Concerned about how much it’ll cost to get divorced? It’s no secret that feuding spouses that simply can’t see eye to eye can cause divorce costs to skyrocket, but how much does a divorce cost if both parties agree?
At Freeman Jones Solicitors, we put your best interests first which includes ensuring that your divorce is cost-efficient and won’t break the bank. This means our prices are fully transparent and we’ll even work with you to help prevent unnecessary expenses from driving up costs.
What is an uncontested divorce?
An uncontested divorce is simply a divorce where both parties agree upon all aspects of their separation, such as child arrangements and the division of their property and finances. Most UK divorces are uncontested and because there’s no disagreement between the parties, these divorces are more cost-effective, too.
This is because if there aren’t any disputes, you won’t require multiple court hearings to resolve them, saving you money on both legal fees and court charges. Simply carry on reading to discover how much a divorce will cost (and why) if both parties agree.
How much does an uncontested divorce cost?
There are two types of costs that you need to bear in mind for an uncontested divorce – court fees and solicitor fees. We explain why each one is necessary in more detail below, including how much these costs tend to amount to in the UK.
Court fees
While uncontested divorces don’t typically require either party to physically attend a UK court, the divorce application will still need to be processed by the court and approved by a judge – which comes with a fee.
Currently, the fixed court fee to process a divorce or end a civil partnership in the UK is £593. In some cases, for example, if you have little or no savings, a low income, or receive certain benefits, you could be eligible to receive help with your court fees from the government.
Typically, the person applying for the divorce will pay this fee. However, some couples, especially those going through an uncontested divorce, will choose to split these fees between them. While there’s no legal requirement to instruct a solicitor at this stage of this process, they can be helpful.
At Freeman Jones Solicitors, our experienced legal professionals can help you to understand the entire divorce process, accurately fill in the relevant forms and paperwork, and provide you with expert guidance throughout.
Court fees for contested divorce cases, on the other hand, can be significantly higher as more court hearings are likely to be required to resolve any disputes between the two parties.
Solicitor fees
As mentioned above, solicitors aren’t always required for a divorce in the UK. This is especially true for uncontested divorces as both parties agree on all the aspects of ending the marriage.
However, you will still need to ensure that your divorce goes through the proper legal process. To do this, you will typically require at least some basic legal advice, guidance, and document handling support from an experienced divorce or family law solicitor.
Even if a solicitor doesn’t provide you with legal representation throughout the entire procedure, their services can still cost in the range of £500-£1500, excluding VAT. Contested divorces, on the other hand, can lead to a substantial increase in solicitor fees – ranging anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of pounds.
Please bear in mind, however, that every divorce case, be it contested or uncontested, is unique. Due to the individuality of the cases’ complexity and length of court proceedings, costs can vary, so it’s always best to receive tailored legal advice.
Transparent and fixed legal fees
Concerned about hidden legal fees contributing to your increasing divorce costs? With Freeman Jones Solicitors, you can rest assured that you won’t be blindsided by a big bill for our professional divorce services.
We provide fixed fee services with no hidden charges, so you’ll always know exactly how much our services will cost. Whether you require expert support filling in your Financial Statement (Form E) or tailored legal advice for any other family law issues, we can help.
To find out more about potential legal costs and essential fees associated with divorce proceedings, please feel free to contact the expert divorce solicitors at Freeman Jones.
We welcome calls made to 01244 506 444 as well as email enquiries sent to info@fjsolicitors.co.uk and queries submitted using our handy online contact form.
