Roseville Child Custody Lawyer
One of the most frequently contested issues in a divorce is child custody. For good reason, a parent’s access to their children, and the right to make major decisions regarding their children’s welfare is paramount. Accordingly, many parents in divorce disagree on child custody and require legal representation in family court. In those cases, our family law attorney represents the parent and seeks custody orders in line with the children’s best interests.
Securing Child Custody in Roseville
The Placer County court seeks to issue child custody orders that are in the best interests of the children. What is in the children’s best interests is guided by several factors identified by the Family Code, but chief among those factors is the child’s health, safety, and welfare. In light of that factor, the court will seek to issue custody orders that decrease the child’s risk of domestic violence or child abuse.
While the children’s health, safety, and welfare are the primary factors that guide the court’s custody orders, secondary factors are weighed. These include the nature and amount of contact with both parents, the child’s need for stability and continuity of care, and history of substance abuse.
The Cost of Litigating Child Custody
Child custody can be one of the most expensive issues to litigate in family court, but it doesn’t have to be in your case. Unscrupulous child custody lawyers know that child custody can be dragged out in a divorce with no resolution until the client’s funds are exhausted. Likewise, self-represented parents can unwittingly let custody disputes lead to trial which is never advisable without an attorney. In cases when both attorneys are experienced and reasonable, child custody issues can be resolved without trial in a cost-effective manner. However, the ability to resolve custody disputes will depend upon the temperament of the parties and their attorneys.
How Much Do Child Custody Attorneys in Placer County Charge?
Since the total scope of work required of the attorney to resolve a child custody dispute is difficult to estimate at the beginning, few child custody attorneys charge a flat fee. In most cases, child custody attorneys in Placer County charge an initial deposit called a retainer fee and bill against that deposit as they work on the case according to their hourly rate. For example, a Roseville child custody attorney may charge $3,500 for the retainer fee and $300 per hour as they work on the case. Once they work 10 hours the retainer will be $500 (10 hours x $300 per hour = $3,000 retainer fee) and the client will have to pay an additional retainer for the attorney to keep working on the case.
In short, how much an attorney will charge in the end will depend on how many hours the attorney works on the case and the attorney’s hourly rate. Our child custody attorney charges $300 per hour as of the year 2021. Some attorneys charge less, but most charge significantly more. To learn more about your case call our office to schedule a consultation.
