If you are contemplating getting a divorce, you may be concerned about the costs of legally dissolving your marriage. But it is possible to reduce the expense with a fixed fee divorce.
Major Family Law offer just such a service, helping you to bring down the costs of a divorce while still representing you in court. Secure your costs upfront and know exactly how much you will need to pay to formally end your marriage.
Fixed fee divorce cost
Major Family Law offer this service for:
- £150 + VAT at 20 per cent (£180) + court fees of £612 = £792
These costs reflect the simpler ‘no fault’ divorce process introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. Previously it was necessary to cite specific reasons in order to establish grounds for a divorce application: now it is only necessary to make a formal declaration that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This can even be done jointly with your estranged spouse. Joint applications can be speedier and more cost-effective.
Who is our fixed fee divorce service for?
A fixed fee divorce is suitable for those normally resident in England or Wales who have already agreed on post-separation arrangements for the children and a fair financial settlement, but who would like the reassurance of a family law solicitor handling their divorce on their behalf.
While estranged couples can complete the divorce process online and negotiate a settlement directly between themselves, the involvement of a family law solicitor provides quality assurance, and helps ensure that every eventuality has been thoroughly considered and efficiently prepared for.
The solicitor acting on your behalf will deal with all communications from the court and from your spouse, and they will also be listed on the court record. This means that his or her role will be formally documented and preserved as part of the official court documentation of your case. This provides an official and verifiable account of the proceedings, which can be useful later if a dispute arises – for example, about the financial settlement. Some types of settlement can be relitigated in court years after a marriage ends unless proper steps are taken. This is one area which the assistance of a family solicitor can be invaluable.
What is included in the fixed fee?
- A 45-minute initial consultation with a specialist family law solicitor.
- All paperwork necessary to progress the divorce on your behalf, from the initial application, through the conditional order, and then to the concluding final order in due course, including communications with the court and your spouse.
- Your divorce Solicitor will go on to the court records as acting on your behalf.
- Ongoing telephone support where required.
What is NOT included?
Our fixed fee divorce service does not include:
- Any complicating factors – for example, problems with the service of the proceedings (i.e. delivering court papers to the other party).
- Court fees – these are paid separately.
- Financial advice or help with financial settlements.
- Advice or assistance with making arrangements for the children.
- Any additional expenses.
Court fees
As noted above, court fees are not included in our fixed fee package, so you will need to provide us with sufficient funds at the start of your case to cover these, in addition to our costs.
Please note that court fees are occasionally increased by the government, and when this occurs, the dates are announced in advance by His Majesty’s Court Service (HMCTS). If and when court fees are increased, this change affects the fixed fee divorce solicitor’s costs.
Getting divorced
To apply for divorce in England and Wales, it is necessary to:
- Have been married for a minimum of one year.
- Be in a marriage legally recognised in English law.
- Be a current resident of the UK.
In total, there are five stages to a divorce under current legislation:
- The initial application
- A mandatory waiting period of 20 weeks.
- Application for a conditional order of divorce.
- A further waiting period of six weeks and one day.
- Application for a final order of divorce.
It is only when the final order of divorce is issued that the marriage formally ends. Conditional and final orders of divorce were formally known as the ‘decree nisi’ and ‘decree absolute’. You may occasionally encounter these now outmoded names.
What you will need
If you do not have your original marriage certificate available, we will need to apply for a certified copy to submit to the court. There is a charge for this (approximately £10.00 – £15.00). You may also require a certified translation into English.
In addition, you will also need to provide proof of your identity and home address, as well as the current address, or email address, of your estranged spouse. If you do not know the latter, family courts can provide assistance.
If there is any doubt that your spouse has “been received with” (i.e. been served with) divorce papers from the family court, it will be necessary to prove to that court that he/ she has received them. If this involves bailiff service and/ or an enquiry agent, then you may incur additional costs. In such cases, we would advise you at the earliest opportunity of that fact and give you an estimate of those costs.
Service – the formal delivery of legal documents – can take place in person, with the use of printed documentation, but doing so online, via email, is now more common.
If you would like more information on our fixed fee divorce, contact us for expert advice and guidance. Major Family Law are the North East’s leading divorce solicitors.
