Looking for family law lawyers in Sydney? One of the first questions you’re probably asking yourself is how much they are likely to cost you. It’s no secret that family law lawyers in Sydney can be expensive. The legal field has a reputation for high incomes and high costs to clients and so many people feel nervous when looking for family law lawyers in Sydney. A lot of people also just don’t know what to expect and what’s realistic in terms of legal fees and so have a hard time comparing and knowing whether they’re being ripped off or potentially hiring someone that’s not right for their case. Check out our quick guide below for how much family lawyers in Sydney cost.
General costs:
Generally, family law lawyers will charge their clients around $250 to $450 an hour in Australia. For a divorce where there are no children under the age of eighteen involved and both parties agree, you could expect to spend around $900 to divorced due to court fees without needing a legal representative, however, depending on your circumstances you may want to seek advice. Child custody can become very expensive and generally, you might expect to spend anywhere between $1000 to $50,000 on legal fees depending on the complexity of the custody issue.
What are the different types of payments?
There are a number of different ways that your family law lawyers in Sydney might ask you to pay. Here are the main payment types you might come across.
Flat Fee
A flat fee basically means that you will pay a legal practitioner a set amount for their services. Flat fees are usually used when you only require simple legal services or when your case is quite straightforward. You might for example just need a simple contract drawn up or some simple advice. The flat fee you are charged depends on the services you need and the agency you are working with.
Hourly rate
Hourly rates are basically when your family law lawyers in Sydney will charge an hourly fee. The total cost to you will be dependant on how much work your legal representative needs to do and how long it takes them to complete work. You may find that when it comes to hourly rates that it ends up being less expensive to hire a better and more experienced lawyer if it means they’ll take less time to complete a task. If you’re worried about the final cost then it’s a good idea to ask for an estimate and regularly check up on the hours they’ve used and what they’re doing with that time to help you keep track of fees.
Retainer
A retainer means that you pay your legal practitioner upfront as a down payment before they start work on your case. The money will basically be put into an account and when they perform tasks they will charge money from the trust account.
Contingency fees
When you pay a legal practitioner contingency fee it means that you only agree to pay if they win your case. This can be risky for legal practitioners but it encourages them to reach a settlement as quickly as possible – this is most often associated with legal practitioners that deal with personal injury.
Why do they cost so much?
Practicing in the legal field requires a great deal of educational experience and knowledge. Fees are reflective of the experience level of legal professionals and recognize that what they’re selling is basically many years of expertise and a deep understanding of the law.
