Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Estimated total cost
$5,500
Flat-fee estimate
$5,500
Hourly estimate
$7,500
Appeal cost (if included)
$0
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How to use this
- 1Enter billing structure.
- 2Enter master calendar hearing(s) fee ($).
- 3Enter individual merits hearing fee ($).
- 4Enter anticipate bia appeal?.
- 5Enter bia appeal fee (if applicable) ($).
- 6Enter hourly rate ($/hr).
- 7Enter estimated total hours.
- 8Read your estimated total cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Deportation (removal) defense costs scale with how many forms of relief are pursued and how many hearings the case requires. A single master calendar hearing with a straightforward continuance might cost little, but a full merits hearing contesting removal with relief applications like cancellation of removal, asylum, or adjustment of status typically runs attorneys $4,000-$10,000 for the whole case, with complex cases involving appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals adding $3,000-$6,000 more. Some attorneys bill hourly ($200-$450/hour) for unpredictable cases instead of flat fee. This calculator estimates cost either way: flat fee per stage (master calendar, individual merits hearing, appeal) or hourly with an estimated hour count, so you can compare which billing structure fits a case with an uncertain number of hearings.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Billing structure: Flat fee by stage
- Master calendar hearing(s) fee: 1000 $
- Individual merits hearing fee: 4500 $
- Anticipate BIA appeal?: No
- BIA appeal fee (if applicable): 4000 $
- Hourly rate: 300 $/hr
- Estimated total hours: 25
Results
- Estimated total cost: $5,500
- Flat-fee estimate: $5,500
- Hourly estimate: $7,500
- Appeal cost (if included): $0
What each field means
Inputs
- Billing structure
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Flat fee by stage, Hourly.
- Master calendar hearing(s) fee ($)
- The master calendar hearing(s) fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Individual merits hearing fee ($)
- The individual merits hearing fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Anticipate BIA appeal?
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: No, Yes — add appeal fee.
- BIA appeal fee (if applicable) ($)
- The bia appeal fee (if applicable) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Hourly rate ($/hr)
- The hourly rate used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 300 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
- Estimated total hours
- The estimated total hours used in the calculation. Starts at 25 so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Estimated total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Flat-fee estimate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Hourly estimate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Appeal cost (if included)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's the difference between master calendar and individual merits hearings?
Master calendar hearings are short, often 10-15 minutes, procedural check-ins to schedule the case and confirm filings, sometimes several occur before the real hearing. The individual merits hearing is the actual trial where evidence and testimony are presented, often lasting hours and requiring the most attorney preparation.
Can I get free representation for removal proceedings?
The government doesn't provide free counsel in immigration court since it's civil, not criminal, but nonprofit legal aid organizations, law school clinics, and some jurisdictions' universal representation programs (like New York's) provide free counsel to detained or low-income respondents, subject to capacity limits.
Does it matter if I'm detained?
Yes, detained cases move on an expedited docket with less time to prepare and gather evidence, and attorneys often charge more for the compressed timeline and travel to detention facilities, which are frequently in remote locations.
Is it worth appealing to the BIA if I lose?
It depends on whether there's a genuine legal or factual error in the judge's decision. Appeals extend the case by 1-2+ years and cost several thousand dollars, so an attorney should give you a realistic assessment of appeal merit before committing to that additional cost.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Deportation Defense Attorney Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deportation-defense-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deportation-defense-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deportation Defense Attorney Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Deportation Defense Attorney Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deportation-defense-cost) (2026).