Financial disputes arising out of divorce
Barristers at 33 Bedford Row can advise you, if you and your former partner cannot agree financial matters arising out of divorce.
Payment
33 Bedford Row accepts Direct Access / Public Access ('Direct Access') instructions on a privately funded basis only, where our policy is to take payment in advance of counsel undertaking any work. We accept funds by bank transfer or by credit/debit card.
33 Bedford Row are not permitted to accept Direct Access cases on a Legal Aid basis, nor are we able to assist you in determining whether or not you are eligible for Legal Aid. You may wish to contact the Ministry of Justice website, which offers a Legal Aid Eligibility Calculator to determine whether this is a possibility for you. Even if you are eligible for Legal Aid, you can choose to instruct a barrister privately using your own funds, under Direct Access if you prefer.
Unfortunately we are unable to accept direct access instructions on a conditional fee (‘no win no fee’) basis.
Costs
The cost of instructing a barrister at 33 Bedford Row will depend on many factors, including (but not limited to):
- Case complexity;
- Counsel seniority;
- Amount of work involved;
- Location of the your hearing/conference;
- Type of hearing.
Counsel will charge for any work undertaken on either: (a) an hourly rate; or (b) fixed fee basis. A quote will be provided taking into account all the circumstances involved and time required for your case. The current rate of VAT (20%) will be added to all fees (unless exemptions apply).
We unfortunately are unable to give guidelines for costs on all types of family law case, and every case is unique. We can however, provide a cost guideline for financial disputes arising out of divorce which we have outlined further below, where the parties have joint assets which are worth less than £300,000 (please contact the clerks if you and your former partner have joint assets more than £300,000, for a quotation). To give guideline prices, the table below provides a range of fixed fees (save for 'written advice', which is an hourly rate):
| Stage of case |
Range |
| Initial Conference & Preparation |
£500 - £1500 + VAT per hour |
| Written Advice |
£150 - £400 + VAT (per hour) |
| First Appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information) |
£1500 - £3000 + VAT |
| Financial dispute resolution appointment (second court hearing to reach a financial |
£1500 - £3000 + VAT |
| Final hearing with a length of 1 day (if settlement was not reached in the financial dispute resolution appointment) |
£2500 - £5000 + VAT |
Please note: Court hearing fees may require an uplift with reference to expenses, dependent on court location, travel time and costs.
Timescales
The timescale for your case depends on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of your assets, whether you have children, how much you have already agreed with your former partner, and their approach.
Contact Us
Please contact 33 Bedford Row's clerks, on 0207 242 6476 (or e-mail clerks@33br.co.uk).
Information
All information is correct as of 11.3.24, but fees are estimates only.