Costs here center on legal review time to assess whether the arrangement is genuine employment, since that judgment call is often more involved than a routine profession match. Additional costs depend on whichever route is ultimately pursued.
Budget for the structural review, not just the filing
Ask the reviewer to scope the time needed to assess employer control, payment structure, and prior contracting history separately from the standard filing preparation. If the review finds the arrangement does not support TN, some of that cost still buys a clear answer that avoids a stronger cost later: a denied filing or misclassified work. Confirm current government fees separately once a route is actually chosen.
Ask for the structural review to be quoted as its own piece of work with a defined output: a written answer on whether the arrangement supports prearranged professional employment, and if not, what would. That output has value even when the answer is negative, because it prevents a wasted filing and a refusal on the record. Budget separately for credential evaluation where the degree is foreign, for translation, and for the employer time needed to prepare a letter that describes duties accurately.
Government charges depend on the route eventually used and change over time, so confirm them at the official source close to the step rather than carrying forward a figure quoted in an earlier conversation. Keep the two budgets visibly separate.