Family Law Fees & Prices - Affordable Family Lawyers near me - Lawyer consultation fee

When you choose O'Shea & Dyer to represent you in your family law matter -

• you will have an experienced family lawyer who only practices in family law assisting and representing you
• you have the support of an experienced team. Our family law department contains 4 family lawyers, along with paralegals and secretaries who work together to progress your matter
• we are continuously refining our systems so we are efficiently working towards the speedy resolution of your matter
• you have legal professionals who care about you, who genuinely want to get the best possible outcomes for you.

We offer first appointments for a fixed fee of $330.

After your first appointment we provide people with a detailed, no obligation, free quote that is as accurate as possible. You get to meet us, obtain some advice for an affordable price, and receive a detailed quote before you decide if you wish to retain us.

First Appointment - $330

Your first meeting with us is a low fixed-fee of $330 (including gst) payable when you book your appointment.

We keep the cost of your first appointment low so you get to meet us before you choose to retain us. This fee gives you a one hour appointment with an experienced lawyer, plus a 15 minute follow up phone call from that lawyer a week later, so you have time to thinks about what you want to do next.

To speak with an experienced family lawyer about your situation is the best thing you can do. It really is worth finding out as much as you can about what happens in a separation. Do not put off coming to see us because you don’t think it’s worth it. It is always worth discussing your situation and your options with an experienced family lawyer.

By the end of your first appointment, you will know your options and have an idea of what to do next. We will also give you an estimate of what it will cost to retain us to represent you.  

What will it cost if we represent you and advocate for you?

Fixed fees

Fixed fees apply when we are certain of the scope of work that needs to be done and the time involved to do it. We usually set a fixed fee for Divorce Applications. 

When people have reached an agreement and only need assistance to have the agreement formalised in Consent Orders, we can set a fixed fee. See Fixed Fee prices below.

When matters need to be negotiated and court proceedings need to be commenced it is impossible to quote a fixed fee. Lawyers who do this, more often than not, revise their fess and advise you of the increase, soon after work commences.

Hourly rates

We charge based on the amount of time we spend on your matter. Our lawyers have hourly rates that depend on their experience and the type of work that is being done. Everyone's matter is different. When there are negotiations, Court documents to prepare, Conferences or Court Hearings to prepare for and attend, it is impossible to set a fixed fee as no one can predict how much time these things will take. In situations like this, lawyers keep track of the time spent on the matter and charge according to their hourly rate. In straightforward matters, we can give an estimate of how much time is involved and what it will cost.

Often you can keep costs down by doing some of the work for yourself. For example, in property matters, if you collect financial documents yourself and list them in an organised way, you can save hours off your bill.

Some people like to have everything covered by a lawyer. If you can afford it, this is definitely the way to go as it reduces the most amount of stress. If you don’t want a lawyer to do everything for you, we can be in the background helping when you need it. We have options where you do most of the negotiation work and then come and see us to check things are fair or to draft orders and agreements. In these situations, we charge you an hourly rate for our time.

Once we talk to you and know your situation, we will give you an estimate of costs, in advance of doing any work.

The quicker people can come to an Agreement, the lower the legal fees!

At O'SheaDyer we have an excellent team of experienced lawyers and paralegals working for our Family Law clients. Jodi Dingwall, Emma Donald and Courtney Aitken are family lawyers with over a decade of experience working solely in Family Law.  Our lawyers have hourly rates depending on their experience and qualifications.  

Hourly Rates for Experienced Family Lawyers at OSheaDyer are between $400 (+gst)  - $450 (+gst) 

We set out specific rates in our Costs Agreement that we send to you if you retain us.

Bear in mind that while an experienced lawyer has a high hourly rate, they may be much quicker and more strategic than someone with less experience and a lower hourly rate.

Fixed Fees

Cost for a Divorce Application

A Sole Application (Where the Court requires a Court Appearance from the Lawyer - usually when there are children under 18). 

• Our fee is $1980 including gst 
• plus there is a Court filing fee of approx $1060
• plus a Bailiff fee to Serve the Application and
• a fee for the Marriage Certificate.

