When money is short, it’s easy to understand why people are tempted by promises of a ‘cheap’ divorce. Unfortunately, the amazing headline figures only tell part of the story.
The True (Hidden) Costs of a Cheap Divorce – an opinion from Cotswold Family Law
One well-known website offers you divorces from as little as £189. However, they do not mention that you will have to pay a minimum of £550 on top of that when you apply for your divorce. This is the Court fee that everyone is charged to commence divorce proceedings, but that wouldn’t look great in the headline, would it?
At Cotswold Family Law, our solicitors believe you deserve a transparent approach when it comes to costs.
You need to look beyond the headlines but where do you start?
First of all there is a well known saying which goes ‘you get what you pay for’ and it is well-heeded advice. Divorce law can be a minefield for the uninitiated, or those looking for a ‘cheap’ fix.
We give all our clients straightforward explanations about the costs and the divorce process. You can also get independent information on the Citizens Advice website.
Divorce Costs include Fees and Advice
We strongly believe that experienced family law solicitors can help anyone get a ‘cheap’ divorce – provided both people involved are prepared to agree on the main points. These are:
- The grounds for divorce
- Financial arrangements (including property, pensions, savings and investments)
- Child arrangements (including who cares for the children and how you share out the costs).
When divorcing couples agree on these crucial points, we might only need to advise them on the legal process. Our solicitors help you fill in and file forms and we manage your dealings with the court. In this situation you can divorce in as little as 4-6 months and you won’t need to go to court.
Unlike some of the cheap divorce services, you will talk to an experienced, fully-qualified solicitor. We take pride in keeping things simple and friendly but we also keep an eye on our clients’ best interests. This means we’ll let you know if there are any things you have overlooked. Ultimately though, you make the decisions. You can choose to reopen negotiations with your ex or you can decide to leave arrangements as they are. We help you to make an informed choice. An inexperienced or unqualified person in a call centre can not give you that level of expertise. They have a limited amount of time for each case. We take as much time as you need to help you create a secure future for your family.
What Makes Divorce Costs so High?
Unfortunately, the divorce gets expensive when couples argue. If you are not able to agree on the main points (or indeed any points) with your ex-partner, then you will need more help from solicitors. You are also more likely to need help from the court and you might have to appear in court.
Our solicitors are dedicated to helping you get the best outcome from your divorce and we frequently work with people in very difficult circumstances. If you have an unreasonable, or aggressive, ex-partner then you will need expert and sympathetic advice. You might need to apply to the Family Court to make arrangements for the children, or to keep them safe.
When your circumstances are complicated, we give you clear advice and we make sure you understand the costs. Because we are not emotionally involved (but we come to know you while you are our client) we can give a different perspective on the situation. We always keep your best interests in mind though. This is a totally different service to the one that you get from an impersonal online divorce site or a call centre.
How do I pay for a Divorce?
Everybody asks when and how they’ll have to pay for their divorce. As we have explained, there are a mixture of costs because there are court fees and the cost of our advice. You can choose various ways of paying for your divorce advice but you will need to pay any court fees before we make your application to the courts. We do not offer legal aid but, as you can see, you can keep the costs of your divorce to a minimum if you and your ex-partner are able to negotiate.
We offer affordable 30 minute consultations to new clients. If you would like to talk to us about your situation please give us a call on 01608 686590 or send us an email. We will be pleased to meet you in our offices in Brailes, Banbury or Bicester.
