All Things Family Law

For some time now I have advocated the need for the profession to implement a more flexible and modern way of charging legal fees. There is a growing dissatisfaction amongst the public with the traditional way of structuring legal costs. Clients, understandably in my view, are craving more certainty with what a divorce is going to cost. The problem exists in the very nature of the proceedings. Decisions made in divorce and family law cases are often shrouded by emotion. A difficult opponent, intent on making sure his or her spouse does not receive a fair share of the assets, does nothing to dilute this toxic mix. Throw in expert fees and suddenly you have a recipe for growing costs. Against this background it remains very difficult for a family lawyer to provide a truly accurate estimate at the outset. Indeed, and this is one of my ‘pet hates’, a sharp practice has developed amongst some firms who will underestimate at the outset to secure the instructions of the client only for...

How much a particular course of action is going to cost and how these costs are going to be met should be high on the agenda at the outset. This has grown in prevalence since the legal aid reforms severely restricted access to legal services. Parliament has sought to react, and to some extent dilute the impact of the reforms, by introducing, into legislation, the ability for a party to apply for a Legal Services Payment Order under s.22ZA of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. This is an order requiring your spouse to fund your legal costs, usually, and initially, until the Financial Dispute Resolution Hearing (the second hearing where constructive discussions and negotiations are held before a District Judge who will provide an indication to assist you in reaching an agreement)