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Divorce/separation

Has anyone been through a similar case?

3 replies

hope2315 · 21/07/2020 17:51

Hi. I left my husband 3 years ago. I'm ready to see a solicitor to start the divorce. I really need i rough idea how much I'll be paying the solicitor from start to finish. Solicitors can not tell me this as they wouldn't know how much work is involved.

If anyone has been through the same as me, I'd be ever so grateful if you could tell me how much you paid in legal fees from start to finish.

My husband financially kept me in the dark. I've had a lot of financial abuse from him. He's been taking my share of the finance (thousands!) without me knowing and lying to me. We both have 6 properties in joint name and he's always taken the rental income. We had a business together which my name is no longer on it and I'm not sure how he removed me without me even knowing. During this time I was busy raising our 2 children, full time. He also gave me minimum money during this time and I struggle to get more money out of him in times of need. This resulted in me being in an overdraft for 7-8 years. I was fully dedicated to the kids and home. It was his idea that I quick my job 11 years ago.

He's been abusive in many other ways too.

In these 3 years of separation, he's still holding onto my share of the finance and refusing to show me what belongs to me. I can't live like this anymore and decided to go for a divorce.

I'm not entitled to legal aid as I have properties under my name.

As you can imagine, the solicitor will have a lot of digging in to do with my case. I know that the money is all there as he's not a spender and doesn't drink or gamble. He's purposely hid it all from me and continuing to do so.

OP posts:
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sarahonss1 · 21/07/2020 23:15

Some solicitors will accept some money now and some money from the settlement. You both have to do a full financial disclosure (you can have a look at the form e on gov.uk website. He will have to disclose everything there. They estimate mine to be 5000-6000 but that's uncontested. It depends if their needs to be valuations independently done of the business.

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sarahonss1 · 21/07/2020 23:22

He will find it very difficult to hide anything. They look at bank statements going back at least 12 months. Do the children live with you? Are you renting somewhere and he's moved out? All these things factor in. There will be some digging but it will be worth it. It just depends how much money you have got up front. Sometimes solicitors do a sears in tooth arrangement which means that they will take all their costs from the settlement. If you as the petitioner have a low income then he may have to pay the actual divorce process which is £550 and then the solicitors fee on top about £600. Although the finance part is part of the divorce it's sort of treated like a separate matter when it comes to costs. Have a look at the form e and see the detail he will need to provide. He will be on BIG trouble if he is not being honest on there. I would probably be a bit worried to be him to be honest

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Pacamacka · 21/07/2020 23:32

So sorry you’re going through this. My legal fees were £25,000 due to the complexity of the financial shenanigans my ex got up to. Fraud, bank accounts opened in my name without me knowing, no access to statements, house remortgaged twice (forged my signature) and overdrafts consolidated into 3 huge loans totalling 250k! Never got to the bottom of what he had done with the money. I ended up homeless, having to tackle a major bank to rid myself of liability for the loans ( the story of what happened would make a good film). The only asset my solicitor could find were some personal pensions and I was awarded the lot. The house which was worth about £350,00 was reclaimed by the building society. Hopefully you will have decent assets to divide but you sound to have a very evasive man to deal so getting to the bottom of what there is could take time and money. My ex was a solicitor so knew how to drag the case out and complicate it as much as humanly possible which racked up my fees. Horrible time but you will get through it. V

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