Our fees
We aim to be as transparent as possible with regard to our costs. We provide a monthly bill which includes a breakdown of every item charged to you. We ask for a minimum of £1,000 on account at the start of your case (we may request more if court proceedings are imminent or already issued) and unless your work is being carried out on one of our fixed fee packages we charge time on an hourly rate.
Fixed-fee packages
Initial fixed fee consultation
For most situations we provide a one off consultation to give initial advice and to discuss your options for future legal representation. This is highly recommended as it is essential that you get the right advice from the outset. The one-hour face to face initial consultation is with one of our specialist family lawyers and costs £255 (inclusive of VAT and ID checks). Alternatively, we can offer you a 45 minute video appointment for £195 (inclusive of VAT and ID checks). These are one-off meetings to provide initial advice and discuss your options for future legal representation.
A fixed-fee service for a straightforward divorce
A fixed-fee arrangement is possible for most divorces where both parties agree that the marriage will end, and where you are both keen to achieve the divorce with a minimum of fuss and expense.
- If you are starting the divorce, our upfront cost for the fixed-fee service is £850 + VAT and disbursements. There will also be some upfront court fees to pay, the current rate for issuing the divorce petition is currently £593 and there may also be additional charges for additional services.
- If your wife/husband starts the divorce and you have received the petition from the court, the service costs £425 +VAT.
- If you require a consent order (a legal document which records your financial settlement) the charges start at £1,000 + VAT (depending on complexity) and £53 for the court fee.
Verifying Your Identity
We use electronic verification to support our client identity checks.
Electronic verification uses identification information such as name, address, etc. in electronic form and checks the information against numerous data sources to verify a person or business. This type of check will leave a minor footprint on the relevant credit file, but it will not harm an individual’s or business’s credit score.
We pass on the cost of this check to clients. The cost of the electronic verification check is:
- £18 plus VAT per person;
- £32 plus VAT for a UK based corporate client; or
- £50 – £156 plus VAT depending on jurisdiction for an internationally based corporate client.
When to seek advice
If you are contemplating divorce or separation from your partner or your partner has told you that they wish to initiate the break up, we recommend you get proper advice from the beginning. By identifying issues early on, we can provide advice that helps you avoid a path that would otherwise cost more financially than if you took no advice at this stage. We can also advise you on the options available to you in terms of how we deal with your case e.g. mediation, negotiation or the collaborative law process.
Clarity on outcomes of the process
It is worth remembering that you have much more control over the situation than you might think, but you need to be clear about what you want to achieve from the process. This is why we ask questions like ‘where do you see yourself in 12 months’ to help focus your mind on your expectations. We also ask specific questions relevant to your circumstances, especially in relation to issues about finances, property and children.
The initial fixed fee consultation will achieve clarity on what really matters to you and what your priorities are. After we have talked through these issues, we will be able to give you a view of whether your intended outcomes are achievable and realistic. We will also usually be able to tell you whether one of our fixed-fee divorce services is suitable and if not provide an estimate as to the likely costs involved.
Contact Us
If you require further help or advice and would like to discuss our fees in more detail and how Hunt & Coombs can help you with family law or divorce, please contact the Family Law Services & Divorce Team on 01733 882800 or via email [email protected].
