Form A help

[Goneanddonedit]

So, starting a divorce which has the potential for a reasonable amount of money for me, however, currently funds are tight. This has the possibility to be a court job as ex lies and hides funds.

I need to put in my Form A, which is fine, but I’m a bit confused as to whether my solicitor should do it or not. There is a bit to tick saying I have had advice but I want paperwork to come to me, or there is a bit for the solicitor to sign it and it all go to her?

My solicitor says if I do it then I need to come to her with replies etc for advice but her advice would be more limited than if she was dealing with it and it involves signing a different terms of service.

However, she is close on to £300 ph so I’m a bit hesitant to have it all come to her as I will be charged for everything.

However, I don’t know enough to know what I need to ask her for advice on?

I wonder if anyone on here can explain, simply, the benefits and pitfalls of both? I am really worried of making a mistake as either way potentially costs me a lot of money.

Thankyou!!

Are you agreed about finances with your ex or is it going to be a battle?

It’s going to be a battle. We are not suitable for mediation (I have a MIAM) but I am putting the Form A in primarily to get a timeline on things getting done, otherwise he will feel no urgency as I am currently the party with no money!
My hope is he will see sense and make a fair offer, the reality is more likely I will need things sorted out in court.

My solicitor was worth every penny as my ex was an arsehole.

Yeah I know he’s going to be an arse. I’m just cautious of paying a solicitor to do something I could do? I have no idea how much information a Form A causes, so no idea how much paperwork my solicitor will get, but as she obviously charges to read it all and then relay it to me I didn’t know if it was more sensible for it to come to me?
Then my worry is that I will not tell her something I should have done.
I’m also concerned that there are limits to her advice if I am not fully retaining her and I’m not sure what the limits are.

I will try to speak to her, but I’d like to have an idea rather than go into a phone call blind.

My solicitor helped with the initial paperwork and has given me as hoc advice until the point we're nearing now. We've had the first hearing and she advised I could do that myself as there would be no negotiations at that stage. She advised I am represented from this point, the second hearing onwards, by either her or a barrister, so I've focussed on that, while ex has burned through several more thousands having his solicitor do everything.

One thing I noted was that when I was I in represented and he had his solicitor, the judge directed everything to her so his costs would have wracked up even more in admin costs, but I had to keep an eagle eye on what she was doing, which was just as well as she tried to pull a fast one a couple of times, including things in the order that weren't discussed in the hearing.