Legal Aid For Divorce?

Gastines2

My daughter who along with her children survive on Benefits,no other income or assets, is seeking to divorce her husband.After phoning several Solicitors she found that none offered Legal Aid on fees incurred. Fixed price seems to be in the region of £1500, so it appears Dad will be forking out again. Any reader know any different?

RAS

Hi

Your daughter does no need a solicitor to get divorced. The court papers can be downloaded for free (watch out for sites pretending to be HMG), completed, signed and taken to the court.

If you daughter is on benefits the court fees may be reduced.

Are there any assets of the marriage or any joint debts?

Upsidedown_Bear

Some info here about Legal Aid:
https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid/overview
https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid

MrsE_2

RAS wrote: »

Hi

Your daughter does no need a solicitor to get divorced. The court papers can be downloaded for free (watch out for sites pretending to be HMG), completed, signed and taken to the court.

If you daughter is on benefits the court fees may be reduced.

Are there any assets of the marriage or any joint debts?

They can be downloaded for free, I believe its in the region of £300 to have them processed.

RAS

MrsE wrote: »

They can be downloaded for free, I believe its in the region of £300 to have them processed.

Those are the court fees (now about £400) but I understand that there are reductions for people on some benefits, for which the daughter will need to apply.

Pee

Hang on, daughter has children. If there was no domestic violence there is no legal aid. If there are no assets then fine, she can diy divorce or you can help her but if he has any assets including a pension pay for her to get proper advice.

gentlepurr

If she rings the local county courts they will send her the relevant forms to apply to the courts for divorce, and leaflets of some very sound advice, as well as how to fill the forms in. £300-400 max.

I agree with other posters, she may need further legal advice but if its a straightforward parting of the ways, in my experience, solicitors seem to just inflame the situation to their own financial gain.

Gastines2

Many thanks for the constructive advice received. May I respectfully point out that my payment is not a problem to end an untenable situation for her and the children. She has no assets but fortunately, most of the debts,H.P. etc for the horrendous amount of things he buys for his pleasure, are in his name.She has nothing in the way of assets, house etc, all Housing Society type.
However, the point I find odd is that there must be hundreds if not thousands,of women with no money due to circumstances,who are unable to rid themselves of abusive or worse,husbands.

peachyprice

Gastines2 wrote: »

the point I find odd is that there must be hundreds if not thousands,of women with no money due to circumstances,who are unable to rid themselves of abusive or worse,husbands.

You don't have to divorce to be rid of a husband.

She has left, it wouldn't make an difference to her whether or not she were divorced, unless she wanted to re-marry. Many women get on with their single lives and divorce as and when they can afford to or they need to in order to re-marry.

System

Gastines2 wrote: »

However, the point I find odd is that there must be hundreds if not thousands,of women with no money due to circumstances,who are unable to rid themselves of abusive or worse,husbands.

However, the point I find odd is that there must be hundreds if not thousands,of men with no money due to circumstances,who are unable to rid themselves of abusive or worse,wives is also true.

Why should women get preferential treatment?

hawk30

!!!!!! wrote: »

However, the point I find odd is that there must be hundreds if not thousands,of men with no money due to circumstances,who are unable to rid themselves of abusive or worse,wives is also true.

Why should women get preferential treatment?

And, as has been pointed out, legal aid can be given if there is domestic violence, which I think covers your 'abusive or worse'.