Attorney Fee Budget Calculator

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Estimate a realistic legal budget using bank‑style affordability factors (minus credit score).

Gross Monthly Income ($)

Total before taxes; W‑2 or average monthly for self‑employed.

Existing Monthly Debt Payments ($)

Loans, credit card minimums, student loans, etc.

Essential Monthly Expenses ($)

Rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, food, transportation, childcare.

Total Assets ($)

Cash equivalents + investable/other assets. (do not include marital home)

Liquid Savings ($)

Checking, savings, money market, readily available cash.

Down Payment / Retainer Now ($)

Subset of savings earmarked for legal fees right now.

Income Stability

More conservative caps if income is variable.

Emergency Fund Target (months)

Minimum months of essentials to leave untouched.

Timeframe

Advanced assumptions (optional)

Max Total DTI for fees (%)

Upper bound for total monthly debt incl. legal payment as % of gross income.

Surplus Share for Fees (%)

Max portion of (income − essentials − existing debt) allowed for fees.

Usable Asset Fraction (%)

Conservative share of assets treated as available funding.