Our fees

Undefended Divorce/Civil Partnership Dissolution 

We charge £630.00 plus vat of £126 (total £756.00) to advise and assist you and to prepare the papers for an undefended divorce or civil partnership dissolution (in most cases). In addition to this a court fee of £593.00 has to be paid to start the proceedings unless you are entitled to a reduction because you are on a low income.

This estimate is based on an estimate of the amount of time which is likely to be spent on the matter, charged at our hourly rate of £210.00 plus vat of £42.00 (total £252.00).

Key Stages and what this fee includes:

• Attending you by a Microsoft Teams meeting to take instructions to prepare the papers
• Preparing a draft divorce/dissolution application and sending it to you to approve or amend
• Informing the other party of your intention to apply for a divorce. 
• Amending the papers if required
• Submitting the papers via the online portal
• Advising you following receipt of the other parties’ response
• Waiting for the requisite period of time until the next step can be taken
• Applying to the court to ask for the papers to be considered by the judge
• Hearing from the court with the date for the decree nisi (conditional order) and informing you
• Placing the matter on hold, pending finalisation of financial proceedings
• Applying for the decree absolute (Final divorce/dissolution order)
• Sending a copy of the final decree to you

What is not included in this fee:

• Steps to prove that the other party has received the papers, if they do not acknowledge receipt of the court papers
• Protracted correspondence with the other party (We will give you revised estimate if that arises, depending on the steps likely to be required).
• Representing you in a defended divorce (this will be rare under the no fault divorce and civil partnership dissolution provisions which now apply
• Acting for you were the other party lives outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales
• Representing you at a court hearing for any application relating to the divorce
• Advice and other work relating to the financial aspects of the divorce
• Advice and other work relating children
• Advice and other work relating to domestic violence

Other fees and disbursements which might be required

Our fee to prepare the papers and assist you to apply for deemed or substituted service of the divorce papers if the other party does not acknowledge receipt £100 + vat of £20 (total £120.00) + Court fee to apply for deemed/substituted service. 

Our fee to prepare the papers, and arrange for a process server to serve any papers £105 + vat of £21.00 (total £126.00) if we need to have the papers handed to the other party + Fee payable to the process server if the papers have to be handed to the other party personally (estimated £240.00 including vat to £360.00 including vat)

Our fee to amend court papers once they have been sent to the court (if required), to arrange for you to approve and sign if required and to lodge them with the court + Court fee of between £50.00 and £300.00 depending on the nature of the application

Other Matters

The above divorce/dissolution fee does not include advice and assistance with regards to a financial settlement, or issues relating to children, though we would pleased to assist you in relation to either or both of those matters in the usual way. With those types of matter, however, we are not able to give you a fixed fee as the cost would depend on the work involved. This can vary widely depending on what issues need to be addressed.

We offer an initial fixed fee consultation where we would be happy to discuss your case and provide you with an idea of any likely costs. We can communicate, by telephone and email or by post as you wish. Please telephone or email us if you would like further advice about the services which we can provide and our best estimate of the likely costs.