“She told me the price at our first meeting and it never moved. That month, it was the one thing I didn't lie awake over.”
Lorna P.Uncontested divorce
Family law, Omaha
Know your fee first. Then the paperwork.
I'm Vesna Sobotka, a family lawyer working on my own. Divorce, custody and mediation each have a flat fee, written down before you sign anything, so the bill is one thing you can stop worrying about.
1 lawyer
On your case from start to finish3 kinds
Divorce, custody and mediation1 hour
First meeting, in the office or by video
Flat fees
Pick the package. Know how it's billed.
Each fee covers the work listed under it, from the first filing to the judge's signature. If your case grows past it, you get a new written quote before any extra work starts.
Uncontested divorce
One flat fee when you and your spouse agree, or nearly agree, on the house, the money and the kids.
Start a divorcePetition, decree and every filing drafted
Property settlement agreement
Parenting plan, if you have children
Final hearing, with me beside you
Agreed parenting plan
One flat fee for parents, married or not, who want custody and parenting time set down in writing.
Start a planWeekday and weekend schedule
Holidays, school breaks and travel
Child support worksheet
Filing and court approval
When you can't agree
A contested trial or custody hearing isn't in either fee. Each stage gets its own written quote before it starts.
Court filing fees and the cost of serving papers go to the court and the server, not to me, and aren't in any flat fee.
What I take on
Divorce. Custody. Mediation. That's the list.
Three kinds of case, handled often enough that each one has a flat fee.
- 01
Divorce
Uncontested divorces at one flat fee. If you can't agree, each stage of a contested case is quoted before it starts.
How a divorce runs - 02
Custody and parenting time
A parenting plan that covers school nights, holidays and who drives, written so you don't have to renegotiate it every month.
What a plan covers - 03
Mediation
Both of you at one table, or on one call, with a neutral lawyer keeping the agenda. You settle what you can and keep the rest for later.
How a session works
Flat fee or hourly
What a flat fee changes
Most family lawyers bill by the hour against a retainer. Here's the difference, line by line.
| Hourly retainer | Flat fee here | |
|---|---|---|
| The cost | Hourly retainerAn estimate, then a bill each month | Flat fee hereOne number, in writing, at the start |
| Phone calls | Hourly retainerBilled in tenths of an hour | Flat fee hereCall when you need to; it's in the fee |
| Emails | Hourly retainerEach one a line on the invoice | Flat fee hereAnswered, not counted |
| Paying | Hourly retainerA deposit you top up as it runs down | Flat fee hereHalf at signing, half before filing |
| If the case grows | Hourly retainerThe hours keep adding up | Flat fee hereA new written quote before more work |
Clients
What people said once it was over
“Our parenting plan has rules for Thanksgiving, summer and who drives to practice. We haven't argued about any of them since.”
Teodor B.Parenting plan
“When my ex took a job in Lincoln, the schedule was rewritten in one afternoon, and the court had it that week.”
Kerri S.Parenting plan change
Shared with permission. Every family's case is different, and no story here predicts the result in yours.
Before you book
The questions about money, answered
Most first calls start with cost. Here are the straight answers.
What does the first meeting cost?
A one-hour consultation has a set fee, quoted when you book. If you hire me within 30 days, it comes off your flat fee.
What if my spouse won't agree to anything?
Then it isn't an uncontested divorce, and I'll tell you so at the first meeting. A contested case is quoted stage by stage, so you still know each price before that stage starts.
Are court filing fees included?
No. The court sets its own filing fee and you pay it to the court. I'll tell you the current amount when we meet.
Can I pay in parts?
Yes. Half the flat fee is due when you sign, and the rest before anything is filed. Ask about a longer schedule if that doesn't work.
One meeting. A written price. Then you decide.
Book an hour with me. You'll leave knowing which package fits, what it costs and what happens first.