How Much Does a Family Lawyer Cost?

Last Updated on December 27, 2023 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: December 2025
Written by Alec Pow – Economic & Pricing Investigator | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Educational content; not financial advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rates, fees, taxes, and terms with providers or official sources.

A lot of people needing the help of a Family lawyer end up asking themselves how much would the services of this professional cost.

Recent studies have shown that the average cost of a family law attorney is between $150 to $500 per hour, with or without a retainer fee.

The complexity of the case is among the most important factors in figuring out its costs. There have been situations in which very complex cases heard before the Family Court ended up costing over $100,000 per person.

How much does a family lawyer cost?

The cost of a family lawyer is anywhere between $150 and $500 per hour with or without a retainer fee, depending on the type of case you have, the lawyer you go to, and the complexity of the case.

Family law attorney cost by common case types

Child custody case

Official sources point to a national average cost of child custody attorneys at around $250 an hour, but legal fees will differ depending on the complexity of the custody battle case.

Child custody lawyers charge, on average, between $225 and $350 per hour, with a low-end cost of $150 to $200 per hour, and a high-end fee of $350 to $450 per hour.

Guardianship case

Guardianship cases warrant attorney fees of $3,000 or more for the guardianship lawyer alone, although they will vary significantly based on each situation.

Child support case

Most child support attorneys charge around $100 to $500 per hour. This is a big range, but as a general rule, your average child support case will cost between $2,500 and $5,000. For especially complex cases, the total cost will be greater, especially if the lawyer has to deal with a high-conflict case.

Marriage dissolution case

When it comes to divorce lawyers, you should expect a retainer fee of $3,500 to $5,000 just to get started on the case. On top of this, expect an additional $350 to $500 per hour. Depending on the attorney you go to, they might first subtract hours from the retainer fee on your case first, and then start charging their hourly rate when you have no more retainer funds.

The overall cost will also be influenced by whether the divorce is contested or uncontested, as this will affect the complexity of the case.

As there are other different types of family law cases, like termination of parental rights, protection orders against domestic violence, paternity cases, and so on, the fee structures will also differ, although they will be pretty similar to the ones we went over above.

Family law attorney cost by location

Based on your location in the U.S., the cost of hiring a lawyer will also vary. Below, you will find the average costs of family law attorneys by state.