How much does a lawyer cost for an eviction or custody case?

There is no honest universal number — rates vary by region, practice area and experience. What is universal: litigation is usually billed hourly against a retainer, defined tasks are often flat-fee, and many lawyers offer limited-scope help or payment plans if you ask.

A deposit paid up front that the lawyer bills against, usually hourly. When it runs low you are typically asked to replenish it.

Are there alternatives if I can't pay a retainer?

Yes: income-qualified free legal aid, volunteer-lawyer programs, limited-scope representation for the critical pieces, and self-representation with the court's free resources — see our can't-afford-a-lawyer triage.

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DocketX / Can't afford a lawyer

How lawyers actually charge, and what to do when it's too much

We are not going to invent a dollar figure — rates vary enormously by place, practice area and experience, and any site quoting you one number is guessing. What we can tell you honestly is how the billing works and what your options are at every budget, including zero.

How the billing works

Hourly plus retainer is the default in litigation: you pay a deposit the lawyer bills against by the hour, and complex cases consume retainers quickly. Flat fees are common for defined tasks like an uncontested divorce or a demand letter. Contingency (the lawyer takes a share of what is recovered, nothing if you lose) applies mainly when you are the one owed money — injury, some employment and consumer cases — not when you are defending. Limited-scope lets you buy hours, not the whole case.

Before you conclude you cannot afford it

Ask about limited-scope help and payment plans directly — many lawyers offer both and do not advertise it. Check the free options below regardless: qualifying for legal aid is about income, not about how hopeless the case feels.

Free and low-cost help, right now

Legal Services Corporation — find free legal aid near you by ZIP code; eligibility is income-based.
ABA Free Legal Answers — post a civil legal question and a volunteer lawyer answers, free, income-qualified.
TexasLawHelp.org — plain-language guides and court-approved Texas forms.
Texas Judicial Branch self-help — the courts' own resources for people without lawyers.

Free tools

What we built for exactly this

DocketBuster

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The rules, verbatim

Eviction, small claims, custody procedure and more, with the controlling rules quoted word for word.

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The honest limit

When you really should have a lawyer

Some situations carry consequences that are hard or impossible to undo, and handling them alone is genuinely dangerous: criminal charges that risk jail, cases involving child protective services or termination of parental rights, appeals, immigration consequences, and complex property or custody disputes. If your case is one of these, exhaust the free options above and the state bar's lawyer referral service (referral consultations are typically low-cost) before going alone. We would rather lose you as a user than watch you lose something that mattered.

Not legal advice and not a law firm. We never promise outcomes: self-representation carries real risk, courts dismiss cases on procedure, and the honest version of help includes saying so. If you qualify for free legal aid, take it.