Section 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
  chapter, 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  director  of  the division 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 division of probation when
  determining state aid reimbursement  pursuant  to  section  two  hundred
  forty-six of the executive law.
    * NB Expires September 1, 2011