Are you thinking about getting a divorce, or maybe do you want to pay the cost of one before marriage? It is always a good thing to have more information about. Our general idea is usually that divorces are messy, and you have to pay a hefty amount for them, and even after that, you have no idea how long it might take. Pay a lawyer for the registration and paperwork, so getting a divorce seems to be a big job.
But not always; you just need to know how this works and how much money you need to spend before deciding. Getting a divorce does not always have to be sad and awful. It can also be the start of something new, a healthy decision, so get your facts rights before embarking on the journey to get a divorce.
How Much Does a Divorce Cost?
Let us see some average statistics. The first thing to remember is how much the divorce settlement costs depending on what kind of lawyer you choose to employ. So, it is better to see their rates before you start. You might choose not to have a lawyer, but one will be appointed to you. The Average cost for a divorce petition is between £500 to £1,500 plus, upon which tax is levied and other such charges. So the decision is up to you, how much would you like to pay and how smoothly would you have the divorce process be conducted.
Other than this, the price will increase depending on whether a party is defending, on jurisdictional aspects, and whether other such problems occur.
What if the Jurisdiction Changes?
If the jurisdiction you have applied to has to change in the future, no matter the reason, the cost goes up a whooping £10,000 to £20,000 without tax. Yeah, so you guessed it, divorces can be pretty cheap or costly depending on whom you employ.
Average Cost If Things Go Smoothly:
If the divorce goes smoothly, it won’t cost you a considerable difference. In general, it costs somewhere around £600 for the divorce petition. Along with this, you should have another £225 for a consent order. Both are basic in getting a divorce, so you should keep in mind for at least £850 at a base range.
How Much Do Lawyers Charge?
Some solicitors in Central London will charge you at least £500 on average. The costs for a divorce petition and lawyer are different. Hence, it depends a lot on how many proceedings there will be and whether there will also be property distributions on custody of children. All these will cost you extra money. It is best to negotiate and look through a few lawyers before sticking to one.
Since there are many parameters here, your pay can be substantially reduced or increased accordingly. We suggest. It’s often better if you and your partner take some time to find good lawyers since they can make the job so much easier. Lawyers fees also vary in accordance with the chambers they are associated with. Hence, finding a good lawyer may be the most challenging task in getting a divorce, but nothing can be avoided with some good research.
How To Reduce The Cost?
Both parties should clearly understand the situation and try to find common ground to agree on complications in the divorce mutually. If everything goes smoothly, the costs will stay between £6,000 to £11,000, excluding tax. But if things don’t work out, the divorce petition gets to court. This is where the problems start…
Once the divorce petition gets to court, you have to pay accordingly for court proceedings. On top of that, incurred costs will not be recouped; hence both parties will lose out on money that could have been saved otherwise. Against arbitration, both parties will not get an appeal and would have to incur massive amounts of money to pay the arbitrator.
However, a good thing to note is that a solicitor would state how much both parties will spend. If the costs increase this amount in any case, they will have to notify both parties beforehand.
An Apparent Breakup In How Much It Costs
Let us get a clear idea of how much it is on average. Let us suppose the divorce petition goes to court. It will cost you £10,000 to £15,000 except tax till the first appointment. Counting vat and disbursements, you will need to spend money before issuing form A until all points are settled. This will cost you between £3,000 to £7,000. Also, if required, these costs will go higher once form E also comes into the proceeding.
Till the first appointment, the fees will be on an average of £11,000 – £16,000 without counting tax, on top of which Counsel’s fees would be added. Till FDR, the cost will go a further £10,000 – £25,000 without tax and Counsel’s fees.
After this, the court will hear from both how much both parties can spend and answer to ease the burden. If you and your partner fight over child custody, that application and proceedings can take anywhere from 7,000 – £12,000 plus excluding tax and Counsel’s fees.
To ensure the costs are as low as possible, it’s better to have all documentation on standby. The more documentation you have, the less it might take as early as possible. Make sure to give as correct information as possible, as that will help streamline the process.
Hence, divorce is quite a bit costly, depending on the parameters. But if you take your decisions wisely and both partners tend to have a common ground, it will save you a lot of money. Always be sure to read all documents before you sign them, have a detailed discussion with your lawyer about your wants and only then proceed. Divorce might be tricky, but if this is the option for a calm and better life ahead, make sure to take it. If you have the correct documentation and a calm head, we are pretty sure you can get the divorce done within a budget.
