A broken relationship shouldn't break the bank
It’s notoriously difficult to predict how long it will take to resolve a divorce and ancillary property case. That’s why we are committed to the principle that couples who are separating should be able obtain legal advice and representation at a fixed fee if they want to. And with cutbacks in Legal Aid for family cases, more and more people find themselves faced with consulting a solicitor and paying for their services.
The way we see it, separation is stressful enough – the last thing you need to worry about is facing a huge bill too. So by offering fixed fee representation, we can help to spread the risk, and provide you with the peace of mind that if negotiations take months or even years, you won’t receive a string of enormous monthly bills. That said, if your case seems cut and dried you may prefer hourly billing, in which case we will still supply cost estimates at the outset and update them as appropriate.
In our view, when lawyers charge by the hour it can create unhelpful tensions in the relationship between them and their clients. We want to exceed our clients’ expectations and have decided to remove the root cause of such tensions.
We were the first, and are still the only firm in England and Wales to offer fixed fees for all work. By keeping our overheads low, we are able to keep our fixed fees low as well.
Opting for a fixed fee is a bit like taking out an insurance policy. Should your case take longer than anticipated, we will lose out and will foot the bill; if it’s over quickly, you may have paid a little bit more than the hourly rate but you’ve been able to sleep more soundly. After all, what happens if you can no longer afford to pay the monthly bills sent by conventional lawyers? Simple. They will stop acting for you and you will have the represent yourself on paper or, worse, in court.
Our fixed fees will be agreed after the first meeting or phone call with you. The less complicated a case appears to be, the lower the level of the fixed fee. Even if, conversely, your case looks like it might turn into something resembling an inferno, the last thing that we will do is fan the flames with monthly invoices.
Of course something has to give, but rest assured that we won’t skimp on the legal work. Instead, we will ask whether you are prepared to carry out some of the tasks that don’t require the attention of a trained lawyer. If you are, the fixed fee will be lower. Normally, for example, we won’t include visits to your home or our office, and we will cut down on meetings and the letters we send you. If you live nearby you may choose to visit our offices in Bath, but if not we will communicate with you by phone, Skype or email.
At the centre of our approach is a commitment to provide added value and secure the best possible result for each client. Our clear objective is always to enable you to achieve your goals.