DIY divorce litigation costs?

MrE1

In the UK how much could I expect to pay for...

Scenario 1 : Court proceedings
Scenario 2:  Aribitration 

...if representing myself in a divorce case (fighting it as to who gets assets and pays for what) rather than appoint a lawyer? There may not be legal representive fees but I'm guessing there could potentially be fees just for taking it to court/arbitration, and for submitting paperwork.

In terms of what the court could order as a settlement there's not much risk to coming out worse. In out of court negotiation attempts vertually everything has been offered for the sake of avoiding legal proceedings and expenses. The other half's side aren't offering anything other than peanuts!

DE_612183

why do you need to go to court?

Voyager2002

The main risk is that the other side engage a lawyer while you do not; as a result you are likely not only to lose but also be ordered to pay their legal costs. 

Get yourself a free 30-minute appointment with a solicitor.

DE_612183

Can you "lose" a divorce case? Surely all that happens is a judge will make a decision regarding a financial settlement - in which case each party pays their own fees to put their point across.


You can of course apply for a separate award of costs, but you'd have to be able to prove that the use of a lawyer could not have been prevented...