Costs and funding

Divorce brings many uncertainties

The cost does not have to be one of them.

Financial uncertainty caused by a divorce or family law issue can be reduced by a clear understanding of up-front costs.

We provide different options to accommodate our clients' financial circumstances and guarantee cost transparency.

Fixed-fee divorce only package

Our divorce only fixed fee package gives clients a cost-effective option that provides upfront cost transparency while maintaining the necessary professional support and guidance.

This package is for couples looking to dissolve their marriage without any financial and property disputes or child arrangements.

The fixed fee offer is only for uncontested divorces, and can be used if you are the applicant (person applying for the divorce) for £750+ VAT plus a court fee of £593, or the respondent (your spouse is applying for the divorce) for £375 + VAT.

Not all divorce settlements will be suitable for the fixed-fee option, so please be aware of that. In such circumstances, we provide an hourly pricing package that is better suited to your requirements.

Terms and conditions apply

Hourly rate package

This package, which is frequently used for more complicated cases, is billed on an hourly basis, with costs that vary depending on the experience of the people in your legal team working on your case.

One of our lawyers will thoroughly review your situation with you to determine the amount of work required before giving you an estimate.

As a result, you will have complete clarity on the anticipated costs moving forward. You will receive a precise estimate of the work involved, the team member performing the task, and the hourly rate.

While we make estimates as accurate as possible, it can be difficult to predict how cases will evolve (which can depend on the other party). If anything changes, we will immediately consult you to explain the changes and get your agreement before we carry out any further work.

Terms and conditions apply

Help funding your case

There are a number of external lenders who offer bespoke funding to cover legal costs, taxes and fees. In some circumstances, repayment is not required until the case is over.

We cannot recommend providers, but we have working relationships with lenders, including: Ampla, Novitas and Level.

The availability, interest rates and other terms will vary per lender. It is important to receive financial advice before undertaking any loan application.

Legal aid

In 2013, the government cut legal aid funding for most family law cases.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer legal aid to our clients, as we do not have a contract with the Legal Aid Agency.

You can find out more about Legal Aid here.

New Divorce Legislation 2022 - No Fault Divorce

No Fault Divorce came into practice in April 2022, and the new process is now the only way that couples can get divorced in the future.

The old system required the applying spouse, known as the Petitioner, to either assign blame by way of unreasonable behaviour, allege and prove adultery. If the Petitioner wants to avoid blame, they have to wait at least 2 years. This can be difficult for those who want to move on with their lives after separation.

What has changed?

The new system no longer require lengthy periods of separation, and there is no longer to be a person at fault for causing the marriage to irretrievably breakdown. There is still three stages to the process, but their names have changed. Parties now have a Petition, a Conditional Order of Divorce (previously Decree Nisi) and a Final Order of Divorce (previously Decree Absolute). This new terminology is already used for the dissolution of Civil Partnerships. Parties now also have a time limit on how quickly they can proceed, with there being a minimum requirement of 20 weeks from Application to Final Order. This is a “period of reflection” to ensure couples want to bring their marriage to an end.

Whilst some may feel disappointed that the lack of blame removes the chance for them to hold their spouse to task, the overriding opinion is that this change will avoid unnecessary acrimony and enable parties to move through a difficult process easier.

Watson Thomas Solicitors have offices in Fleet, Winchester, Guildford, Bracknell, Camberley, Farnborough and Woking.

FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION T&Cs

We offer a free initial appointment for most enquiries. There is no time limit for these meetings and we aim for the meeting to take place at a time to suit you. We also offer face to face, video or telephone meetings to allow you to speak at your convenience.

The free initial appointment is intended to provide advice for people who find themselves needing legal assistance of some kind. The initial appointment provides broad advice on your situation, based on the facts you provide to us; but we cannot provide you with more specific advice until you are signed up as a client of the firm and we have more detail from you.

The free initial appointment will outline your options and the costs involved. We will also set out what we need from you to proceed. The information we provide during an FIA is not to be relied on as legal advice for your specific circumstances as we do not have sufficient information on which to advise.

We do not offer a free initial appointment for general advice on hypothetical situations, or for advice when required on specific documents. We will advise you when you book with us if your enquiry does not fall within the FIA and we will offer you the appointment with one of our lawyers at their hourly rate.