What is initial deposit

No credible family law attorney should ever answer that question, other than to say that it depends on what issues are outstanding in your particular matter. If you have legitimate custody issues outstanding then the cost of a retainer is materially different than the retainer for a matter with no children, limited or no assets, and both parties working full time earning approximately comparable incomes. The best suggestion is to interview 2 -3 family law specialists to see which lawyer you feel more comfortable with, comfortable with the advice given, and the pricing for the issues outstanding. The only other thing I can say is that if you were suffering from a brain tumor and wanted the best chance of recovery/ success, the least important factor to you would probably be the cost of the retention of that expert. So, im suggesting that "cost" not be the most important factor in the analysis since one lawyer may be cheaper but another lawyer may have much more experience and the ability to cut through the process easier - food for thought.