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Kith & Kin Family Law · Oakland
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Fees

What it costs, before you sign

Most family-building work follows a known path, so we price it as a flat fee. These are example ranges. Your exact fee is in your plan letter, in writing, before you sign anything.

Example ranges, path by path

Attorney fees only. Costs paid to courts, agencies and clinics are listed further down.

  • Agency and private adoption

    Flat fee, example range

    $3,500 to $12,000

    Agency adoptions usually sit near the low end. Private adoptions, with more people and more consents, sit higher.

    Included

    • Planning consultation
    • Consents, notices and court filings
    • Working with your agency and home study provider
    • The finalization hearing

    Paid separately

    • Agency and home study fees
    • Court filing fees
    • Local counsel in another state
    About adoption

  • Stepparent adoption

    Flat fee, example range

    $1,800 to $3,500

    Uncontested cases sit inside this range. If the other parent objects, we switch to hourly billing and tell you before we do.

    Included

    • Petition and consent forms
    • Notice to the other parent when needed
    • Help with the court's review
    • The hearing

    Paid separately

    • Court filing fees
    • Any fee charged for the court's report
    • Contested cases (hourly)
    About stepparent adoption

  • Second-parent and confirmatory adoption

    Flat fee, example range

    $2,200 to $4,000

    Confirmatory adoptions for married couples usually sit near the low end.

    Included

    • Document checklist and review
    • Petition and consents
    • Court filings
    • The hearing

    Paid separately

    • Court filing fees
    • Any home visit fee, if the court requires one
    • Certified copies of the judgment
    About second-parent adoption

  • Surrogacy agreements

    Flat fee for intended parents, example range

    $6,500 to $11,000

    Independent counsel for a surrogate is usually $1,200 to $2,500, and intended parents normally cover it through escrow.

    Included

    • Term sheet and drafting or review
    • Negotiation with the other side's lawyer
    • Signing and notarization
    • A plan for the parentage judgment

    Paid separately

    • Agency and clinic fees
    • Escrow fees
    • The surrogate's own lawyer
    • The parentage judgment (its own flat fee)
    About surrogacy

  • Parentage orders

    Flat fee, example range

    $2,500 to $5,500

    Pre-birth judgments with complete clinic records usually sit near the low end.

    Included

    • Petition and declarations
    • Court filings
    • Any hearing
    • Delivery to the hospital and vital records

    Paid separately

    • Court filing fees
    • Certified copies
    • Local counsel if the birth is in another state
    About parentage orders

  • Donor agreements

    Flat fee per side, example range

    $1,500 to $3,000

    Embryo agreements and three-parent plans usually sit near the high end.

    Included

    • A planning conversation
    • Drafting or review
    • Working with the other side's lawyer
    • Signing

    Paid separately

    • The other side's lawyer
    • Clinic fees
    • A later parentage judgment or adoption
    About donor agreements

  • LGBTQ+ divorce and custody

    Hourly, example rates

    $350 to $450 an hour

    Retainers usually start at $5,000. Mediation-only work is often billed as a smaller flat package.

    Included

    • A written budget estimate
    • Monthly itemized bills
    • Strategy and negotiation
    • Court work when needed

    Paid separately

    • Court filing fees
    • Mediator fees
    • Expert or evaluator fees
    About divorce and custody

Costs that are not ours

You pay these to other people. We list them in your plan letter so nothing is a surprise, and we never take a share.

  • Court filing feesSet by the court, not by us. Fee waivers exist for those who qualify.
  • Agency, home study and clinic feesPaid to those providers directly. We never take a share.
  • Escrow fees in surrogacyPaid to an independent escrow company.
  • The other side's lawyerEvery surrogate and donor deserves their own counsel.
  • Local counsel elsewhereWhen another state or country is involved.
  • Certified copies and recordsSmall fees for official copies of judgments and certificates.

Questions about fees

Why flat fees?

Most family-building matters follow a known path, so we can price them up front. You see the fee in writing before you sign. Contested cases are the exception and are billed hourly.

What is not included in a flat fee?

Court filing fees, agency, home study and clinic fees, escrow, the other side's lawyer, and local counsel in another state. Your plan letter lists these separately.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes. Any flat fee can be split into monthly payments. Ask on your first call.

Fees on this page are example ranges for a fictional firm and are shown for design purposes. This website is general information, not legal advice. Reading it, calling us or sending a form does not make Kith & Kin your lawyer. That happens only when we both sign an engagement letter.

Free 20-minute call

Get your own number, in writing.

A free 20-minute call, then a plan letter with your flat fee or budget estimate. No deadline to decide and no pressure.

Book a consultation (510) 555-0162

Prefer to text? (510) 555-0163. Dee replies within one business day.

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