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Divorce/separation

Can you do a DIY clean break?

13 replies

dontpointatme · 06/03/2019 14:57

I need to get the divorce between myself and my husband started and have contacted a solicitor. They have come back with expected costs of approx £1500 for an uncontested clean break order and divorce.

Does this sound about right? Is it possible to do the whole thing myself, or is it a massive job and would be better dealt with by a professional?

If all goes to plan and STBXH doesn't change his mind, everything is agreed and should sail through...

Any advice would be appreciated...

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Seapoint2002 · 06/03/2019 15:14

£1,500 sounds about right!

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troubleswillbeoutofsight · 06/03/2019 16:31

I was married for twenty years and the children were over 18. We didn't even use a solicitor and the divorce finalised in a few weeks. Ex initiated and paid I'm assuming as I didn't pay a penny. We'd sorted the house out a few years before with me staying in family home and buying him out
Why even pay solicitors?

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dontpointatme · 06/03/2019 16:57

That's what I'm asking, I just don't know if I need one for the financial agreement to go through or if I can do that on my own, and if so if it's very complicated...

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TwoRoundabouts · 06/03/2019 21:58

You need to get someone with knowledge to draft up the (financial) consent order. If you are both amicable agree to pay half each and find a solicitor/service that will represent both of you.

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dontpointatme · 06/03/2019 22:28

Thanks Two, that's what I needed to know. Might try and do the divorce ourselves to save about £500 on the solicitor for that then, if they'll agree to just do the financial order.

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CatyaPurella · 07/03/2019 21:29

We are doing it all ourselves but you must have a solicitor draft the financial consent order, you cannot do this yourself. If it’s basically quite straight forward then I guess that’s about an hours work for a sol, say £250ish? You have to pay the application/court fees regardless but I am not expecting my divorce to cost more than £1k and we’ve been married nearly 15 years and have 3 kids under 18

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dontpointatme · 07/03/2019 22:11

That's brilliant @CatyaPurella thanks! Has the divorce paperwork stuff been easy enough so far do you mind me asking?

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CatyaPurella · 07/03/2019 22:21

Yes very easy - my STBXH filled in the form online and paid the £550 fee. I as the respondent received a form to confirm I wasn’t contesting it, sent it back and yesterday got our Nisi date confirmed. That will be 4 months exactly from when I returned the petition. I don’t suppose we will actually be able to apply for the absolute 6 weeks and 1 day after because we are still trying to sell the house and I would prefer to finalise finances once we are no longer living together.

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dontpointatme · 08/03/2019 10:53

Brilliant - thank you!! It's daunting when you don't know what to expect.

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HotChocolateLover · 08/03/2019 11:05

I did mine through Wikivorce. It was about £400 for the divorce and the clean break was about £250. This was in 2008 I think.

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CatyaPurella · 08/03/2019 15:03

Jumping back on this thread - I have seen Wikivorce will do the consent order...do you recommend?

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Toomanycats99 · 08/03/2019 15:08

My solicitor has confirmed I can fully in the form e financial settlement form myself and then send to him for checking / there is a you tube video giving guidance! We have reached agreement between us on the split of assets but a judge can still overturn it apparently.

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CatyaPurella · 08/03/2019 15:47

Yes, I understand the judge can overturn what we have decided, fortunately we have both always worked full time (even though we have 3 kids) so our division should be fairly straight forward. Don’t intend to do Form E just the other, simpler ones

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