Fees, Retainers & What Affects Cost
Forensic evaluations are a significant investment, so we explain costs up front. Every matter is scoped individually. The ranges below reflect recent engagements and are offered so you and your attorney can plan. They are not quotes. Your written engagement agreement sets the actual fee, retainer, and terms.
Scope, not the label, drives the cost
Many families need only one focused service, such as a bonding and attachment assessment, a psychological evaluation of one parent, or a records review of a question the judge has narrowly defined. These engagements usually fall at the lower end of the ranges below, are completed in weeks, and often conclude with a written report and no trial testimony. For many families, that is an affordable and realistic option.
Long, highly contested litigation is a different path
Some divorce and family court matters continue for months or years, with new allegations, multiple hearings, depositions, and trial days. The court may then need a comprehensive evaluation or social investigation covering both households, every child, extensive records, collateral interviews, and testing, and the expert may be involved repeatedly over time. Expert fees grow with the work the case requires. In such cases, total litigation costs, including attorney fees, can reach well into six figures, and the evaluation is only one part of that.
Typical Engagement Ranges
| Engagement | Typical scope | Typical range | Initial retainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation & records review | Attorney consultation, review of an existing evaluation, or a critique of an opposing expert. Records only, with no examinee contact. | $2,500 – $8,000 | from $2,500 |
| Focused evaluation (report only) | A single referral question, such as a bonding and attachment evaluation or a parenting capacity evaluation of one parent. Written report, no testimony. | $8,000 – $15,000 | from $7,500 |
| Comprehensive or contested evaluation | Full custody, relocation, or dependency evaluation or social investigation, with multiple parties, testing, collaterals, extensive records, and likely deposition or trial. | $18,000 – $30,000+ (no upper limit; highly contested, long-running matters can exceed $50,000) | from $12,500 |
| Testimony | Deposition or trial, added to any engagement. | Reserved and prepaid. Remote testimony costs less than in-person trial days. | Prepaid at booking |
| Travel | Outside Central Florida | Billed per the engagement agreement, plus expenses | — |
For context: Florida consumer and legal sources put custody evaluations at roughly $4,500–$15,000, with psychologist hourly rates of about $200–$400. Comprehensive evaluations with testing can run $30,000 or more, and complex, highly contested matters can go well beyond that.
What Moves the Cost Up or Down
Lower-cost engagements usually involve
- A written report only, with no testimony
- Remote deposition or testimony by video
- One clearly defined referral question
- A records-based or limited-scope review
- Organized, indexed records provided at retention
- Few collateral contacts, with one child or one caregiver pair
- Early retention on the standard calendar
- A joint or court-appointed engagement
Higher-cost engagements usually involve
- Competing allegations, such as abuse, domestic violence, or alienation
- Multiple parties, children, or households
- Large record sets, such as DCF files, therapy records, or communications
- Extensive testing and many collateral interviews
- A rebuttal of an opposing expert
- Depositions, multiple hearings, and in-person trial days
- Expedited timelines
- Travel to distant circuits
Who Pays
- Private pay, no insurance. Forensic evaluations are not health care treatment and are not billed to insurance.
- Shared between the parties. In many family court cases, the parties split the cost. Percentages vary and are set by agreement or court order.
- Court- or DCF-funded. In some dependency and adoption matters, when the court or DCF orders an independent expert, the court or agency may cover the expert fee. Your attorney can tell you whether this applies.
Is this the right fit?
Forensic, not therapy. Evaluations answer questions the court is deciding; they are not treatment.
Retainer first. Scheduling begins once the signed agreement and retainer are received.
Attorneys are strongly recommended. Most engagements come through counsel or a court order. Self-represented parties may be considered case by case, but the expert cannot give legal advice or act as an advocate.
Neutral role. Opinions follow the data, regardless of who retains the evaluation.
If cost is a barrier, ask your attorney about a court-appointed evaluation, splitting the fee, a narrower scope, or court- or DCF-funded options.
The best way to know where your case falls is a short consultation. We define the referral question, recommend the narrowest scope that will answer it, and provide a written estimate before any work begins. If the case expands later, for example with new allegations, added parties, or trial, we discuss it and put it in writing first.
Fees reviewed January 2027. All figures are typical ranges, not guarantees. Scott C. Rosiere, Psy.D., Florida licensed psychologist, PY 7076.