: the number of court dates is set by the court and the other side, so the totals above change by $500 for each additional virtual date. A fact-finding hearing or trial is billed as additional dates plus the preparation and in-court time it requires, so it can only be estimated once the court schedules it. Contested custody cases that need a forensic evaluation and a hearing cost more than the ranges above.
What out-of-court work covers
- Talking with you: calls, texts, emails, updates, and preparing you for each court date.
- Talking with the other side: negotiating custody, visitation, support, and stipulations of settlement.
- Evidence and disclosure: reviewing the other side's papers, financial disclosure, text messages, and school or medical records.
- Motions and objections: written requests to the judge. A simple motion typically takes 2 to 3 hours.
- Support calculations: running the Child Support Standards Act worksheets and updating them as income information changes.
- Hearing preparation: witness preparation, exhibits, and every hour in court on a fact-finding or hearing day.
Example: between two court dates, we spend 1 hour 12 minutes on your case. The first 30 minutes are included in the $500 court date fee, and the remaining 42 minutes are billed as 7 × $45 = $315. Included time that isn't used does not carry over.
What's included before you pay more
- 30 minutes with every court date. The appearance fee includes up to 30 minutes of out-of-court work since your last date: calls, texts, emails, letters, reviewing the other side's papers, negotiating, and preparing you for court.
- 30 minutes a month while nothing is scheduled. If your case is waiting on the court or the other side, 30 minutes of communication is included for that month. Unused time does not carry over to the next month.
- Beyond that, the hourly rate applies: $450 per hour. Additional time is billed in 6-minute increments, $45 each. We do not bill in dribs: time is accrued and appears on one itemized statement, not as a separate small invoice for a single call or text.
- How fast we answer. Non-emergency calls, texts, and emails are answered within one business day. If something cannot wait — an arrest, a lockout, a court date moved up — call and say it is urgent.
Paying as you go
- ACH or Credit/Debit Card Authorization required: you sign a form allowing us to charge your bank account or card on each scheduled date. You'll know every date and amount in advance, so you can make sure funds are there and avoid declined payments.
- Petition preparation: $500, due before we file.
- Each court appearance: charged no later than 7 days before that date.
- Additional work: an itemized statement of time beyond the included 30 minutes, charged no later than 1 day before your next court date.
- When your case ends: a final statement for any remaining work. Any credit is refunded.
Not included in our fees:
- Court-ordered forensic evaluations and mental health or substance abuse assessments, which you pay directly to the evaluator.
- Process servers. Family Court cases usually cannot be e-filed and the other side must be served; we give you the papers and instructions, and can arrange service at cost with your approval.
- Transcripts, interpreters for other languages, and expert or investigator fees, billed at cost with your approval.
- Travel to and from court for appearances outside the Bronx, which is billed separately.
Prefer a single lump sum? Our flat Family Court fees for a petition plus a set number of appearances are listed on the legal fees page.
Get started
Call 888.886.3525 for a free 30-minute consultation about your Family Court case. If you have a court date coming up, call now so we can review the papers before you appear.
Typical costs are estimates, not a quote or a guarantee. The number of court dates is set by the court and the other side, and your final cost depends on the work your case requires. Fees and scope are confirmed in a written retainer agreement, and in Family Court you receive the New York Statement of Client's Rights and Responsibilities before signing. Attorney Advertising.