Can you do a DIY clean break?

[dontpointatme]

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...

£1,500 sounds about right!

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?

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...

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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