* § 252-a. Fees. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every
county, including the city of New York, may adopt a local law
authorizing its probation department which is ordered to conduct an
investigation pursuant to section six hundred fifty-three of this act,
to be entitled to a fee of not less than fifty dollars and not more than
five hundred dollars from the parties in such proceeding for performing
such investigation. Such fee shall be based on the party's ability to
pay the fee and the schedule for payment shall be fixed by the court
issuing the order for investigation, pursuant to the guidelines issued
by the office of probation and correctional alternatives, and may in the
discretion of the court be waived when the parties lack sufficient means
to pay the fee. The court shall apportion the fee between the parties
based upon the respective financial circumstances of the parties and the
equities of the case.

(b) Fees pursuant to this section shall be paid directly to the local
probation department to be retained and utilized for local probation
services, and shall not be considered by the office of probation and
correctional alternatives when determining state aid pursuant to section
two hundred forty-six of the executive law.

* NB Expires September 1, 2025