Worrying about legal costs shouldn’t stop you from getting the advice you need during a separation or divorce.
For a lot of people, Family Law Cost is the fear of an open-ended, unpredictable legal bill is almost as stressful as the separation itself. Every phone call, every email, every question you’re too anxious to ask because you’re not sure what it’ll cost, it adds up to a kind of financial paralysis at exactly the moment you need clear-headed advice the most.
At Collective Family Lawyers, we’ve built our fee structures specifically to remove that uncertainty. Below, we explain exactly how our hourly rates, fixed fee packages, and legal funding options work, what the courts themselves charge, and what to expect from the very first phone call.
Flexible Hourly Rate Fee Structure
We ensure that the legal fees for our clients’ family law cases meet their budget. A flexible hourly rate is perfect for family law clients who prefer to be charged per hour, which means you’re billed for the actual time spent on your matter by one of our family law solicitors, not more or less.
Our rates are extremely competitive compared to other family law firms in both Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
We offer a free 45-minute family law initial consultation with one of our family law solicitors. This allows you to see whether we’re the right firm for you. During this appointment, our family lawyers give initial advice on how to move forward, and we’ll explain the hourly rate of the specific solicitor you choose to work with on your matter.
There are different charge-out rates for different family lawyers, depending on their experience and expertise. Whatever your budget, we’ll work to ensure you get the family law advice you need. We provide detailed written information about our rates and an initial estimate of the overall cost of your case, from the start through to resolution.
You’ll need to sign a costs agreement before we commence work on your matter. Once we start, we bill at the end of each month and provide an itemised invoice showing exactly what you’ve been charged for throughout the month.
Fixed Fee Family Law Cost Documents
We understand that the unknown cost of legal fees can be genuinely stressful. There’s real worry that a legal bill to resolve a family law matter will spiral out of control, escalating without warning.
That’s why we’ve created a range of document packages starting from as low as $2,200. Our team offers a fixed fee option for Consent Orders to finalise family law proceedings, so you don’t have to worry about bill shock at the end of each month. For many of our clients, this takes a genuine weight off their shoulders.
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you can’t communicate with your solicitor as often as you need to because every phone call comes with a price tag attached. Our fixed fee packages take the fear and anxiety out of retaining a family lawyer, so you can focus on resolving your matter rather than watching the clock.
Family Law Legal Funding
For clients with special circumstances, we offer legal funding payment options. This means our family lawyers do the work on your behalf, and a funding company pays the legal fees as the matter progresses.
You don’t have to pay the funding back until your matter is finalised, for example, once you sell the family home or an investment property, or once you receive settlement funds from the other party. This is often the ideal solution for clients who need their matter resolved but don’t have access to funds right now.
Legal funding lets our team commence work sooner, which often means resolving your family law proceedings sooner too.
We Don’t Offer Legal Aid
We’re a full-service family law firm and don’t provide Government-funded Legal Aid. As a general rule, Legal Aid is primarily available for parenting matters, not property matters, so many separating couples with property to divide need a private firm regardless.
What Do the Courts Themselves Charge?
Beyond your lawyer’s fees, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia charges its own filing and event fees, set under the Family Law (Fees) Regulations 2022 (Cth) and increased annually, most recently from 1 July 2026.
As a general guide, an application for divorce currently costs $1,170 to file, though a reduced fee of $390 is available if you hold a relevant government concession card or can demonstrate genuine financial hardship. An initiating application covering both parenting and financial matters currently sits at $740, with a further $155 if interim orders are also sought. These court fees are separate from, and in addition to, your solicitor’s own fees.
Could You End Up Paying the Other Side’s Legal Costs?
In most family law matters, each party is expected to pay their own legal costs, regardless of the outcome. However, the Federal Circuit and Family Court does have the power to order one party to pay some or all of the other party’s costs in certain circumstances.
Where a costs order is made, it’s typically calculated according to a set scale under the Family Law Rules 2021, known as party-party costs. In exceptional circumstances, such as where a party’s conduct during the proceedings has been unreasonable, the court can instead order indemnity costs, covering the other party’s costs in full. Costs orders are also specifically addressed in contravention proceedings involving children, where the court must generally order costs against a party found to have seriously breached parenting orders, unless doing so wouldn’t be in the child’s best interests.
Next Steps in Your Family Law Case
The best way forward for anyone going through a separation or divorce is to speak with one of our family law solicitors. This way, you’ll receive advice specific to your own circumstances.
Your free consultation runs for up to 45 minutes, and you’ll walk away knowing exactly where you stand legally, what your next steps are, and how much it will cost to retain an experienced family lawyer.
Access to justice matters. As a firm, we do what we can to help everyday Australians reach fair outcomes, whether that’s through hourly billing, a fixed fee package, or legal funding.
Book Your Free Initial Appointment
Book your free initial appointment with our divorce lawyer Gold Coast team, or our family lawyers Brisbane office, and start planning your legal strategy with clear, upfront information about what it will cost.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Court fees referenced are current as at the time of writing and are reviewed annually by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a court make a costs order in family proceedings?
Yes. While each party generally pays their own legal costs in family law matters, the Federal Circuit and Family Court can order one party to pay another party’s costs, either in full (indemnity costs) or according to a fixed scale (party-party costs), particularly where a party’s conduct during proceedings has been unreasonable, or in specific circumstances involving breaches of parenting orders.
How are legal fees calculated?
Most family lawyers charge either an hourly rate, which varies depending on the solicitor’s experience and seniority, or a fixed fee for defined pieces of work, such as preparing Consent Orders. Hourly billing reflects the actual time spent on your matter, including phone calls, drafting, and court attendance, while fixed fees give you cost certainty upfront for a defined scope of work.
Who pays legal fees if you win?
Winning a family law matter doesn’t automatically mean the other party pays your legal fees. Each party is generally responsible for their own costs regardless of outcome, unless the court specifically orders otherwise, which typically requires unreasonable conduct or specific circumstances set out in the Family Law Rules.
What are reasonable legal costs?
Reasonable legal costs are generally those that were necessarily and properly incurred in progressing your matter, reflecting the actual time, complexity, and expertise required. Where the court orders indemnity costs, it will only cover costs “reasonably and properly incurred,” which is assessed against the specific circumstances of the case rather than a fixed dollar figure.
