Do you need a solicitor for a divorce?

Interesting question.

It depends what you have in mind.

The divorce itself is actually almost always a fairly straightforward paperwork process. If you can handle form-filling then you can do your own divorce. Phone up the helpful folk at the Family Section, Guildford County Court (01483 405300) and ask them nicely for their DIY divorce pack (actually "Your Guide to Undefended Divorce Proceedings").

A solicitor will be happy to do the divorce work for you, but will charge you for about 2-4 hours' work, depending on the flavour of divorce you're going for. Not because it's terribly difficult legal work as such (did we say that? Wash our mouths out....), but because there's a fair bit of paperwork involved. So, bank on maybe £400 - £600 plus VAT for the solicitor; in addition you have the court issue fee of £300 and a £40 court fee payable on the final order of divorce.

You might want to use a solicitor if:

1. You have a tricky spouse who won't take you seriously otherwise or may attempt to manipulate the legal process
2. Your case is unusually tricky. Perhaps with a foreign law element
3. You don't feel happy dealing with your spouse direct in legal proceedings
4. Thinking about it does your head in & you'd rather pay to use someone else's head for this purpose
5. You wish to support your local solicitor


But wait. The divorce is often only part of the process. You may have one or more of the following add-on goodies to consider :

1. Money or Property issues.
2. Children
3. Injunctions

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