A Sole Application (Where no Court Appearance is required - usually when there are no children under 18).

• Our fee is $1320 including gst 
• plus Court filing fee of $1060,
• plus a Bailiff fee to Serve the Application and
• a fee for the Marriage Certificate. 

Cost for Consent Orders

When Obtaining Consent Orders for Children or Property Matters, you can obtain:

• Consent Orders for Property (Financial) Matters - as long as the financial arrangements you both agree to are in accordance with considerations in the Family Law Act.
• Consent Orders for Parenting Matters - as long as the arrangements you both agree to are in the best interest of the children and in accordance with considerations in the Family Law Act.

If when you come to see us, you and your ex-partner are in agreement, and you can present financial information to us in an organised format, and we are able to confirm the agreement is sensible and reasonable - we will be positioned to prepare documentation quickly and the cost can be minimised. The complexity of  your situation will still affect the cost. If you have many properties that need to be valued, identified correctly, and their split agreed upon; or a family business or trust that needs re-arranging, there is considerable time that needs to be spent in doing this.

When clients have reached Agreement (as set out above) and the complexity (and amount of property is low) we will attend to filling in all details into the Application Form + we will draft all Orders + attend to Filing. Our fees to do this are:

Agreement Reached and Depending on Complexity:

• If One Issue (eg. Parenting or Property or Spousal Maintenance):  $3000 - $4500 including gst (plus Court Filing Fee - approx $200). 
• If Two Issues (eg. Property AND Parenting) Consent Orders:  $4000 - $8000 including gst (plus Court Filing Fee - approx $200).

Time Frames

If you are in Agreement with your ex-partner, or are very close to it, your Agreement could be formalised by Consent Orders within weeks.  

Once Agreement has been reached, we can then promptly prepare the necessary Court documents (Application for Consent Orders and Terms of Settlement) and have them signed and filed in the Court within 1 to 2 weeks. The Court will usually approve the Application and make the orders within a couple of days, or a week at the latest. 

Hourly Rate Estimates

If no agreement is reached and negotiations are required, we will give our best estimate of how much time we think it will take to negotiate and complete the matter. We provide a Costs Agreement and Disclosure Notice to our cleints which set this out in writing.

Example Fee Estimate to Negotiate and draw Consent Orders for a Property Matter

If we need to enter into negotiations with your ex-partner or their solicitor and can reach an Agreement or settlement without lengthy negotiations, our fees for negotiating and perhaps mediating to an agreement will be charged according to how much time is taken for us to do this. Sometimes, a Court Application needs to be filed in order for the other party to take negotiations seriously. 

Fees also depend upon the size of property pool (ie. how much property needs to be valued and type of property) and the complexity of the matter.

Time Frame: Complex Matters

If negotiations are required, or an informal conference is held where the matter is discussed, and an Agreement is reached, the Court documents (for Consent Orders) can then be prepared promptly.

Once signed by the parties, the documents can be filed in the Court within 1 to 2 weeks, and the orders can be made quickly by the Court.

The time frame will very much depend on how negotiations progress with your ex-partner. Often this comes down to how reasonable the parties are. Sometimes properties need to be valued and that can take a week or two to arrange.

If the negotiations go well and/or an informal conference can be arranged quickly (within 4 to 8 weeks), there is no reason why final Consent Orders could not be made within 10 to 12 weeks of your first appointment.

If No Agreement can be reached: 

In cases where negotiations are unsuccessful, we will advise you of your options. These options could include attending mediation, filing an Application in the Court, or attending a settlement conference (conciliation conference). We will give an estimate of costs for each of these options and will give you a timeline with respect to how long this Court process will take.

Sometimes when agreement hasn't been reached, it is necessary to file an Application in the Court, as a time limitation period is running out and we need to protect your interests. Sometimes matters are urgent and it’s necessary to file an Application for the Court to make Interim Orders. We will always discuss the costs with you in advance.

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At O'Shea Dyer Solicitors we can assist you with all issues arising from your separation. Make an appointment to see our experienced family lawyers sooner rather than later, and let us put your mind at ease. Take the first step towards feeling in control again, and call us on 4772 5155. 

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