Flat Fee Assessment Questionnaire
Why Choose Baxter Law’s Flat Fee Divorce Service?
Secure Your Terms. Design Your Tomorrow.
Flat Fee vs. Hourly: Why Uncontested Divorce Saves you Money in the Long Run
For couples who agree on all major terms – such as asset division, debt allocation, and child custody – choosing a flat fee for an uncontested divorce is universally the more cost-effective and predictable option compared to hiring separate attorneys on an hourly retainer basis.
Contested vs. Uncontested: Understanding the Hourly Model
The hourly retainer model is essential for complex or contested cases, as it ensures your attorney can dedicate the necessary time and resources to achieve the best outcome. This model compensates your attorney for every minute of their legal work, including research, negotiation, strategy, discovery, and court appearances.
However, when both spouses hire separate hourly attorneys (often at rates of $400+ per hour), the total cost becomes highly unpredictable.
- The retainer is merely a starting point, not a cap.
- Costs can quickly escalate if the case encounters unexpected delays or disagreements.
- You are essentially paying by the minute for every email, phone call, and administrative task, making it a constant financial worry.
The Flat Fee Advantage: Certainty and Efficiency
With a flat fee, the financial dynamic completely changes:
- 100% Cost Certainty: You know the total cost upfront. There are no surprise bills.
- Maximum Efficiency: Since our payment is fixed, our clear incentive is to resolve your uncontested cases swiftly and efficiently.
- Open Communication: Most routine communications and tasks are simply included, removing the financial penalty for asking necessary questions or ensuring paperwork is correct.
Our Flat Fee Model is designed to offer maximum cost control and an incentive for the quickest resolution possible.
The Bottom Line: Where Is Your Agreement Level?
Ultimately, the choice between a flat fee and an hourly retainer hinges on one factor: the level of agreement between you and your spouse.
If you are confident that your case is genuinely uncontested—meaning all terms are already agreed upon—our Flat Fee Divorce Service is the clear winner for your financial health. It delivers the required legal expertise and final decree with maximum cost control and predictability. Our ultimate goal is to ensure you secure a final divorce decree that is both legally sound and financially responsible.
More Than Just Paperwork: Our Commitment to Your Future
We understand that facing a divorce is often the most emotionally and financially difficult time of your life. Your case is far more than just paperwork; it represents your future and the stability of your family.
Because we recognize the gravity of this transition, we treat your situation with the focused attention and empathy it deserves. You can trust us because our streamlined approach is designed not only to achieve a successful resolution but also to minimize the stress, time, and financial strain typically associated with legal proceedings. Your well-being and the successful resolution of your matters are genuinely important to us, and we are committed to helping you navigate this chapter so that you can design your tomorrow.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR A FLAT FEE DIVORCE?
- Initial Consultation $350
- Flat Fee Divorce Package $7,000
- Flat Fee Divorce with Children Package $9,000
WHAT DOES A FLAT FEE SYSTEM COVER?
The primary value of the flat fee is that it covers all the essential legal steps required to get the court to finalize your divorce, which eliminates the hourly billing for routine tasks. Baxter Law’s Flat Fee Divorce includes the following services:
1. Initial Consultation
A dedicated meeting (in-person, phone, or video) to:
- Review your specific situation and confirm that your case qualifies as uncontested.
- Outline how Oregon approaches divorces.
- Answer all your initial questions.
2. Expert Document Drafting and Preparation
This is the most time intensive and valuable part of the flat fee, as it involves creating all the critical legal instruments:
- Divorce Petition: Preparing and filing the initial paperwork that formally starts the divorce case with the court.
- Parenting Plan/ Child Custody Agreement (if applicable): Drafting the court-required documents covering custody, and parenting time.
- Child Support Calculation: Utilizing the Oregon Child Support Guidelines to calculate child support based upon the parenting time schedule.
- General Judgment (The Settlement Agreement): Drafting the comprehensive, legally finding document, that details all agreed-upon terms, including:
- Division of assets (house, bank accounts, investments).
- Allocation of debts (mortgages, credit cards, loans).
- Spousal support, if any.
