Choosing the right Family Law Solicitor

How to choose the right Family Law Solicitor for your case?  • BBS Law

Choosing the right family solicitor is important to ensure that you receive essential support and help to achieve the best outcome.  

How do I choose a Family Solicitor? 

Do research to try and find a family solicitor you believe you could work well with. In finding a trusted professional, talk with people you know for recommendations. The approach taken will be relevant to how your family case is run. Check if your family law solicitors and family law firm belong to Resolution, who operate a Code of Good Practice that will assist with resolving disputes as constructively and amicably as possible. Family solicitors can be located through the Solicitors Regulation Authority by name and through the Law Society by postcode. Family law solicitors can also be researched via their firm’s web profiles or though their LinkedIn profile. 

A preliminary call or email is also a good idea to establish whether the family solicitor will provide the services that you are looking for. You should be assured of the ability of the family solicitor and family law team to do a good job for you. 

The family law solicitors at BBS Law operate a nationwide coverage of family law services, with the family law team of the firm based at its London offices in Finchley, and its Head Office based in Manchester. Areas of family work include divorce and civil partnership dissolution; finances on divorce; and child arrangements. The team is adept at handling family disputes requiring representation at Court to resolve family law issues. Our family law solicitors are experienced in taking necessary litigation action through the Court when this is required on an urgent basis. Other matters include drafting and negotiation of cohabitation agreements; pre-nuptial and postnuptial agreements; and separation agreements. Collaborative law work is undertaken alongside mediation and single lawyer services (one lawyer two clients). 

An initial consultation during which you meet and speak with your family solicitor is very often the best way of establishing whether they are the right fit for you. If you are not happy with your existing legal representation, you can also contact us for a second opinion without obligation to continue the instruction following the meeting. A short preliminary call can be helpful in establishing how our family law solicitors work, and if you have any specific questions about your situation. 

We appreciate the importance of providing the service that is right for you. We will check what your priorities are, how you want things to be in the future, so that we can structure the advice you need to answer your biggest concerns. We recognise that your situation is unique to you, so we will consider how your spouse and partner is likely to discuss matters, and whether this can be done amicably, or if there is likely to be a higher level of conflict. This impacts on the advice and strategy we will provide you to support you through your journey. 

The initial consultation, and the advice that we provide will be tailored to your circumstances, as we will be realistic as to what you can expect to happen during your family law case. We are highly empathetic to our clients who are going through one of the most significant times of their life, but at the same time we will be clear in providing strategic advice to achieve the outcomes that work best for you.  

As an all services firm, we can support you with other services including Property, Private Client, Corporate and Employment work that may also be relevant to your family law case. 

We also work alongside counsellors, therapists, and other professionals whom we can recommend and refer you to for outside emotional support. 

How much does a solicitor cost for family law work? 

Our initial consultations are set at a special rate. Our work is then charged on a scale of hourly rates dependent upon the seniority of our family law solicitors so that we can provide our services as cost effectively as possible. We will provide you with a range of fees depending on the different scenarios that could crop up, which we will review throughout your family law case, and update at various stages.  

Keeping track of your case through transparent and regular invoicing means that you can budget for and decide at what pace you would like to progress matters. We will discuss with you funding and funding options at appropriate stages in your family law case.  

We do not offer Legal Aid or free legal advice, but we are happy to speak with you on a preliminary basis to assist in finding you the right individual to assist you for your family law case. Please contact us for more information and to book on a mutually convenient date and time.

Court fees in the family court

Fees in the family court are charged by reference to a scale of fees set by HM Courts & Tribunals Service that are reviewed from time to time. The person filing the application must pay the Court fee, and we always ask that you place us in funds before filing the application wherever possible. 

In many family law cases, the starting point is that each individual bears their own legal fees, so the requirement for the recipient of the application to pay your legal fees including court fees is less usual than for other types of litigation. 

However, there are circumstances in which legal costs including court fees can be claimed, for example enforcement matters, and we are happy to discuss these with you about this when advising as to the likely outcome of your case.