For a long time, a non-working partner could reasonably expect the chief wage-earner to pay all legal fees arising from their divorce. That changed in April 2006. The current starting point, subject to any ‘litigation misconduct’, is that each party will need to pay their own divorce costs.
Difficulties in arranging for payment of ongoing fees can be very real, especially if the other party controls the family purse-strings. You may lack knowledge of your partner’s financial affairs and, if so, you may also incur costs obtaining the necessary information.
Sign up to divorce and separation newsletterThere are many ways to pay for legal fees. At Stowe Family Law, we take our relationship with our clients seriously and will always advise you of all the available options for funding your case. These methods can include:
We can also introduce clients to lenders who are prepared to offer borrowing facilities to cover legal fees. In these circumstances, the money often does not need to be repaid until the case is over. We do not specifically recommend any lender, but we have relationships with some litigation funding providers such as Novitas, Level, Ratesetters and Detach.
The divorce costs for both parties will be funded primarily from the assets they own and the income they generate. This is true no matter whose fault the divorce is and who wants to keep which assets. Therefore, the total value of the assets to be divided between you will be reduced by the total amount of costs you both incur.
We are Stowe Family Law, the nationwide family lawyers with a local touch. As a specialist family law firm, working with couples to agree on a fair level of spousal maintenance is our bread and butter. With offices around the country including in London, Manchester and Birmingham, you can always find a ‘divorce lawyer near me’.
You can call us over the phone at 0330 383 0319 if you’d like to talk family law services, or if you need us to work around your schedule, request a free call back at a time that suits you.
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