FAQs

You might feel overwhelmed at this point. I totally understand.

So to help you, here are some of the most frequently asked questions my clients have asked when they booked their initial call with us.

Once you've read through them then fill in the form below to arrange our initial chat.

On what grounds can we apply for a divorce?

Thankfully the law has changed and there's only one ground for a divorce now - that your marriage has irretrievably broken down.

There's no longer any need to blame your husband or wife - in fact you can no longer do so even if you want to!

Is 'Divorcing Amicably' a law firm?

No, 'Divorcing Amicably' is a legal services company. Albeit it was founded by me, Susan Perry - a lawyer - and your joint legal advice will be provided by an independent divorce lawyer (barrister).

Because 'Divorcing Amicably' isn't a law firm I can help both you and your spouse separate TOGETHER and AMICABLY.

Using traditional law firms who bill by the hour, and who may insist on you instructing separate lawyers to negotiate your financial settlement, is often a quick way to increase conflict and double or even quadruple your legal costs!

Is it cheaper to go to court?

Going to court is not recommended at all. It's the most expensive and acrimonious way to divorce and it can take a long time - years even!

The legal cost of going to court is around £40,000 per person (so £80,000 per couple) in London and £13,000 per person (so £26,000 per couple) outside of London.

That's money that would be better spent on your children and their future in our opinion! 

Couldn't we just hire separate solicitors to negotiate on our behalf?

Yes, you could instruct solicitors from two separate law firms to act on your behalf.

Your own solicitor can sort out your divorce and agree your financial separation with your spouse's solicitor.

You'll need to chose this option if you need your own legal protection (for example if there's domestic violence in the relationship) or if you suspect your spouse is hiding assets.

The downside is you'll be paying for two lawyers. One for you and one for your spouse.

And this will cost on average £8000 per person (so £16,000 per couple) for two solicitors to help with your divorce and to negotiate your financial agreement on your behalf.

And depending on the lawyers you chose this route can also become acrimonious.

And the more acrimonious your divorce the more it will cost....and the harder it will be to have an amicable post-divorce relationship.

Please think carefully about how this will affect your children!

And remember that you've come to this website because you want an amicable divorce for the sake of your children.

Are there any other options?

Yes, you could hire a mediator - an independent professional who will meet with you both and help you come to an agreement.

But the mediator won't be able to help you with the legal side of separating so you'll need extra professional help on top of the mediator's fees.

'Divorcing Amicably' offers a more comprehensive service than mediation because I do all that a mediator can do and I can also prepare your legal documents and manage the divorce process on your behalf.

You also have the option of drafting and filing all the divorce paperwork and managing the court correspondence yourself. But you may still need legal support to agree your financial separation. And you will definitely need legal support to make such agreement legal (via a consent order).

Are there any other costs to pay on top of Divorcing Amicably's fees?

The court charges a fee of court fee of £593 to file for a divorce and a fee of £53 to submit a Consent Order.

These are standard fees set by the government. You may be able to pay a reduced court fee if you are on a low income or have little or no savings.