family

In my experience, the fees available in divorce cases are fairly limited and the more lucrative fees are in the financial applications and children disputes. That being the case, showing clients that you are up to speed with the development and making them aware of the option, ought not to affect fee income greatly.

The post below raises the issues of financial applications and children disputes that still need to be resolved and the expertise needed in resolving them.

The Online Divorce Petition System Is Now Live

On 6 May 2018, the court system introduced an online portal available to the public, to enable a person to apply for a divorce online. The system takes a person through a series of questions to produce a divorce petition, which can then be issued by the court by paying the appropriate fee.

This gives the public the opportunity to obtain a divorce without involving a lawyer if they wish. Whether that is a sensible thing to do, is a different question. Whilst answering the online questions may be straight forward, the implications of getting a divorce and the grounds for seeking it, may not be fully understood by someone acting without experienced legal advice.

The online system ignores the financial side of a divorce which can be, and often is, a complicated and contested issue. Who gets what when a marriage ends can ultimately be decided by the courts if the parties cannot reach terms themselves by negotiation.

With the finances being argued over often amounting to many thousands of pounds, it is important to present the strongest possible case to the spouse and the court. People can underestimate just how complicated this process can be, with finances including:

• The family home and ownership or property
• Belongings and home contents
• Joint and sole bank accounts
• Investments, shares and pensions
• Business assets and valuations
• Maintenance

Children and their custody may also be an issue that needs to be agreed or determined by the court. Deciding or agreeing where children will live and when they will spend time with each parent is an emotional and fundamental concern for people divorcing. Expert legal representation can increase the chances of achieving a better result either through negotiation or if the court is needed to make a decision.

Our specialist family team have vast experience in dealing with divorce, finances and children cases. If you want to discuss your situation, please get in touch.