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Folks Hess, PLLC: Mesa Divorce Attorneys

WBENC Certified Women's Business Enterprise

 

Premarital and Cohabitation Agreements

 

See "5 Helpful Ways to Control Your Legal Costs in Divorce" at Mary Ann's "Divorce with Respect" blog

 

 

Affordable Legal Fees and Options

Mary Ann Hess offers a measure of cost certainty that can ease some of the financial and emotional stress of using an attorney and incurring legal fees.

While working to change a family dynamic – divorce, break up, trying to co-parent, beginning a new relationship – the uncertainty over the cost of your relationship with your attorney can be especially unsettling. To help ease some of that stress, Mary Ann Hess generally offers the following fee structure:

Initial Consultations

Mary Ann will meet with you for up to one hour, to generally discuss your family law questions, for a discounted fee of $150.

In the initial consultation, Mary Ann will discuss with you what additional services she may be able to assist you with. If additional time is requested, that time will be billed at $300 per hour. Consultation fees are paid at the time of the consultation.

It is important to realize that an initial consultation will provide you with information about Arizona law and options that may be available to you. An initial consultation is not a detailed examination of your particular case following by legal recommendations, as before making any legal recommendations for a client, a lawyer needs a significant amount of information to evaluate the options available.

Hourly Billings

Pay as You Go. Mary Ann offers a “pay as you go” approach to consulting and coaching services at the rate of $300 per hour. With this option, you can schedule a meeting, prepare your list of questions, pay by credit card prior to the meeting, and have a productive meeting with Mary Ann Hess.

Ongoing Representation. When you retain Mary Ann to represent you in an ongoing issue, you pay a deposit that is held in the law firm’s State Bar-mandated trust account. Each month, you will receive a detailed billing statement showing how your deposited funds were used. The amount of the deposit will depend on your specific legal needs and the services you require.

Flat Fees

A “flat fee” is what you will pay for a designated service. The fee is agreed upon, as well as the scope of the work, at the time you retain Mary Ann.

Document Preparation Services. You and your spouse may have already reached agreements on all issues. If you simply need help in documenting your agreements, Mary Ann will help you with the documentation packages at the following rates:

  • Initial Petition Packet (paternity, legal separation, dissolution): $600

  • Response packet (paternity, legal separation, dissolution): $500

  • Consent Decree Packet (no minor children): $2,500

  • Consent Decree Packet (with minor children): $3,500

  • Premarital Agreement: $3,500

Mediation

Mediation services are offered on both a pay-as-you-go option and a flat rate option. Pay-as-you-go requires a $1,000 initial payment for five hours of mediation services – a discount from Mary Ann’s usual hourly mediation rate. Additional time is paid for prior to the services being performed and is charged at $250 per hour.

Parenting Coordinator Services

Mary Ann discounts her hourly billing rate when she offers Parenting Coordinator (or “PC”) services. Currently Mary Ann charges $200 per hour for non-emergency PC work and requires an $800 deposit. Each parent is also required to keep $200 on deposit so that PC issues can be addressed without delay. Emergency PC work is provided at $275 per hour. The judge will decide how the deposit is paid between the parents.