Solicitor monthly bill increase

LMHollo

Hello, I’m hoping you might be able to either confirm our options or suggest others.

My partner is still paying off his divorce solicitor bill. The solicitor has been good to work with until now, not least in that they were happy for my partner to pay their fees on a monthly basis. There was very little money involved in the divorce except minimal assets (FMH and pension), and there was debt. 

My partner is still paying off the marital debt, some of which is managed by a consolidation agency. He’s paid the solicitor regularly, never missing a month within almost five years. Now, the solicitor is retiring, and the company wanted to increase the repayments four-fold. He’s talked them into only double the monthly payment, but this is still more than we can realistically afford. 

If we could pay this amount, it would clear the debt within eight months instead of sixteen, but it will leave us short in other areas. They are threatening legal action if he doesn’t agree to it. This leaves a slightly sour taste for us because we viewed them very positively and would have used them in future.

Is there anything we could or should do? Is it best to just struggle by? I’m concerned about what would happen if they, or another company for that matter, asked for even more, when we just don’t have it.

fatbelly

This all sounds very unpleasant, particularly having debt 'managed by a consolidation agency'. What organisation is this, as it sounds a bit dodgy?

He probably needs an overall plan, treating all creditors equally.

Could he post a statement of affairs?

https://www.lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php

Legal action just means a county court claim where the court looks at income and expenditure and sets the payments at an affordable amount, so producing a soa and including the solicitor bill in this, is a good idea. A ccj would only go to enforcement if the order is breached.

sourcrates

Can you elaborate on what a "consolidation agency" is please, as I too am a tad worried about that sentence.

The solicitor debt is easily dealt with, he pays what`s affordable to him, the same as a court would demand.

Legal action sounds so dramatic, but in reality its just as described above, nothing to worry about.

Companies can ask for whatever amount they like, you can equally say no, its not affordable, take what we can afford, or take nothing.