Solicitors help please

BLUEBIE

Hi

I am thinking about seeking a divorce from my husband, I am not eligible for legal aid, but don't have ready cash either. I will be selling the house so will have some money at the end. Do I have to pay as I go along or can the bill be settled at the end like it does when you sell a house?

Thanks

B

WestonDave

You may find some solicitors are prepared to offer credit like this but it will depend on your case as they will need to be certain of getting paid (will probably want conduct of the conveyancing on the house sale). You might find it more flexible if you can get a 0% credit card to pay for this with (check the solicitor you want to use takes cards - many do but not all) as you go along. Either way insist on regular monthly statements of account (they may not invoice until the end if you are not paying as you go along to avoid them having to pay the VAT long before you pay them) so that you can keep an eye on how costs are building up.

Flee_2

You would need to check with a solicitor. Normally the first meeting is free. I have done this and just paid as I go. I owe my solicitor £1k atm and this will come off my divorce settlement.

gratefulforhelp_2

You can pay at the end, but they might want a few hundred on account.

RAS

Hi

if you want a divorce, hen you can download the paperwork from the internet, fill it in yorselves and take it to court. Thwe court fees are just below £400. If you both agree the finaciqal settlement, then you do not need a lawyer. BUT, on several froms we have seen the most horrendous problems with DIY financial settlements, most often when one party wants to retain the house but does not earn enough to get a mortgage to buy the other party out.

I suspect that as long as you insist the house is sold prior to the absolute, , youy will be OK if you do not have children to also consider.

paidinchickens

My husband spent £23 000 in solicitor fees and legal battles over the children. He got custody in the end due to her drink problem. The last year he represented himself as he could no longer continue to pay. He was no worse off and infact the judge was more sympathetic towards him as he was sat on his own while his ex and her solicitor sat opposite him trying to tear their piece of flesh. I am not saying it would get to this amount normally as he did have a lengthy battle on his hands but please bear in mind

each letter they send you costs about £80 and each day in court is roughly £1000. These do add up!!!!! If you are not careful by the time you BOTH sell the house and divvy the money up it will all be owed to BOTH your solicitors.

On one occasion DH and his ex were fighting over who got the wardrobe and some knife and fork set (some sentimental reason for DH, family heirloom) and by the time he finished with letters back and forth it cost him £800. He can now see what a waste of time it was as STUFF means nothing in the end..........it is your health and sanity that does!!! If you can divorce and keep both of them you have done well xx

My ex and me sorted it between ourselves. I let him have what he wanted out of the house except anything of the kids. He could not afford to buy me out and I stretched to the limit buying him out and had to get three jobs. It cost me more in what a court would have awarded but less that what the court would have awarded added to solicitors costs.

This is my opinion on what has happened to us. Unless he is a multi millionaire with a hidden bank account try to sort between yourselves xxx

Sorry for the rant .............divorce is hard so good luck xxx

BLUEBIE

£23000? Jesus I wouldn't have anything left.

Seriously though, how much am I talking here? We have kids and shed loads of debt, which would all get paid of once the house was sold, it would only be the leftovers we would be divvying up.

How long do these things take, I have asked my H to tell me what he wants. I just hope he sticks to it and doesn't let his GF or solicitor change his mind. He doesn't want much of the cash as he knows I'll need it to get a mortgage.

B

paidinchickens

My friends ex husband did not get a solicitor. She got one and he wrote to hers direct. Cost to him £0.

You could go down that route of letting him get one and you representing yourself then when his solicitor has written out the agreement you could pay an hour to have one read through the settlement to make sure you are not being diddled. If you have debts and not much money your H should not want to pay fees and argue very much either. Are you still on speaking terms?? Has his new GF been through a divorce and is likely to understand how much it costs to argue? Do you get free legal advice with you bank account?? Go for a free half hour and see what your alternatives are regarding costs etc. If he is likely to carry on getting into debt you should get a financial break. DH had to do this as his ex kept running up debts.

vax2002

Are you at each others throats ?
If not sit down, fill in the paper work and save yourselves from a huge whopping bill.
Some people forget they are adults when it comes to divorce, arguing over £10 garden furniture whilst the solicitor writes letters at £250 a time.

fluffnutter

The only people who benefit from solicitors' involvement in divorce proceedings are the solicitors. Unless your husband's beating you up, then discuss it between yourselves, download the pack available on the interweb and do it yourself.

BLUEBIE

Thanks I'll have a look into it.

The solicitor I was going to use doesn't give a free 1/2 hour, its straight into £100 per hour.

If I do it myself, can I sort the financial side as well do the divorce papers cover the asets, kids etc? Or is doing it yourself just the divorce itself? Does that make any sense?