Pricing Information
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RETAINER AT HOURLY RATE
($250 PER HOUR) Attorney charges $250 per hour for all necessary work done on the case. This includes communications with client, other attorney, or other necessary third party in connection with my legal representation. This applies to phone calls, text messages, e-mails, etc.. I bill in 0.1/hour (6 minute) increments, so returning a call or e-mail typically results in a $25 charge, sometimes more if the conversation or message is lengthy. Also, the hourly rate applies to preparing pleadings and motions, drafting court orders--any of the attorney paperwork involved. It also includes time spent in Court. Any time I must appear for you in Court, you're going to spend at least $250 for that Court appearance if it is an hour or less. If it is over an hour, then it may be more than that. PATERNITY CASES, i.e., CUSTODY OR VISITATION - NOT MARRIED (EARNED AT $250/HR)
$1,500 if already filed Add $300 if case not already filed (To cover costs of filing fee ($278.64) and and service of process ($18-$70, depending on how difficult to serve). Add $500 if pending protective order case, or if emergency custody-type work is required for a child danger (situations requiring additional work) |
DIVORCES
$1,000 - Base Amount (and cost of already filed divorce marriage of less than 5 years with no children) Add $300 if case not already filed (To cover costs of filing fee ($278.64) and and service of process which can range from $18 for certified mail restricted delivery to $50-$100 for service by process server to $100 for service by newspaper, depending on the person being served). Add $500 if any number of children (Same price no matter how many) Add $500 if pending protective order case, or if emergency custody-type work will be required for a child danger (situations creating additional work) Add $250 if married for more than 5 years (unless there will obviously be no issue of alimony, multiple home or real properties, or retirement division) So, an unfiled divorce with kids is typically at least a $1,800 upfront retainer, and make that $1,500 if the case is already filed. Add $250 if long marriage with lots to argue about, but deduct $500 if no kids. The price depends on the issues. If you and your spouse already agree upon the terms of your divorce, scroll down below to read about my Uncontested Flat-Fee divorce, which can lower the price by as much as $400 upfront. |
MODIFICATION OF ORDER IN PRIOR CASE; OR CONTEMPT OF COURT OR ENFORCEMENT OF PRIOR ORDER (EARNED AT $250/HR)
$1,000 - Base Amount (if about Child Support only) Add $250 if custody and/or visitation modification and/or enforcement issue (as more than child support alone) Add $200 if motion(s) not filed and served and if you are the person pursuing the motion (to be applied to filing fees and service costs) So, if your seeking to go back to Court and change custody after you already have a custody order or a divorce Decree, in most situations your retainer is going to be $1,450. Add $500 if pending protective order case, or if emergency custody-type work will be required for a child danger (situations creating additional work). Keep in mind that while divorces or initial custody cases are often wrapped up for the retainer with no bill later, motions to modify or contempt more commonly exceed the retainer and amount to more money being spent later; and this is because you're going into Court trying to change something where you already have an order in place, so it is more commonly a longer, more drawn-out battle. |
UNCONTESTED FLAT-FEE DIVORCE
No children, no or little property = $900.00 ($600.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
No children, substantial property = $1,100.00 ($800.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
With children, no or little property = $1,300.00 ($800.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
With children, substantial property = $1,500.00 ($1,000.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
Uncontested Divorces in Tulsa and surrounding counties are done regularly by Joel K. Mitchell. All funds are required upfront. The divorce action must occur in one of the following counties: Tulsa, Rogers, Washington, Osage, Nowata, Okmulgee, Wagoner, or Creek County in Sapulpa. Additional service by certified mail or process server or publication costs are in addition to the above amounts and not included (However, if the case truly is 'uncontested,' your spouse should sign the documents voluntarily and there should be no need for formal process service). What is "substantial property" is either a list of who gets what of many, many items, or any land, house, or real property to divide. Further, attorney's fees for dividing retirement accounts via QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) are not included in the price even as substantial property and the added price depends upon the number of retirement accounts being divided and the plan administrator. Ask me about this personally if this applies to you.
