Guest viewing is limited

COST OF FINAL HEARING

FRAM

New member
Member
Dear All,

I hope you are well and stay strong, life will get better.

I have received a quotation from my legal team for the final hearing for the custody of the children. Decent legal team but not renown ones. My case is pretty simple.
They are asking for the final hearing of 4 days:
15.000+Vat Solicitor (this include the support till the hearing in 3 months that should be non existing since there are no matters to solve)
35.000+VAT Barrister
TOTAL 60.000£
I find this costs ridiculous and I will struggle to find this money. Do you have any suggestion?

Regards,

F
 
How far away is the hearing.

There's that site. Barrister's direct. Would be a he'll of a lot cheaper.

My question would be do you need Barrister and solicitor.
 
Sorry just seen 3 months away. I managed without solicitors after some initial advice as it's mainly admin on their side but obviously I don't know how complex your case is (although from what you say it doesn't sound too bad).
 
How far away is the hearing.

There's that site. Barrister's direct. Would be a he'll of a lot cheaper.

My question would be do you need Barrister and solicitor.
I agree , barristers direct are much cheaper , I’ve sacked off my solicitors what a waste date of time they are.
 
That's outrageous. I switched team before final hearing. Fixed fee of £3,500 from solicitor, to include all work (admittedly that may have been more if it was a four day hearing). Fixed fee of 4k per day for barrister. Both plus VAT.

If statements have been exchanged and the final bundle submitted, you don't need a solicitor - better to get a good direct Barrister. But I would stick with solicitors until statements exchanged and bundle submitted, to avoid dirty tricks. UNLESS you are not happy with your statement and evidence to be submitted and feel the solicitors are not fighting your corner enough.

My 4k a day barrister was excellent.
 
Either you have a really top team including a QC or are being fleeced! Assume if it's a 4 day final hearing there is some serious stuff going on. Why is it a four day final hearing?
 
The hearing is in October, but a Judge might be available in August but has not confirmed yet. The hearing, if not online, will be at Maidstone, Kent

I am based in Sevenoaks, Kent. I can travel to London.
 
You still have time to change team/barrister before August, but don't dismiss current team till you've found an alternative. Some Barristers will travel. Not all - ie from different regions.
 
Depending on the details of your case, some direct access barristers may say they will only work with a solicitor. In that case you could find a solicitor/barrister team (who habitually work together as a team) and ask them both for a fixed fee.
 
My case is definitely not complex. Asking to reinstate shared custody of my two lovely kids 6 and 9. I gave a slap to my daughter, nothing serious, my mistake that I deeply regret, never happened before. Nobody was injured but that my ex-wife managed to leverage this to reopen Court proceeding and stopped shared custody that has gone on for the last 2 years with no problems. Already have social services positive report for me and private social worker report with very positive feedback for me and with a lot of negative points for the mother. I do expensive supervised contact twice a week for the last six months, all very positive. I live next to my children school and my ex wife is two minutes away. I work flexibly from home. My ex-wife is a high-flyer influencer and has to travel abroad very often. I am waiting for Cafcass.....
 
I have to go to a four days final hearing because my ex wife is unreasonable. I find it absurd!
I have been in Court proceeding for the last 4 years and I already know the possible outcome, this is not rocket science!
This matter should have been solved in April at a direction hearing but the Judge forgot to engage with Cafcass, so with no report was unable to proceed. Ridiculous. I do not have yet the final statement but this is something that has to be submitted in July and I could write myself.....
 
I would use a solicitor for the final statement - it is one thing they really can help construct well around your evidence (if the solicitor is good). Usually if it's more than a day hearing it's because different applications are being dealt with concurrently? Eg an application plus a later enforcement.

The other main reason to use a solicitor for exchange of statements and completion of the bundle is to prevent dirty tricks that can really mess up a case. By that I mean - exchange of statements. If both sides have a solicitor there is a strict protocol - statements have to be exchanged at the exact same time and it's formally confirmed. If no solicitor you need to deal with the other side's solicitor and they may play games in that respect. Neither should see the other's statement and evidence first (or they can amend their statement!). The statement for final hearing is much more than a statement - it's your evidence - with evidence attached, once it's gone you can't submit anything else and you'll be cross examined on it so it helps have someone look over it and help construct it around the evidence you're using. A really good statement from you could compare dramatically with a lousy one from the ex (full of mudslinging and no evidence hopefully! Hers that is). Yours also needs to be 100% accurate and truthful with no room for contradictions or vagueness. To avoid losing via cross examination. The job of the other side's barrister is to find inconsistencies in your statement to try and prove you're unreliable/lying. And vice versa. If either side can show a party has lied via their statement (or been contradictory) then that statement is undermined/dismissed - which is how to lose a case and also how to win a case.
 
Last edited:
Dear Ash,

Thanks for your advice. I do not want to go on my own but £60.000 seems too much!
and yes you are right, my ex-wife wants her fees paid so there is another matter for the Court! My barrister said this is an unusual request but at the last hearing the Judge said: sort this out between the two of you!...not sure what does this mean?

My legal team so far has been very professional while my ex wife team very aggressive and contesting anything (including social services)....my solicitor has not replied since they told me some of their complaint had no basis at all. But I am concern that that if the other parties comes with 50 pages of item against me the Judge might think at least some are good points even if there is not evidence.

The social worker (highly criticised by my ex wife) doing supervised contact for the last 6 months says that she cannot see any other outcome than 50-50 custody. Really this should be the outcome but we know that Judges have a lot of flexibility in there decisions.

Thank you so much to all

F
 
I think only the court can order costs - usually no costs are ordered in family cases and each pays their own. Yes my ex's solicitor was full of underhand stuff and dirty tricks.
 
Please allow me two additional questions:

1) I have received a request from CAFCASS to complete a form of 5 basic questions. Do I need my solicitor to review my answers? I suppose usual rules applies: a) concentrate on children wellbeing b) do not criticise ex-wife c) be positive and forward looking.

2) every month my solicitor send me a 1000-2000£ bill even if there is nothing going on. Can I stop my solicitor representing me until his services are required for the hearing in October? or could I agree a fixed fee till then?
 
Sorry just seen 3 months away. I managed without solicitors after some initial advice as it's mainly admin on their side but obviously I don't know how complex your case is (although from what you say it doesn't sound too bad).
Please allow me two additional questions:

1) I have received a request from CAFCASS to complete a form of 5 basic questions. Do I need my solicitor to review my answers? I suppose usual rules applies: a) concentrate on children wellbeing b) do not criticise ex-wife c) be positive and forward looking.

2) every month my solicitor send me a 1000-2000£ bill even if there is nothing going on. Can I stop my solicitor representing me until his services are required for the hearing in October? or could I agree a fixed fee till then?
I’m cancelling my Solictors , very weak , no time to call me back . So I’m going to use direct barrister access.
 
Back
Top