How retainers workin a Texas family law case.

Held in trust until it is earned

Your retainer does not become the firm’s money when you pay it. Texas attorneys hold retainer funds in a trust account, separate from the firm’s own funds. The money sits there, still effectively yours, until work is actually performed.

Billed against as work is done

As your case moves, time gets billed against the retainer at the rates in your engagement agreement, and each statement shows you exactly what was done and what it cost. The unearned balance stays in trust. It does not vanish into a flat fee, and it is not a bill you are guessing at.

Family-law fees are hard to quote up front because the case path is not a menu. An agreed matter with cooperative lawyers is a different animal from a contested one with emergency hearings, and the other side gets a vote on which one yours becomes.

What moves the number: contested versus uncontested, how many hearings the case needs, how heavy discovery gets, whether mediation resolves it, and whether it goes to trial. Every one of those is a fork we will talk through with you before it arrives.

As a reference point, initial retainers for a Texas divorce at this firm have typically run from about $3,500 for an uncontested matter to $7,500 for a heavily contested one, as of August 2026, depending on case type and complexity. Complex or high-asset matters can require more, and no figure here is a quote for your case. The realistic range for your situation is part of the Strategy Consultation.

Most family-law retainers are evergreen: as the balance draws down, it gets topped back up so the case never stalls for funding. That is normal, and it works fine when the firm treats it as a planning conversation instead of a collections letter.

Our rule is simple. We tell you before funds run low, we explain what the next stage of your case needs and why, and we give you the information early enough to make a real decision. A growing case should never arrive as a balloon bill.

Step one: Free Case Alignment Review

Fifteen minutes with one of our intake specialists to confirm conflicts, fit, and jurisdiction. Free, because alignment is not advice. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Step two: $275 Attorney Strategy Consultation

A working session with an attorney, under privilege: your case evaluated, your rights and options walked through, and a realistic fee picture for your specific situation.

We accept standard payment methods, and payment plans may be available for qualifying matters. Whether one fits your situation is part of the fee conversation at the Strategy Consultation, where the numbers on the table are your numbers, not a brochure’s.