Is There Such A Thing As A Divorce On A Budget?

Recent years have seen the emergence of a number of websites offering legal advice.

With the recent cuts to Legal Aid, the so called “quickie” divorce sites are likely to attract more and more visitors as members of the public strive to achieve a divorce on a budget.

Is saving a few pounds here and there, however, simply a false economy?

Perhaps, above all, we should question whether a “quickie” divorce is in fact achievable. Even in the most straight forward of cases, there is a procedure to follow and the very least amount of time it will take is 3 months. Add an unco-operative spouse and a busy Court into the equation and the average divorce is likely to take up to 6 months.

Any website or service that offers to get a divorce for a very low price is unlikely to have trained specialist family lawyers on board and this can lead to difficulties in all but the simplest of cases. Most prices quoted will not include Court fees or any work involved in sorting out financial issues.

If you go ahead and finalise your divorce without resolving financial issues and achieving a “clean break”, then you potentially leave yourself exposed to future claims for financial orders and consequently expensive litigation to sort it out.

If you instruct a Specialist Family Lawyer such as the highly qualified and experienced Family Solicitors at Seatons, you may pay a little bit more but at least you can rest assured that you are getting the best advice possible.

In summary, if you are considering using a website offering a cut price divorce, you should:-

– Always check out the legitimacy of the Company.
– Make sure you know exactly how much you will be paying from the outset. Watch out for hidden costs. For example, Court fees are always payable regardless of which Company you use and these are rarely included in any quotes.
– As them to clarify what you are actually paying for. A divorce is merely a formal ending of your marriage. In the majority of cases, you will still need to resolve financial issues. Any costs involved in doing so will rarely be included in the price that you are quoted.
– Check out genuine testimonials from previous users of the site.
– Be very wary of buzz words such as “quick”, “speedy” or “cheap”. All very good at drawing you in but are those claims really realistic?

If you are considering a divorce but are on a budget, speak to one of our Specialist Family Solicitors please call on 01536 276300 or use our online enquiry form. We can discuss a tailor made costs package and an affordable payment plan.

You may find that instructing a highly qualified and experienced Solicitor is not as expensive as you think and you can rest easy in the knowledge that your divorce is being handed by an expert in their field.