Family Law Fees
You may need to pay a fee if you use a civil or family court service. The fee you pay depends on the type of service and the area of law in which the service operates.
Private Clients Fees
When it comes to payment for our services we advise and provide you with options on how to fund your case. We endeavour to advise clients at the first meeting on the estimates of costs, be it ours or for services to be provided by third parties and on disbursements.
We will provide detailed information and transparency on costs estimates so that there is no hidden costs in our charges.
Often times, we provide fixed costs services which costs will cover the whole or a stage in the matter or case.
Consultation fee: £150 excluding VAT
Hourly rate
Our hourly rate for private work is £250.00 excluding VAT
Rate for High Court Matters is £300.00 excluding VAT
Solicitors Hearing Fees Starts from £450.00
Private Family Law
Child arrangement Applications | £1,500 excluding VAT until the first hearing |
Child arrangement Applications with allegation of harm | £1,650 excluding VATuntil the first |
Consent orders for child arrangements | £1,350 excluding VAT |
Child Arrangement Order Application Only | £750 excluding VAT |
Child Arrangement Order Application & Allegations of Harm | £1,000 excluding VAT |
Applications made to the High Court | £2500 excluding VAT and Counsel Fees up to first hearing |
Defending Applications made to the High Court | Starting from £1500 |
Non-contested divorce | £850 excluding VAT excluding financial orders |
Respondent in divorce | £ 650 excluding VAT excluding financial orders |
Contested divorce | Starting at £1,150 excluding VAT excluding financial orders |
Non-Molestation / Occupation Orders | Starting at £1,200 excluding VAT until the first hearing |
Emergency Non-Molestation / Occupation Orders | Starting at £1,500 excluding VAT |
Respondent in NMO proceedings | Starting at £1200 excluding VAT |
Consent orders for finances in divorce | £1,200 excluding VAT |
Respondent consent orders for finances in divorce | Starting at £1,000+VAT |
Pre-nuptial agreements | £800 excluding VAT |
Post-nuptial agreements | £800 excluding VAT |
Cohabitation agreements | £800 excluding VAT |
Adoption | Starting at £1,5000 excluding VAT until the first hearing |
Schedule 1 Application for maintenance | Starting at £1500 excluding VAT until first hearing |
Special Guardianship Orders | Starting at £1,500 excluding VAT until the first hearing |
Application for Relocation | Starting at £1500 excluding VAT until first hearingg |
Preparing Witness Statement | Starting at £650 excluding VAT |
Other areas of Family Law
For other areas of family law such as financial settlement and TLATA, it is tricky to give a fixed fee given that situation, assets, and employment could affect the works that need to be done up until the first hearing. Works in this areas will be subject to the hourly rate or a fixed fee estimate given at the first meeting and after learning about circumstances of the case
Court Fees
Court fees are payable on court applications except for DV applications and where there is fee remission
For payment for the various applications in family law matters, please see the link
Public Law Cases
Legal Aid and Reduced Rates
Afpan Edward Solicitors have a public funding contract to provide legal aid services to individuals that are eligible for funding under the Legal Aid contracts. The services can be in relation to private or public family law or any other area that the firm is contracted to provide services in.
Individuals within care proceedings are eligible to what is called no means no merit public funding Legal aid where their entitlement is not subject to how much they earn.
Legal Aid is also available for victims of domestic abuse, or where there is a risk of child abuse provided they meet the eligibility test of the required evidence of domestic violence and finance.
Although, there has been a reduction in the qualifying areas for funding, Legal Aid continues to be available for many areas of family law , including public law children proceedings, international child abduction, mediation, applications under Article 21 of the Haque Convention and in some few instances, for cases that otherwise would not qualify for funding ( exceptional cases).
To check if you qualify for Legal Aid please visit the gov.uk eligibility calculator here https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
Reduced rates for individuals in receipt of benefits
We understand the difficulties some individuals on lower incomes face following changes to legal aid , which has been in place for years now. However, individuals in receipt of the following benefits continue to be eligible for funding in some areas of law or where they have evidence of DV in addition to the benefits under reference.
These befits are
- Income support
- Jobseekers allowance
- Employment support allowance
- Pension guarantee credit
Should you wish to find out if you are eligible for benefits. Please see