May 21, 2007

Filing costs for dissolution, custody, and other family law matters

Everyone wants to know how much their family law matter is going to cost. Your legal fees — well, that’s a matter between you and your attorney. Do you need a custody evaluation ? That requires a professional, and will cost between $500-3000. If your case is complex, you might need experts to testify.

But here’s some good news: your filing fees can be easily quantified, because they’re set by the circuit courts each year.

The circuit you file in depends on where you (if you’re the party who is filing) reside in. So, for example, if you’re in Washington County, you or your lawyer will hoof it out to Hillsboro to file your paperwork, even if you’re way out in King City. Barring unusual circumstances, your case will stay in that circuit until it’s resolved.

Here are some of the common filing fees in the Portland Metro Area for 2007.

Clackamas County Circuit Court:

adoption (petition): $100
adoption (objecting party): $78
annulment (petition): $320
annulment (response): $215
child custody or support (petition): $320
child custody or support (response): $215
child custody or support (motion to modify): $45
child custody or support (response to motion): $35
dissolution of marriage (petition): $371
dissolution of marriage (response): $215
dissolution of marriage (motion to modify): $105
dissolution of marriage (response to motion): $70
family abuse prevention act (all): $0
filing/docketing foreign child custody determination: $39
paternity/filiation (petition): $320
paternity/filiation (response): $215

Multnomah County Circuit Court

adoption (petition): $100
adoption (objecting party): $78
annulment (petition): $370
annulment (response): $206
child custody or support (petition): $370
child custody or support (response): $206
child custody or support (motion to modify): $200
child custody or support (response to motion): $100
dissolution of marriage (petition): $371
dissolution of marriage (response): $206
dissolution of marriage (motion to modify): $250
dissolution of marriage (response to motion): $135
family abuse prevention act (all): $0
filing/docketing foreign child custody determination: $39
paternity/filiation (petition): $370
paternity/filiation (response): $206

Washington County Circuit Court

adoption (petition): $100
adoption (objecting party): $78
annulment (petition): $320
annulment (response): $215
child custody or support (petition): $320
child custody or support (response): $215
child custody or support (motion to modify): $55
child custody or support (response to motion): $55
dissolution of marriage (petition): $321
dissolution of marriage (response): $215
dissolution of marriage (motion to modify): $105
dissolution of marriage (response to motion): $90
family abuse prevention act (all): $0
filing/docketing foreign child custody determination: $39
paternity/filiation (petition): $320
paternity/filiation (response): $215