Legal · free calculator
Child custody case cost calculator
Estimate cost of contested child custody — attorney retainer + hourly billing across discovery, mediation, custody evaluation, and trial.
Total custody case cost
Show the work
- Attorney fees$21,000
- Expert / mediator / GAL costs$7,000
Custody fights are billable-hours machines
The number of hours a custody case eats is the biggest variable, and it's almost entirely determined by how cooperative the other parent is.
The hours bands
- Uncontested + parenting plan agreed: 5-15 attorney hours
- Mediated agreement: 20-40 hours including 2-3 mediation sessions
- Contested with custody evaluation: 60-100 hours (ordered evaluator interviews, school records, motion practice)
- Full custody trial: 100-200+ hours (depositions, witness prep, trial days)
What drives the hours up
- One parent moves to relocate (out of state with child)
- Allegations of abuse triggering CPS investigation + protective orders
- Custody evaluator ordered by the court ($3k-12k flat fee, plus 20+ attorney hours interfacing)
- Substance abuse / mental health disputes requiring expert witnesses
- High income (income disputes for support are usually folded into custody)
The unspoken truth
Custody fights are zero-sum and the costs are sunk regardless of who "wins." The fastest way to reduce cost is mediated settlement before formal discovery. Spending $20k on mediator + co-parenting therapist beats $80k on litigation that lands in roughly the same parenting plan.
Export
CSVPrintable PDFEmbedNot sure which calc you need? Ask →Related calculators