Divorce – Your Choices
Over the course of the last few years, the court fee for issuing a divorce petition has risen from £410 to £550 – an increase of over 25%. This is still a fee exemption scheme which enables people to apply for a full exemption of fees, or a partial exemption, depending upon their financial circumstances.
Here at Ridley & Hall, we are aware of the financial challenges of separation. All of a sudden, two homes need to be maintained, not one. Legal costs need to be paid out and new furniture needs to be purchased. We have devised several different packages to fit different budgets.
- Checking Service
This is where a pack is sent out to you at the start of the case. It includes a blank divorce petition, and instructions on how to proceed with issuing the divorce. You fill in the petition, and we check to see if it will comply with the court rules. This includes an initial interview. You will then send the paperwork to the Court, and at the next stage, we will send you the relevant forms to apply for a decree nisi. This costs £234 inclusive of VAT.
- Drafting Service
This is where we prepare the divorce petition and then we send it to you, for approval, with instructions on which court to send it to, and how many copies you will need. When you receive the form from your spouse, you send it to us, and we prepare the paperwork to send to the Court for the next stage, again, with clear instructions on what to do next. This costs £474.
- Full Service
This is where we prepare the divorce petition and other documentation and send it to Court. The Court then sends all correspondence to us so we can make progress with your divorce at each stage. This costs £600.
Divorces usually take between 4 and 6 months to conclude, provided that they proceed uncontested. It is rare, but not unheard of, for a divorce to be defended, and the costs quoted are for an undefended divorce.
We know that this is an emotional time and we want to be there to help and support you along the way.
If you require any further information, please contact Vicky Medd on 01484 538421.
