Divorce costs

[Yellowshirt]

I have been ordered by Newport court in Wales to pay court costs. It's really shocked me to be honest.
I was the respondent on the divorce petition and I put on my reply I did not agree with the reasons on the petition but I wanted the divorce as my wife had an affair and had also been abusive.
But my ex wife's solicitor is asking for £1750. I've asked for an itemized bill and the charges include 4 hours work plus emails sent and phone calls carried out on her behalf.
Can anyone help me please. I've asked them to be more reasonable but they are refusing.

Does the order say how much you have to pay? Has the decree nisi been made yet?

You get warning that the court is contemplating an order for costs. If you read the wording of the notice it tells you that you can object, and you do so by notifying the court that you object. If you didn’t do this and an order had been made then it’s too late, unless the court has yet to assess the quantum of costs in which case they have to prepare a bill of costs for assessment by the court, and you get to challenge that.

Yes the decree Nisi has been made. Her solicitor is saying if the court do an assessment I'll be paying another £600 in costs.

£1750 is quite a lot for main suit divorce. Assuming that you did everything you could and didn't hold anything up, and there was no argument about whether you defend or anything silly like that, 4 hours is far too much. I'd offer them £1500. Remember that the court fee is £550.

It should take no more than 1 hour of work on documents.