At Kiteleys we understand the stresses involved in family law. Therefore, we aim to do all we can to reduce the worry, including being clear and realistic concerning costs.

It is important to us that our clients understand exactly what they are paying for and that they are getting value for money.

Free Telephone Consultation

• Our specialist family lawyers are available to have an initial free confidential conversation with you by telephone.
• The aim is for us to gain a basic understanding of your circumstances and set out how the Family Team can help you, without any obligation for you to go any further than this first telephone call.
• Call 01202 875646 to speak with a specialist family lawyer.

Fixed Fee First Meeting

• Following on from the free initial consultation, the next step is usually to arrange a face to face meeting with on or our specialist family lawyers at one of Kiteleys’ branch offices. As an alternative, arrangements to “meet” via Skype are also available.
• The fixed fee first meeting is £100 plus VAT (payable in advance by credit or debit card over the telephone).
• The aim is for us to have a detailed discussion of you circumstances and set out your options for resolving your family problem.
• There are no hidden costs. You will only pay £100 plus VAT and are not obliged to commit to any further legal help or costs.
• Quite often, our clients go away from this fixed fee first meeting to think about what has been discussed, before returning at a later date to take the next legal steps to resolve their family problem.

Fixed Fee Undefended Divorce

This fixed fee covers the entire undefended divorce process:

• Solicitors cost £850 plus VAT
• Family Court Fee £550

• This fixed fee applies if your spouse cooperates with the divorce process by promptly completing and returning the divorce acknowledgement of service form, indicating that they do not defend the divorce process and providing their agreement where necessary.
• If your spouse does not co-operate with the divorce process, then additional costs will apply beyond this fixed fee, which we will need to discuss with you.
• You can ask that you spouse pays all or some of your divorce costs.
• This fixed fee does not include resolving financial issues or child arrangements (see below).

Costs Estimates & Unbundling of Legal Services

• A fixed fee may not apply to legal work to help resolve some family problems, such as:
  • financial issues on divorce or separation of a married couple
  • financial/property disputes between unmarried couple
  • child arrangements (aka residence/custody, and contact/visitation)
• A bespoke fixed fee can be discussed and agreed for a specific legal task (aka “unbundling”). This might include going to court with you to act as your advocate at a court hearing, but without Kiteleys Solicitors formally entering onto the “court record”, so that all subsequent legal documents are still be sent directly to you by the court and any other solicitor involved. This will keep your legal costs to a minimum.
• However, if “unbundling” is not possible, we will give you a realistic costs estimate from “best case scenario” through to “worst case scenario”, before you commit to any legal help.
• The costs estimates will be tailored to the unique circumstances of your case.
• Our specialist family lawyers charge between £225 and £250 per hour, plus VAT.

Contact the Family Team on 01202 875646 for a free telephone consultation about your circumstances and to ask any questions.