Chicago family law / Fees by service
What Contested Divorce Representation Costs in Chicago
For your contested divorce, full representation is an initial payment of $1,500 to $2,500, followed by $500 to $650 per month beginning 30 days after the initial payment while representation remains active.
Initial consultations are free for people seeking to hire an attorney. Your fee is confirmed in writing before you engage the firm.
Your next step
Book a Free Consultation
Looking to hire an attorney? Answer the required questions and choose a consultation. The calendar opens after the required answers confirm your scheduling readiness. Your answers stay on this page and are not saved or sent with the booking.
Initial consultations are free for people seeking to hire an attorney. Representation fees and the scope of work are confirmed separately.
The initial consultation is free for people considering hiring an attorney. This question asks whether you need the legal work itself to be free.
This concerns paid representation, not a charge for the free initial consultation. The fee depends on the work and is confirmed in writing. Choose a timing category only; do not provide amounts, account information or case details.
These programs set their own eligibility and availability. Contact the provider to find out whether it can help.
Calendly connects to the firm’s live schedule. Completing its booking form creates a real appointment. Save confidential details for private intake.
Choose the help you need and answer the required questions.
Booking does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Acceptance and engagement terms are confirmed separately.
Fee structure: Contested divorce
Full representation for a contested divorce, where you and your spouse disagree about property, debts, maintenance, parenting or support, uses an initial payment plus monthly payments. For a flat-fee limited-scope quote, call 312-965-5618. Before you engage the firm, the written agreement confirms the fee, the covered work and separate expenses.
| Service level | How it is billed | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Full representation | Initial payment plus monthly payments | Initial payment of $1,500 to $2,500, then $500 to $650 per month beginning 30 days after the initial payment while representation remains active. |
| Limited scope: one defined task | Flat fee | Quoted after a consultation. Call 312-965-5618 for a quote. |
Limited-scope work is billed as a flat fee for a defined task. Full representation is billed as an initial payment plus monthly payments.
Full-representation fees cover drafting, hearings, motions and phone calls within the agreed scope. Expert fees and court filing costs are separate, are paid by the client and are not advanced by the firm. The written agreement confirms the fee, the covered work and separate expenses before you engage the firm. Any amount shown is not a quote for your matter.
Limited scope compared with full representation
Both options are confirmed in writing. Compare what each covers before you choose.
Limited scope (flat fee)
- Drafting a specified divorce motion for you to file
- Appearing for you at a specified hearing
- Another defined task we agree on in writing, quoted as a flat fee after a consultation
Full representation (initial payment plus monthly payments)
- Drafting the divorce documents identified in your written agreement
- Preparing and handling covered motions on disputed property, maintenance or parenting issues
- Representing you at agreed hearings, including hearings on temporary arrangements
- Phone calls about the contested divorce work covered by your agreement
Usually outside the quoted fee
- Court filing costs, paid separately by you and not advanced by the firm
- Expert fees, service and evaluation costs, paid separately by you and not advanced by the firm
- Work outside the scope stated in your written agreement, discussed and confirmed in writing
Factors that move the total
The same case label can involve very different work. These factors shape the scope we quote.
Issues still in dispute
The number of unresolved issues shapes the work you need. Identifying what you already agree on helps define the representation scope.
Financial information
The income, asset and debt records you have available help the firm understand your disputed financial issues. Incomplete records mean more work to gather them.
Responses to your spouse's motions
Motions filed by your spouse may require written responses and preparation. Your written agreement defines whether responding to those motions is part of the covered work.
Hearings on temporary issues
If you need a hearing about temporary arrangements during your divorce, preparation and a court appearance may be part of the work. Your agreed scope identifies which hearings the firm will handle.
Adding a disputed issue
Work on a newly disputed parenting or support issue outside the agreed scope is discussed and confirmed in writing.
Bring these to your consultation
- Court papers you have received or filed
- A list of agreed issues and unresolved disagreements
- Available income, asset and debt records
- Existing parenting or support orders and relevant proposed arrangements
- Questions about the tasks you want covered and how payments work
Contested divorce fees
Frequently asked questions
Pricing and process questions, answered in general terms.
What is the firm's fee for a contested divorce?
Our usual fee for full representation in a contested divorce is an initial payment of $1,500 to $2,500, followed by $500 to $650 per month beginning 30 days after the initial payment while representation remains active. If you need only a defined task, the limited-scope flat fee is quoted after a consultation. Limited-scope work is usually paid up front, although in some cases the fee can be paid in two installments. Your written agreement confirms the fee, covered work and separate expenses before you engage the firm.
How do payments work during full contested divorce representation?
Full representation uses an initial payment plus monthly payments while representation remains active. The covered work can include preparing motions about disputed property or parenting issues and responding to papers filed by your spouse.
What should I ask about fees when hiring a lawyer for a contested divorce?
Before signing the written agreement, ask which tasks are included, when payments are due and which expenses you must pay separately. You can also ask whether a defined task is suitable for limited-scope representation rather than full representation. Make sure you understand the fee and covered work before engaging the firm.
What affects the cost of representation in a contested divorce?
More disputed issues, more motions and more hearings generally mean more work and a broader scope than an agreed matter. Incomplete income, asset or debt records mean more work to gather them. Expert fees and court filing costs are paid separately by you and are not advanced by the firm.
How do I start and request a quote?
Call 312-965-5618 to request a quote and discuss whether you need full representation or a defined limited-scope task. The initial consultation is free for people seeking to hire an attorney. Bring your court papers, available financial records and a list of unresolved issues so we can discuss the work you want covered.