Initial Family Law Appointment

When going through family difficulties or breakdown, we believe clients need absolute clarity about where they stand and what their options are. The last thing you need is vague guidance that leaves you with more questions than answers.

Some law firms offer a ‘free consultation’ or similar, but to our mind that type of meeting won’t arm you with the detailed, tailored information that you need. It will simply provide a vague overview, scratching the surface and often leaving you requiring further paid-for appointments.

That’s why we offer a comprehensive fixed fee family appointment, giving you up to one hour with an experienced family solicitor.

Initial Fixed Fee Family Law Consultation – What To Expect

Your first meeting with us will be with a fully qualified, experienced family solicitor where we explore the details of your case. This meeting can be held over the phone, by video call or at our office and will typically last for one-hour. We look in depth at any legal, financial, pension, property, business and child-related issues. We will lay out for you the steps in your case, the direction that your case might take, the possible and likely outcomes, any risks that you face, any options that you have, associated timings, costs and tactics. We will, of course, also answer all of your questions.

Our standard fixed fee family appointment is charged at £150+vat.

To book a fixed fee appointment, simply contact us to select a time, date and method of meeting that works best for you. We’ll then get to work helping you to secure total clarity and a clear plan to move you forward in a positive direction. Email enquiry@beswicks.com, phone 01782 205000, 0161 929 8494 or book online to arrange your appointment.

Fixed fees for uncontested ‘no fault’ divorce/dissolution

We offer fixed fees for uncontested divorces or dissolution of a Civil Partnership.

If you are issuing a divorce (the applicant) our fee will be £500+vat for a single applicant divorce and £550+vat for a joint application. In addition, there will be a court fee which is currently £593.

If you are the party against whom the divorce has been issued (the respondent), our fee will be £250+vat. In the unlikely event you wish to defend a divorce application, we will provide you an estimate for your costs.

Our tips to keep your costs down

Many of our clients have found these tips helpful:

• Listen to the advice we give and try to follow it. Our solicitors have many years’ experience and can help you to understand what the courts will order or what your opponent might be willing to agree.
• Be reasonable and take account of the long-term consequences of your actions and communications. Often things said or done in the heat of the moment can take many months to rectify at a greater cost to you.
• Take time to think about what is important to you and what you might be willing to compromise about. Often arguing over unimportant items or ‘matters of principle’ can deflect attention from vital elements and lead to increased costs and delay.
• Be organised and provide information and documents we have requested quickly. We may ask you to provide details of your finances and other background, so make sure your facts are correct and that you are prepared for any meetings to ensure we get quickly to the heart of the matter. If at any stage you are unclear about what is required, do not hesitate to ask us to clarify.
• Respond to any requests we send to you and keep us informed. This will prevent us having to chase you, thereby increasing your costs.
• Try wherever possible to keep things amicable and avoid using your solicitor to communicate with your opponent about day to day matters.
• Try to see things from your opponent’s perspective. Remember that your opponent will be quick to react to any step you take; and spending heavily or moving money or assets around will cause concern and suspicion, which in turn will result in increased correspondence between solicitors or even an early application to the Court.

Following these tips will help to keep the total cost of your case under control and may actually help to achieve the result you are hoping for.