Emotions|Children|Teens|Parents|Health|Legal|Financial|Moving on|News & views|Books|Media

Legal

Legal aid: Yes
Mediation: Yes
Collaborative law: Yes
Disabled access: Yes

Areas covered: Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and North East Somerset. Lyons Davidson has clients nationwide and internationally.
Office also in New Malden, Surrey.

Head of Family team: James Myatt
Family team members: Iona Philips, Louise Higham, Philippa Morgan, Bernice Mumford, Alexandra Mills, Hannah Perry, Kate Atkins, Sarah Comley, Alice Harrington, Amelia Davey, John Lawley, Rhianna Airey
Resolution members: All family case handlers
Resolution areas of expertise: Children - public and private, divorce, separation, cohabitation disputes, financial remedy (finances), child abduction and nuptial agreements

Other departments:
Lyons Davidson also have a Family Mediation Department.
Private client, residential conveyancing, commercial property, corporate, personal injury, civil litigation, employment and advocacy.

About us
Lyons Davidson is an innovative and commercially minded firm. The firm is very progressive and its specialist solicitors provide accurate information, guidance and clear advice in a friendly and understandable way. With over 30 years of experience, the firm provides clients, from individuals to large corporate entities with what they want when they require it.

Fixed-fee Divorce

Grounds for divorce
There is just one basis for divorce - irretrievable breakdown of marriage. However, you have to prove irretrievable breakdown with one of the five reasons listed below (these are called ‘facts’):

(A) Adultery; (B) Unreasonable behaviour; (C) Desertion (when one spouse abandons the other) for at least two years; (D) Separation of more than two years, where both parties consent to divorce; (E) Separation of more than five years 

What is the process?
When applying for a divorce, you send a petition to your local County Court, which sends a copy to your spouse, together with a form known as an ‘acknowledgment of service’. Your spouse completes and signs this form and sends it back to the court, indicating whether or not they intend to defend the divorce. You first receive a provisional decree nisi and six weeks and one day after that, you can apply a decree absolute. Once you have this, you are divorced. It usually takes three to six months to be concluded. For a detailed explanation of the divorce process, click here.

How much will it cost?
Our fixed fee for a divorce is as follows:

	Petitioner (Fact A, D, E)	Petitioner Fact (B, C)	Respondent (all facts)
Fixed Fee	£275*	£375*	£225*
Total including court fees and VAT (for illustration purposes only)	£715**	£835**	£270**

*All fees are exclusive of disbursements (court fees, service fees, postage, etc) and VAT.  This list is not exhaustive.

** in this example, court fees are limited to include fees for filing the petition and decree absolute. VAT and court fees are accurate as at 1 September 2011 and are subject to change.  You may be eligible for court fee exemption. 

The different fees reflect the amount of work we would be required to undertake on your behalf.

What does the fee include?
All three of our fee structures include the following:

• A 30-minute, face-to-face meeting (or over the phone, if you prefer) to discuss the process and, if necessary, to begin the preparation of court documentation;
• Filing of the necessary documentation to commence and/or progress the divorce;
• Regular updates on the progress of your divorce.

Unlike some other fixed-fee services, Lyons Davidson offer you the opportunity to discuss matters face to face with a qualified professional.  This professional will then be responsible, with the assistance of our dedicated support staff, for the efficient conclusion of your case.

What is not included in the fee?
Our fixed-fee option does not include:

• Any disbursements (such as court fees, expert fees, service fees or any other charges such as VAT);
• Arrangement of personal service (if appropriate);
• Our attendance at a contested costs hearing;
• Dealing with any court request for medical evidence (in respect of the affidavit for the special procedure list). 

Any request for our assistance or advice in these matters will be charged at your case handler’s hourly rate.  The fixed fee relates solely to divorce and does not involve any advice or assistance about children matters or finances; any advice additional to the divorce process will be charged at the relevant case handler’s hourly rate.

When is the fixed fee available?
Our fixed fee is available to everyone living in England and Wales (whose spouses also live in England and Wales), whether they are the Petitioner or Respondent. 

When is the fixed fee not available?
Our fixed-fee structure is not available if either party lives outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales, or is not habitually resident there.  The fixed fee is also unavailable for ‘defended divorces’.

Top of page