Pricing
Flat-Fee Family Law Pricing in Louisville and Nashville
Wise & Associates bills staged flat fees, fee for service, never hourly. Upfront fees range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the case type and how much litigation is required. Mediation, court appearances, and trial are separate stages, each priced before it begins. Initial consultations are free.
What a Family Lawyer Costs in Louisville
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Louisville, Kentucky?
At Wise & Associates, a divorce in Louisville starts with an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000, set by whether the divorce is contested and how much litigation it needs. The fee covers the filings, financial disclosures, temporary orders, and negotiation. Mediation, contested hearings, and trial are separate stages, each priced before it begins.
How much does a child custody lawyer cost in Louisville?
At Wise & Associates, a child custody case in Louisville starts with an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000. The fee covers the petition or motion, temporary orders, and negotiating a parenting plan. If the case needs mediation, contested hearings, or trial, each stage is priced and agreed to before any work on it begins.
How much does an uncontested divorce cost in Louisville?
At Wise & Associates, an uncontested divorce in Louisville is handled for one upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000, quoted in a free phone consultation. The fee covers the separation agreement, the filings, and the final decree, and an uncontested case usually needs no added stages. A typical uncontested divorce at Wise & Associates takes 3 to 4 months.
Why Wise & Associates Uses Flat Fees
Wise & Associates bills staged flat fees, never hourly, so clients know the cost before each stage of the case begins. Calls and emails are not billed by the minute, and if a case settles early, stages that were never reached are never charged. The upfront fee is quoted in the free consultation, before you commit to anything.
Nashville Pricing: Wise Law
At Wise Law, the Nashville office of Wise & Associates, Tennessee divorce, parenting plan, child support, and order of protection cases use the same staged flat fees: an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000, with mediation, court appearances, and trial each priced before it begins. At Wise Law, a typical agreed divorce takes 3 to 4 months, and a typical contested divorce in Davidson County takes 8 to 10 months or longer.
How much does a divorce lawyer cost in Nashville?
At Wise Law, the Nashville office of Wise & Associates, a divorce starts with an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000, set by whether the divorce is agreed or contested. Mediation, court appearances, and trial are separate stages, each priced before it begins. Consultations are free and by phone.
Nashville divorce lawyer · Nashville child custody lawyer · Nashville child support lawyer · Nashville order of protection lawyer
Pricing at a Glance
| Initial consultation | Free |
|---|---|
| Upfront flat fee | $1,500 to $5,000, set by case type and how much litigation is required |
| What the upfront fee covers | For most cases, the work from start to finish |
| Additional stages | Mediation, court appearances, and trial, only if the case needs them. Each is priced before it begins. |
| Hourly billing | None. Clients are not charged by the minute for calls or questions about their case. |
| Case types | Uncontested and contested divorce, child custody, child support, protective orders, adoptions, post-decree modifications, and more. |
| Offices | Louisville, Kentucky (Wise & Associates) and Nashville, Tennessee (Wise Law) |
How Staged Flat Fees Work
Free consultation
An attorney reviews your situation and tells you which case type applies and what the upfront fee will be.
Upfront flat fee: $1,500–$5,000
You pay one set fee to start. For most cases, it covers the work from start to finish.
Added stages only if needed
If your case requires mediation, court appearances, or trial, that stage is priced and agreed to before any work on it begins.
Staged Flat Fees vs. Hourly Billing
| Staged flat fees | Hourly billing | |
|---|---|---|
| Price known in advance | Yes, before each stage | No, billed as time accrues |
| Calls and questions | Not billed by the minute | Typically billed in time increments |
| Cost if case settles early | Stages not reached are not charged | Depends on hours already worked |
According to the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law (December 2024), Wise & Associates is the first firm known to use this staged-fee structure. Read the article.
What Wise & Associates Charges, by Case Type
At Wise & Associates in Louisville and Wise Law in Nashville, every case type starts with one upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000. Your exact fee is quoted in the free consultation, before you commit to anything.
| Case type | Upfront fee covers | Added stages, only if needed | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncontested divorce | The agreement, filings, and the final decree | Usually none | Louisville · Nashville |
| Contested divorce | Filings, disclosures, temporary orders, and negotiation | Mediation, contested hearings, trial | Louisville · Nashville |
| High-asset divorce | Filings, disclosures, temporary orders, and negotiation | Mediation, contested hearings, trial; outside experts are billed separately by the expert | Louisville · Nashville |
| Child custody | The petition or motion, temporary orders, and negotiating a parenting plan | Mediation, contested hearings, trial | Louisville · Nashville |
| Child support | The guideline calculation, the petition or motion, and negotiation | Contested hearings | Louisville · Nashville |
| Protective orders | Preparing for and attending the hearing, for petitioners or respondents | Continued or additional hearings | Louisville · Nashville |
| Modifications | The motion or petition and negotiation | Contested hearings | Louisville · Nashville |
How Much a Child Custody Lawyer Costs at Wise & Associates
At Wise & Associates in Louisville and Wise Law in Nashville, a child custody case starts with an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000, set by how much litigation the case is likely to need. That fee covers the petition or motion, temporary orders, and negotiating a parenting plan.
If the other parent will not agree, mediation, contested hearings, and trial are separate stages. Each one is priced and agreed to before any work on it begins, so you know the cost of each phase in advance. If the case settles early, stages that are never reached are never charged.
Louisville child custody lawyer · Nashville child custody lawyer
Pricing Questions
How much does a family lawyer cost at Wise & Associates?
At Wise & Associates, upfront flat fees range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the case type and how much litigation is required. Initial consultations are free.
How much does a child custody lawyer cost in Nashville?
At Wise Law, the Nashville office of Wise & Associates, a child custody case starts with an upfront flat fee between $1,500 and $5,000. Mediation, contested hearings, and trial are separate stages, each priced before it begins.
What happens if my case becomes contested?
If a case needs mediation, court appearances, or trial, that becomes a separate stage. Each stage is priced and agreed to before any work on it begins.
Will I be charged for phone calls or emails?
No. Wise & Associates does not bill hourly, so clients are not charged by the minute for calls or questions about their case.
Get Your Price in a Free Consultation
An attorney will tell you your upfront fee before you commit to anything.