An "uncontested" divorce, by my definition, means just that - that the the divorce is uncontested. So what does that mean? It means that there are no issues that the two of you have not agreed upon. It means you know who gets the house, who gets what automobile, and who gets the sofa. If you have children, it also means who gets primary custody of those children and what visitation the other parents gets. If you and your spouse have talked amicably and agreed on these issues, I may consider your divorce "uncontested" and can therefore perform it for a "flat fee" rather than hourly rate. Besides being a flat fee if the cases truly are uncontested and promptly settle with signed Decrees, in most instances, my "uncontested" divorces require approximately three hundred dollars less upfront than my cases with regular retainers and rates
Sometimes people come to me with agreements that are unenforceable by law. The most common situation is that there will be no child support. I typically cannot prepare paperwork that the Judge will sign where there is zero child support since, in most cases, the Court will require the non-custodial parent to pay the other parent child support regardless of whether that parent is requesting it. Other common situations involve unenforceable property and debt division situations, where a couple has agreed that they will sign this asset over to that person and pay off this debt and so on. Once I know all the facts, I can give you my professional opinion as to whether what you want to accomplish can be prepared in a proposed Decree and whether that Order would be enforceable by law. Regardless, most people come to me with uncomplicated, simple situations that, if agreed-upon, can be drawn up in a proposed Decree and which can qualify as an uncontested divorce.
.IN THE EVENT YOUR SPOUSE EITHER (A) DOES NOT SIGN AND RETURN TO ME A PROPOSED DECREE WITH 30 DAYS OF RECEIVING IT FROM ME OR (B) REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE WITH OR PROVIDE ME WITH INFORMATION I NEED TO PREPARE A PROPOSED DECREE OR (C) CHANGES HIS/HER MIND AFTER THE CASE IS FILED AND BEFORE THE COURT ENTERS AN ORDER ON THE DECREE OR (D) RETAINS AN ATTORNEY, THEN AT SUCH POINT ALL FLAT-FEE RETAINER IS DEEMED EARNED AND YOU ARE BILLED AT THE REGULARLY HOURLY RATE [CURRENTLY $250/HOUR] GOING FORWARD.
No children, no or little property = $900.00 ($600.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
No children, substantial property = $1,100.00 ($800.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
With children, no or little property = $1,300.00 ($800.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
With children, substantial property = $1,500.00 ($1,000.00 to attorney + $300.00 to be applied toward costs)
Uncontested Divorces in Tulsa and surrounding counties are done regularly by Joel K. Mitchell. All funds are required upfront. The divorce action must occur in one of the following counties: Tulsa, Rogers, Washington, Osage, Nowata, Okmulgee, Wagoner, or Creek County in Sapulpa. Additional service by certified mail or process server or publication costs are in addition to the above amounts and not included (However, if the case truly is 'uncontested,' your spouse should sign the documents voluntarily and there should be no need for formal process service). What is "substantial property" is either a list of who gets what of many, many items, or any land, house, or real property to divide. Further, attorney's fees for dividing retirement accounts via QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) are not included in the price even as substantial property and the added price depends upon the number of retirement accounts being divided and the plan administrator. Ask me about this personally if this applies to you.
An "uncontested" divorce, by my definition, means just that - that the the divorce is uncontested. So what does that mean? It means that there are no issues that the two of you have not agreed upon. It means you know who gets the house, who gets what automobile, and who gets the sofa. If you have children, it also means who gets primary custody of those children and what visitation the other parents gets. If you and your spouse have talked amicably and agreed on these issues, I may consider your divorce "uncontested" and can therefore perform it for a "flat fee" rather than hourly rate. Besides being a flat fee if the cases truly are uncontested and promptly settle with signed Decrees, in most instances, my "uncontested" divorces require approximately three hundred dollars less upfront than my cases with regular retainers and rates
Sometimes people come to me with agreements that are unenforceable by law. The most common situation is that there will be no child support. I typically cannot prepare paperwork that the Judge will sign where there is zero child support since, in most cases, the Court will require the non-custodial parent to pay the other parent child support regardless of whether that parent is requesting it. Other common situations involve unenforceable property and debt division situations, where a couple has agreed that they will sign this asset over to that person and pay off this debt and so on. Once I know all the facts, I can give you my professional opinion as to whether what you want to accomplish can be prepared in a proposed Decree and whether that Order would be enforceable by law. Regardless, most people come to me with uncomplicated, simple situations that, if agreed-upon, can be drawn up in a proposed Decree and which can qualify as an uncontested divorce.
.IN THE EVENT YOUR SPOUSE EITHER (A) DOES NOT SIGN AND RETURN TO ME A PROPOSED DECREE WITH 30 DAYS OF RECEIVING IT FROM ME OR (B) REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE WITH OR PROVIDE ME WITH INFORMATION I NEED TO PREPARE A PROPOSED DECREE OR (C) CHANGES HIS/HER MIND AFTER THE CASE IS FILED AND BEFORE THE COURT ENTERS AN ORDER ON THE DECREE OR (D) RETAINS AN ATTORNEY, THEN AT SUCH POINT ALL FLAT-FEE RETAINER IS DEEMED EARNED AND YOU ARE BILLED AT THE REGULARLY HOURLY RATE [CURRENTLY $250/HOUR] GOING FORWARD.