Agreed divorces are commonly offered under flat-fee pricing. If there are no children and the case fits the standard scope, the flat fee is $999. If there are children, the flat fee is $1,999.

Clients typically start with $999 and pay any balance within 45 days. Add-ons may apply depending on your facts — QDRO, extra property transfers, mediation, and similar.

When children are involved, significant deviations from Texas presumptions may require mediation and a mediated settlement agreement before the court will sign the final orders, with limited exceptions.

The $600 amount is a flat-fee add-on when the QDRO is prepared as part of an agreed matter. The $3,000 retainer applies to a stand-alone petition to enter a QDRO handled under an hourly contract — often used when the divorce is already final and the QDRO must be prepared and entered afterward.

You may need formal service. If your spouse is served and does not file an answer, you may proceed toward a default judgment.

If the case becomes contested, your matter will typically move into retainer or hourly pricing, and we'll discuss next steps with you first.

Formal service is added on top of the flat fee: $2,000 for service in Texas, $3,000 out of state, and a minimum of $4,000 for a foreign country (confirm with an attorney).

If your spouse is served and files no answer, fees typically don't increase further and you can proceed toward a default judgment.

Yes. Some uncontested matters filed outside Harris and Fort Bend may involve an additional $250 fee, which applies when the county does not allow prove-up by affidavit. Nuptial agreements are fixed-fee statewide. Contested matters outside those counties typically require higher retainers.

An initial in-person family-law consultation with staff personnel is free, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no charge for the consultation unless you retain the firm; if retained, the consultation time is charged against your retainer.

Consultations specifically with Michael G. Busby, Jr. are $350, whether in person, by phone, by Zoom, or on weekends. Other paid options include a 30-minute phone consultation for $100, an evening Zoom consultation for $350 including weekends, an appeal consultation for $350, and weekend strategy sessions. The lower-priced options do not apply to consultations with Michael G. Busby, Jr. Paid consultations are paid before scheduling, except where otherwise noted.

You may be able to divorce by publication, handled hourly statewide. Cases without children generally run a $5,000 retainer with $2,500 down to file, and cases with children or property issues run a $6,000 retainer with $3,000 down, with credit card authorization for the balance in each case.

These cases take longer — often several months and sometimes up to a year. You may also owe a court-set attorney ad litem fee of roughly $1,500–$2,000, which isn't included in the retainer.

For a default-posture case where you want your spouse served, the retainer is $6,000 in Harris and Fort Bend County with $3,000 down, or $6,500 outside those counties with $3,250 down.

For a contested case with children, custody, and property — including temporary orders — the retainer is $7,500 in Harris and Fort Bend with $3,750 down, or $10,000 outside those counties with $5,000 down and a $5,000 payment plan. Retainers are subject to upward revision based on complexity.

Hourly rates are $600 for Michael G. Busby, Jr., and $475 each for attorneys Andrew Iwata and Elsa Soto. Paralegals range from $175 to $270, law clerks are $150, and legal assistants and office clerks are $140.

Hourly billing applies where the scope is unpredictable — contested custody, discovery disputes, emergency relief, complex property, and similar.

For priority handling, a bench trial requires $15,000 due in full 30 days before trial. A jury trial set within 60 days requires $35,000, with 50% up front and the balance within 5 calendar days.

An appeal brief starts at an $8,000 minimum retainer covering a trial record of up to two days, plus $4,000 per additional trial day. Court costs — the reporter's record at about $1,500 per day, the clerk's record at about $500, and the $205 filing fee — are paid by the client and set by the court.

In most Texas civil cases the notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days of the judge signing the final order. Call before that deadline passes.

Yes. Retainers on contested cases are commonly available with 50% due at intake and credit card authorization or scheduled recurring payments for the balance. Flat-fee matters start at $999 with the balance due within 45 days.

We also offer pay-over-time options through our billing platform, subject to provider approval. Some clients use PayPal Pay Later or card-based installment programs where available. Financing terms and approval are set by the provider, not the firm.