What impacts fees?

We will help you understand how to manage costs

Client participation impacts costs

A client’s participation in their case is multi-faceted. The overall cost of a case often depends on how a client approaches the role of the lawyer.

A lawyer is hired to analyze the facts and law surrounding a particular issue and obtain the best possible result for the client with the information provided. The lawyer is not a marriage or divorce counselor, not a therapist, not a tax professional (although some may be), and not a financial advisor, or appraiser hired to determine which assets to keep and which to give up.

To manage cases efficiently and keep costs low, we involve qualified professionals to address non-legal matters.

It makes more sense to pay an accountant, counselor, therapist, appraiser, etc. $75-150 per hour than it does to pay your attorney to consult you on matters outside their area of expertise.

Billing increments

We bill in six-minute increments (which equates to one-tenth of an hour).

Discounts to the hourly rate are available and discussed at the initial interview.

Homework assignments

Efficiency in all aspects is a cornerstone of our firms’ character.

We assign homework to our clients that when completed, enables us to become better aware of the specifics of a client’s case, allows us to perform better, and ensures we obtain the best possible result.

A few examples of homework assignments are:

The Journal (Historical Timeline) in your Client's Folder – a tool we use to manage information concerning the background, facts, and circumstances of each client’s case. When used properly and updated regularly, the Journal reduces fees associated with work performed by the lawyer.
The Inventory & Appraisement (I&A) – a tool we use to manage financial information concerning the spouses’ community and separate property. When information is entered properly and corresponding documents provided in a timely manner, fees are minimized.

Factors sometimes beyond our control

While we strive to efficiently manage our client’s case, sometimes factors beyond our control affect the cost of litigation.

These factors could include your spouse or the other parent’s:

Access to financial resources that may prolong litigation and drive up costs
Attitude concerning the divorce or the child custody issues
Lawyer and that lawyer’s willingness to achieve a speedy and fair resolution

Some typical expenses include:

Filing fees (for a Petition for Divorce, Petition for Suit Affecting Parent-Child Relationship, Petition for Modification, Motion for Enforcement), which can range from $275- $375, depending on the county you are in, along with the Issuance of a Citation which is currently set as $8
Process Servers $100–$150+ per service (varies with attempts to serve, Includes Witness Tender Fees, if applicable)
Witness fees
Discovery – obtaining information from your spouse
Private Investigators & Background Checks
Court Transcript fees for hearings in:
- Current divorce cases
- Prior divorce or custody cases
- Other cases involving the spouse(s)
- Criminal or civil cases where a spouse participated as a witness
Background searches

Serving Families Across Every Texas County