Cost Comparison Details – Family Court

First Meeting with Counsel

» Cost range: Free to $400

Pleadings

» Cost: $1,000 to $2,000
• Create legal documents (Application or Answer) outlining your position on the issues
• Complete financial statement attaching proof of the value of every asset and debt, proof of income and income tax returns
• Serve documents on other side
• File documents at Court

First Appearance

» Cost range: $250 to $500
Clerk attends court to set a date for a case conference

Case Conference

» Cost range: $2,000 +/-
• Prepare for Notice of Case Conference
• Prepare Case Conference brief
• Update Financial Statement if necessary
• Serve ad file documents
• Attend court to address issues
• Take out any Court orders

Prepare for Motion and Cross-Motion

» Cost range: $2,500 to $4,000
• Prepare Affidavit (a sworn of the facts) in support of motion
• Prepare Affidavit in response to opposing party's claims
• Prepare Affidavit for supporting witnesses
• Update Financial statement of necessary
• Prepare Factum of case law and statutory law
• Serve and file materials
• Take out any resulting order

Questioning on Motion Affidavit Materials

» Cost range: $1,500 to $4,000
• Prepare questions
• Each counsel asks questions of the other client based on their affidavit
• All answers are recorded and a transcript is produced

Argue Motion

» Cost range: $1,500 to $4,000
• Prepare for motion
• Attend to motion (sometimes your motion is not reached the first day)

Examinations on Financial Statements

» Cost range: $2,000 to $4,000
• Prepare questions
• Each counsel asks questions of the other client about their Financial Statement
• All answers are recorded and a transcript is produced

Retain Experts

• Custody and Access assessment cost range – $8,000 to $12,000
• Pension valuation – $600
• Business valuation – $10,000 to $20,000
• House and cottage appraisals – $300 to $1,000

Settlement Conference

» Cost range: $2,000 to $3,000
• Create Net Family Property Statement
• Update financial statement if necessary
• Ensure all disclosure is ready and received from other side
• Ensure reports of experts are ready
• Take out any resulting Court orders
• Attend court

Trial Management Conference

» Cost range: $2,000 to $4,000
• Prepare list of witnesses for trial
• Prepare opening statement
• Prepare trial management conference brief outlining issues
• Attend court

Trial Preparations

» Cost range: $2,000 to $10,000
• Subpoena each witness
• Meet with each witness to prepare them for trial
• Review all documents, court order and correspondence
• Create questions for own witnesses
• Create questions for corss-examination of witnesses
• Prepare and serve "Will Say" statements of own witnesses
• Prepare and serve Factum of Case Law and Statute Law
• Prepare and serve Documents Brief
• Prepare and serve Notice to Admit
• Prepare and serve Agreed Statement of Facts
• Prepare and serve Trial Record
• Attend Court

Trial

» Cost range: $2,000 to $20,000

Post Trial

» Cost range: $500 to $2,000
• Take out final order
• Implement anything ordered