How do you choose a solicitor?

[unexpectednewstart]

I had an initial consultation with a solicitor at a family law firm this week. They seemed quite good and are members of resolution. Should I shop around? They've quoted about £10K total cost but said it could be as much as £25K. Does that sound right? I'm not sure I've got the emotional energy to contact lots of firms.

It does sound about right yes and if you like them then go ahead and use them and save the time you would have spent shopping around for something else

Thanks.

Great username by the way, I feel exactly the same!

Yes mine will end up being between 25 and 27 K I think.

is that between the two of you, or have there been particular complications which have pushed the cost up?

No that was just me. Not sure what h’s costs are but they are much much smaller.

We went we far as the second financial hearing, and hearings in general cost a lot of money. H was not co-operative at all either, which meant a lot more work for my solicitor. Had H been easier and not so unpleasant, my costs would be a lot smaller, but I could not have gone through the whole divorce (not quite over yet) without my solicitor - precisely because H was so difficult and unpleasant.

Crikey that’s high!

My parents divorced and even with a barrister and going to court, my mum only load about £5,000.

You can’t really compare two divorces - and I was in court twice. H was extremely uncooperative on every front. Had he cooperated from the start, it would have been a lot cheaper. He also mostly had no representation, and “piggy backed” off my solicitor a lot.

But yes it’s a lot of money. I probably had a bit too much contact with my solicitor, which didn’t help. That’s not the main issue however.