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.  Bridget Barrie worked as a para-legal in family for nearly 8 years before her admission as a lawyer in 2022. Our lawyers have hourly rates depending on their experience and qualifications.  

Hourly rates at OSheaDyer are between $350 (+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

If there are no children under 18:  

Our fee is $1320 including gst + Court filing fee of $1060, Bailiff fee to Serve Application $200, Marriage Certificate Fee $55. TOTAL from $2635 + gst.

If there are children under 18 years of age:  

Our fee is $1980 including gst + Court filing fee of $1060, Bailiff fee to Serve Application $200, Marriage Certificate Fee $55. TOTAL from $3295 + gst.

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.

When you and your ex-partner are in agreement, you can present financial information to us in an organised format, and we are able to confirm the agreement is sensible and reasonable - we can prepare documentation quickly and the cost can be minimised. The complexity of  your situation will 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.

Sometimes people wish to minimise legal costs.   When clients wish to do this, we give the option of a lower fee if they attend to filling in all the details into the Application Form. This is a lengthy and detailed court form that takes considerable time to fill in properly. We still check all details and draft all orders and attend to filing.

Agreement + Low Complexity + We Prepare the Application Form

• Property OR Parenting Consent Orders from $2650 - $3630 including gst + $195 Court Filing Fee 
• Property AND Parenting Consent Orders from $3360 - $6050 including gst + $195 Court Filing Fee 

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 has been reached and negotiations are required we try to give clients an estimate of how much time we think it will take to negotiate and complete the matter.

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 both negotiating the agreement and preparing the application for consent orders will usually be from: $6600 - $10,890 including gst.

This will be more if there are other issues. This also depends upon the property pool 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 accurately advise you of the costs that will be incurred in each of these options and will give you a timeline with respect to how long this Court process will take.

Sometimes it’s necessary to file an Application as a time limitation period is running out and Agreement hasn’t been reached.

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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