The Government is in the process of making the Court system in England and Wales
financially self-supporting. As a result a number of Court fees have been
increased. Each step in an action requires a fee to be paid to the Lord
Chancellor's Department. Click here for details of current fees in Family cases.
Most solicitors charge for their work at an hourly rate. VAT is added to that
hourly rate. The hourly rate varies depending upon the skill and experience of
the individual solicitor. Each year County Courts across England and Wales fix
an hourly rate for different levels of fee earner which is the maximum amount
that can be recovered by the successful party from the unsuccessful party in
proceedings in that Court.
Every time you go to Court the Judge has to consider which, if any, party
should be responsible for paying the costs of that hearing. If you or the other
party has acted unreasonably or has made an application which is unsuccessful
the Judge can award costs against the unsuccessful party.
Although solicitors charge for their work on the basis of an hourly rate most
of them will be prepared to give you a fixed quote for the divorce. Since
resolving the financial issues can be more complicated and affected by the
intransigence of your opponent, most are reluctant to quote a "fixed fee" for
sorting out the finances. As Court procedures become more streamlined this may
become more popular.