Litigation (in court) Approximate Fixed Fees
The fixed fees detailed below cover all steps involved in resolving your situation when it is necessary to file proceedings and go to court. These fees are paid in five phases. When proceedings are with the court we are often able to reach agreement before the matter actually goes to hearing. Any fees unpaid at the time of settlement are waived and you pay only the amount you have paid up to that.
Stage 1
File or Defend PRA Proceedings
File PRA proceedings ($700 filing fees apply).
The “File or Defend PRA Proceedings” fee is due when you hire Jeremy Sutton to begin the Court Proceedings.
$12,000 to $18,000plus GST
Stage 2
Directions / Issues Conference (per event)
Preparation and attendance at directions conference.
The “Directions / Issues Conference” fee is due 21 days after proceedings have been filed.
$3,000 to $5,000plus GST
Stage 3
Disclosure and Discovery
At the end of this stage, we will have all relevant information about your joint financial position, assets and will have a copy of any trust deeds.
The “Disclosure and Discovery” fee is generally due 75 days after the filing of the proceedings.
$12,000 to $24,000plus GST
Stage 4
Negotiation Settlement / Mediation
At the end of this stage you will have a resolution or we will be in a position to move to the next stage be that further discussions, mediation or filing Court documents.
The “Negotiation Settlement / Mediation” fee is generally due 75 days after negotiations begin.
$8,000 to $15,000 plus GST
Stage 5
Defended Hearing (per day)
The Judge will have made a decision at the completion of this stage on all matters.
The “Defended Hearing” fee is generally due 30 – 75 days before each defended hearing. There are sometimes several hearings on different issues, in one case. Often, we have one hearing and then reach agreement on the other issues without the need for additional hearings. So that you only pay for the hearings you actually reach, we break the fee for this phase down into each separate hearing. Again, any issue reaching hearing incurs a fee 45 days before the hearing.
$15,000 to $30,000plus GST
Total Fees:
$45,000 to $120,000 plus GST
NB. The fixed fees detailed above are an estimate and may vary depending upon your unique situation. When you meet with Jeremy Sutton you will be provided with an exact schedule of fixed fees. Again, you may not end up paying all of the scheduled fixed fees if we reach agreement before the matter actually goes to hearing. I do not charge by the hour and you never have to worry about the uncertainty that comes from an unpredictable hourly fee. I make you a promise about your fee and I live up to that promise.
Out of court estimates are valid for 6 months.