When a marriage breaks down the next step is to apply for a divorce. How Much Does A Divorce Cost? Is getting a divorce expensive? Can a divorce be cheap? And how can you limit the costs?
The starting point is to confirm that there is no legal aid for divorce unless there has been domestic violence or child abduction. In most cases if you want to get divorced you will have pay the costs of it yourself. If you think you may be eligible for legal aid then we suggest you contact solicitors who offer a legal aid service. If you are not eligible for legal aid or wish to utilise the services of a solicitor to pay privately, give us a call.
We have all heard the horror stories of how expensive a divorce can be and there are indeed cases where this is true. However, the costs of the divorce itself which is the dissolution of the marriage are relatively clear. If the divorce is uncontested (i.e. you both agree to it) then the fees can be straightforward. If you are the one starting the divorce proceedings, then you are responsible for your solicitor’s costs (which vary depending on the solicitor you instruct) and the court fee of £550. At Nayyars Solicitors we charge £500 plus vat for our costs. If you are eligible for financial help because you are on a low income or receive benefits, then the court fee can be waived. However, you will have to pay your solicitors costs regardless of your financial circumstances.
If you are the respondent in a divorce (ie your spouse has started the divorce petition) then your costs will be lower as you do not need to pay the Court fee and only your solicitors charges.
If, however, a financial settlement is also included as part of the divorce, then the costs will increase.
It is very difficult to estimate the average cost of a divorce with a financial split as it will vary on a case by case basis. It will depend on how complicated it is and how much money is at stake.
The court will charge you £225 for their fee in dealing with the Financial Remedy Order however the bulk of the costs you will incur will be for your solicitor and barrister’s fees. This will depend on how much work your solicitor has to do to ascertain the size of the marital assets and negotiate on the division. If your ex reaches an agreement with you quickly the costs should be lower than if there are protracted arguments over who gets what. A Judge will normally need to approve the court order. If there are multiple court hearings or the case becomes complicated, then the costs will increase.
The easiest way to stay on top of your divorce costs is to work on a fixed fee basis with your solicitor. At Nayyars Solicitors we work on a fixed fee basis and it will always be clear what the costs of each stage are. If you would like a no obligation confidential chat with our Family Law Team then give us a call.
