Mediation vs solicitor

[Redcandle]

I am seeing a solicitor this week to start the divorce process but the costs I have been initially quoted seem High - £1300 - £1500. Is this normal? Would it make sense to go to mediation first and get the financial side agreed before seeing a solicitor to limit the amount of input they need? Ex is not likely to be difficult.

Definitely try mediation first if your ex is reasonable. They can't give advice but can say if it fair or not it will be a lot cheaper and if your on a low wage you may be eligible for legal aid ( mediation only) good luck

Again, if you're amicable, communicating well & both reasonable people, it should be fine.

My ex-XP just went along to reiterate the advice his solicitor gave in his best interest & would not recognise my points of view at all. He used it to bully me.

The solicitor's role was more of a counsellor rather than a mediator/negotiator so it was all a bit pointless. I think we both expected a bit more direction from her.

My advice would be to have a very clear agenda & to do some talking before so that you have some understanding of a starting point.

And that if your DH has form for abusive/bad behaviour it's not worth entering in to.

Oh, and to have a very clear agenda for the sessions eg pension, equity etc.

That sounds like too much - think we paid 500

Thanks all for the advice. I am getting an alternative quote.

Sorry I misread the OP. Mediation was 500, not solicitor. If you can work this out without solicitors, go for it. If that is unlikely, do mediation and then lawyer up. If you have complex finances like pension assets and a vast difference in who earns what, kids arrangements etc then you might need to lawyer up anyway to make sure you get a fair deal and clean break but try the mediation route.

I might as well have set fire to the money we spent on mediation as we did not agree on anything but I believe it is a requirement to do mediation....

I assume it is purely for the divorce and nothing else? The reality is you will a consent order around finances otherwise you are never truly separate and he can claim later if you came jnto money or finances improved.