3. Filing and Process Management
We handle all the procedural details until the final decree is issued:
- Filing Documents: Timely filing of all required paperwork with the court.
- Communication with the Court: Communication with the court clerk’s office until the final decree is issued.
4. Final Judgment
Ensuring the judge signs the final divorce decree and that the official certified copy is properly entered and delivered to you, formalizing your divorce.
5. Exclusions – Not Covered by the Flat Fee
- Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs): These are complex, separate court orders needed to divide most types of retirement accounts (e.g., pensions). Due to the highly specialized nature and required complexity, they are billed as a separate fixed fee.
- Contested Issues: If you or your spouse begin to disagree on major issues (custody, property, support) and the case requires formal discovery, motion practice, or extensive negotiation.
HOW DO I KNOW IF A FLAT FEE DIVORCE IS RIGHT FOR US?
Start the Flat Fee Divorce Questionnaire
- Are willing to agree on all major terms of your divorce including property division, debt allocation, spousal support, and (if applicable) child custody and parenting time.
- Want to avoid the expense and time of contested court litigation.
- Prefer a single, flat fee that covers all essential legal drafting, filing, and process management, eliminating hourly billing for routine tasks.
If you can agree on the terms of your divorce and want a fixed price, Baxter Law’s Flat Fee Divorce is designed for you.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE INITIAL CONSULTATION?
The initial consultation will last up to 90 minutes and it is dedicated to mapping out a clear path to your resolution. The primary objective is to confirm that both you and your partner are prepared to move forward cooperatively, qualifying you for our streamlined, flat-fee process.
What We Will Cover:
- We will carefully review your unique marital and financial situation to confirm your eligibility for our fixed-fee, uncontested service. This is a key step in saving you time and money.
- We will provide a concise, easy to understand overview of the Oregon divorce process, focusing specifically on the steps required for an uncontested filing.
- We will clearly define exactly what is included in your flat-fee package- and what is not – so you have total certainty about the cost from the outset.
- You will leave the consultation with a customized, step-by-step action plan and a clear understanding of the anticipated timeline to finalize your divorce.
- This time is reserved for you and your partner to have all of your remaining questions answered by an experienced attorney.
The Outcome – You will walk away with confidence and a roadmap, knowing precisely what it takes to resolve your divorce efficiently and affordably with our firm.
WHAT HAPPENS IF OUR DIVORCE ISN’T COOPERATIVE
- Proactive Dispute Resolution: If minor disagreements surface, we will first utilize our skills to help bridge those gaps, keeping the process focused on cooperation and resolution.
- Defining the Boundary: If a major, irreconcilable dispute arises (such as disagreement over asset division or parenting time) that prevents a mutual settlement, your case will no longer fit the scope of our flat-fee service.
- Seamless Transition & Trusted Counsel: Should your case become contentious, you will not be left without legal support. We maintain a network of highly experienced and successful family litigation attorneys outside of our firm whom we can confidently recommend.
- Cost Transparency: Before any transition occurs, we will have a clear and candid discussion with you about the potential next steps, the required retainer, and the shift to an hourly fee structure. You will always have full transparency regarding cost and strategy.
Our commitment remains the same: ensuring you have competent, trusted legal representation regardless of the complexity of your case.
WHO DOES THE ATTORNEY REPRESENT?
The individual guiding your divorce is a licensed attorney acting strictly as a Neutral Mediator.
- No Representation: They do not represent either party and cannot advocate for one spouse over the other.
- No Individual Legal Advice: Their role is to facilitate the process, prepare documents, and provide procedural guidance, not to give personal legal advice regarding your individual best interests.
- Your Right to Counsel: You are strongly encouraged to consult with your own independent reviewing attorney at any time to ensure the settlement agreement fully protects your interests. We can provide referrals upon request.
WHEN DOES DRAFTING OF THE DIVORCE DOCUMENTS BEGIN?
To ensure maximum efficiency and adherence to the flat-fee scope, drafting of your final settlement documents will begin only after the initial consultation and when both parties have submitted the following completed forms:
- Initial Intake Form
- Parenting Term and Plan Form (if you have children)
- All documents included on Document Checklist Form