Tips for Controlling the Costs of Divorce
Based on many years of experience our lawyers have compiled the following Tips for Controlling the Costs of a Divorce Case. A more detailed explanation of all the costs involved in a divorce can be found in the PDF Understanding the Costs of Divorce which you can download here.
Agree a fixed fee
At each stage of your case ask your lawyer for a fixed fee. Make sure you are clear what is included in the fixed fee. Ask also about any additional costs for example Court fees and disbursements (which generally means things like photocopying large documents, your lawyer’s travel costs, car parking and petrol, barristers’ fees etc.)
Understand who is working on your case
The charges levied by your lawyer will depend on their level of experience and expertise in family law. Lower hourly rates are often charged by junior or unqualified lawyers. At Woolley & Co all our lawyers are fully qualified and have specialised in family law for many years. This knowledge and experience means they understand the Court process, can quickly grasp the relevant points of your case and advise accordingly.
Give clear instructions
Make sure your lawyer is clear in what it is you want to achieve. Avoid changing your mind or moving the goal posts when it gets to the point of making an agreement with the other side. Ambiguous statements can result in unnecessary work and time delays.
Establish a policy for correspondence
If you do not want your solicitor to acknowledge correspondence or respond without authorisation from you, specify this in writing.
Do not allow emotional issues to cloud the facts
Avoid using your solicitor as a source of emotional support. If you need someone to talk to, Woolley & Co can recommend highly skilled and qualified divorce counsellors who are trained to help people through the emotional trauma of relationship breakdown. They too charge by the hour but normally at a much lower rate than a fully qualified lawyer. Some advice from a divorce counsellor can be found in the article The Role of the Divorce Coach here.
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