Rates, Forms & Billing Policies

Rates

Attorney time: $250 hr.
Contract Attorney / Associate time: $165 hr.
Paralegal time: $100 hr.
Flat Fee Option for Specific Matters

Client Forms & Resources

Divorce Questionnaire
For divorce cases, we will need a completed Client Intake Survey. View our Client Intake Survey as a printable PDF file

Custody Questionnaire
For custody cases, we will need a completed custody questionnaire. View our Confidential Custody Questionnaire as a printable PDF file

Mediation
Mediation is required by many counties, and can be an effective tool to narrow or resolve parenting time and custody disputes. Our divorce petitions contain an exhibit providing information on enrollment in mediation in Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties. View the exhibit as a printable PDF file

Records you will be required to exchange
In a divorce, annulment, or legal separation case, the court requires the exchange of basic information about your finances. Read more

Uniform Support Affidavit
If spousal support or child support is an issue in your case, you must complete, exchange and file a "Uniform Support Affidavit." View our Uniform Support Affidavit as a printable PDF file

Child Support Calculations
The following is a link to Oregon's online child support calculator. http://dcs.state.or.us/calculator/effective/

Parenting Plans
If your case involves children, the court will require a parenting plan.

• View Multnomah County's parenting plan example
• View Washington County's parenting plan example
• View Marion County's parenting plan example

Parenting Classes
Each party must complete a court ordered parenting class. Our petitions contain an exhibit providing information on enrollment in parenting classes in Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties. View the exhibit as a printable PDF file or click to see our OregonDivorceBlog.com article on the tri-county area parenting class requirements.

Billing Policies

The first telephone consult is free.

New clients meet with an attorney for intake consultations.

Our lawyers bill at an hourly rate is charged to the client in six-minute increments. Attorneys are assigned an hourly rate based on their experience.

Should you decide to retain our firm after meeting with an attorney, we will request a retainer to be deposited into our trust account. The retainer amount is based on the complexity and anticipated requirements of your case.

The retainer is held in trust by our office and is used to pay for any fee or cost incurred. Fees include any attorney, law clerk or legal assistant's time spent on your case. The most common costs incurred on a case are court filing fees, faxing, long distance telephone calls, copying, messenger services, postage, filing fees, subpoena fees and process server fees.

Your case may require that Stephens Margolin P.C., hire other professionals to assist in the evaluation and or trial of your case. This may include the services of an appraiser, accountant, parenting time evaluator or other experts. We will require that you provide the funds necessary to pay for the services of these professionals.

Stephens Margolin P.C., keeps clients apprised of the work done on their case and costs of such service by doing comprehensive bills monthly. Any questions or concerns should be directed to billing@stephensmargolin.com.

If you have questions regarding a specific charge, our billing department can best help you if you mark your statement and return a copy of it with your payment for amount not in question.

At the completion of your case any unused portions of your retainer are returned to you. If the requested retainer has been depleted prior to completion of your case the attorney will request additional monies be deposited into the trust account. If additional work is done without a retainer, payment is due upon receipt of your bill.

If your bill is not paid in its entirety the bill accrues at a rate of 18% per annum on all charges 30 days past due.

For your convenience Stephens Margolin P.C., now accepts VISA and MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, and AMERICAN EXPRESS.

As part of our normal procedure, Stephens Margolin P.C., will invoke its statutory right to place an attorney lien on any money judgment or personal property awarded to you for any balance due our firm.