Public funding for divorce

[lacuna bless]

Have just had letter saying I will not receive public funding. But does anyone know what the costs of an undefended divorce are now likely to be? Have settled childcare access and now have to agree over maintenance and house.

Also I have just received our decree nisi, are there any pros and cons to not getting an absolute after the courtcase or is this mandatory?

[Ethel]

It is impossible to predict your costs - ask your solicitor.

Without the absolute you will not be divorced and will not be able to marry.

And if one of you dies without making a will, the matters will be complicated further by not being divorced.

Good luck with it all - it's a difficult time.

[lady_p_gold]

As said, it all depends on what sort of figures you are talking about and whether you end up with a barrister or court appearances. One of my friends got divorced for about �3000 and the other one's costs came to over �25,000 !!!!

[gammaray]

It's the cost of serving the papers. When I got divorced (about 12 years ago) it was �53 As we had settled all the other stuff we didn't need solicitors etc. so we just paid to get the process going.

[gammaray]

Once you get the NICI the absolute will follow automatically (I think it's six weeks later)

[lady_p_gold]

By the way ..... the house and the maintenance are the most important things to sort out, but don't forget you will be entitled to a pension share which can be a very important part of your settlement for the future.

[Sequin]

My ex-wife divorced me (amicably, I must stress - no arguments over money or access) and got legal aid - her solicitor phoned me and asked if I would be willing to contribute to the costs - I said no. Next thing that hapened was that I got papers saying I was divorced, and I never had to pay a penny

[Ethel]

Gammaray - the Absolute does not automatically follow the Nisi.

It can take many, many months.

If the Applicant doesn't apply for it within 18 weeks the Respondent can, but not before.

The Absolute will not be granted if financial and child access matters are not sorted out.

[gammaray]

That's not my experience, nor does your answer follow any of the printed guidelines you get from the court.

[lady_p_gold]

As people have said it can be very cheap if everyone agrees to the split of the assets, but often they don't !! Plus when it comes to pension sharing it is so very complicated I doubt if the lay person could do it without a solicitor.

[jason1980]

Hi the cheapest method of divorce is to do it yourself through the courts. They have their own forms to fill in and you just wait for replies. My mother did her own divorce herself through the courts without any legal advice and its the cheapest way possible. Just ring the courts and ask for advice, they will post you out the forms for the next step of the divorce.

[themas]

What jason says is quite true IF you can agree with your spouse on all the issues, including child custody and access, finances etc. The problems come (together with solicitors, & maybe barristers) if you can't agree. If your spouse is legally represented and you are not then, unless you are very very lucky, you will end up not getting what you might feel you are entitled to.

Having said that, try your damndest to agree - compromise if necessary. Its generally far better than the stress and bitterness that can so easily come if 2 confrontational solicitors are fighting on behalf (so they say) of their respective clients.