FEES

Most people considering a divorce, custody case, legal separation or other litigation are understandably concerned about fees and costs, and would like to discuss the potential costs and fees as early as possible in the process. We understand this, as this is an area of additional stress that can unduly burden our clients, and we are vested in having a frank and open discussion relating to fees as soon as possible in the process.

We have a detailed contract for services which provides as much as information as we can relating to fees, costs and our services. Family law litigation can be very expensive, however, we believe that securing skilled and directed legal services early on in the process can help avoid costly mistakes down the road.

In Indiana, we cannot accept family law cases on a “contingency” fee basis, as is a common practice in personal injury cases, where attorneys receive a percentage of the amount recovered for the client.

We bill our clients on a bi-monthly basis based on a series of fixed hourly rates, which are fully detailed and outlined in advance. Clients receive a detailed statement itemizing the work done during the previous billing period. The hourly rate does not vary depending on the size of the marital estate, the parties’ assets or the complexity of the case. The rates are fixed and fully disclosed in advance.
Pre representation, we require a retainer, which is then applied to your bill each month, and any unearned part is returned to you at the conclusion of representation.

At MITCHELL & ASSOCIATES we believe that a full discussion of fees should occur at the initial consultation and that this is vital to a good attorney-client relationship. We encourage each of our clients to understand how our fees are determined, and to ask questions at any point in time about their fees and their bills.

While your family law or other related matter may be complex in nature, at MITCHELL & ASSOCIATES, we take the complexity out of discussing your fees.