Divorce Costs UK Who Pays The Legal Fees?
In 90% of divorce cases in the UK, it will be the person initiating the divorce proceedings (Applicant), who pays the legal fees and court fees. In some cases, spouses can recover these costs from the ex-partner as part of the divorce settlement.
Last Updated:September 28th 2023 Table Of Contents
In a divorce, the person filing for the divorce (known as the Applicant or ‘Petitioner’) will always pay the divorce filing fee.
It’s typically the case that you and your spouse will each pay your own legal costs, meaning each person pays their own solicitor’s fees.
However, couples can agree to share these expenses, especially in amicable separations or joint applications. Additionally, if there’s a significant financial disparity, you might obtain a legal services order (LSO), where a court can order your ex-partner to pay your legal costs.
The fees for divorce are paid to the court to prove the administration for the divorce process and as of September 2021 cost £593 in England & Wales.
Your fee will not be refunded after you are sent notice that your application has been issued.
What is the full cost of divorce?
When divorce is the only option most people’s first thought is how much does a divorce cost?
The full cost of divorce includes the divorce process itself, the financial settlement, and child arrangements if there are any.
Collectively they could potentially cost each spouse £5,000 or more if you instruct separate solicitors to act for you.
For this reason, it’s important to know what the law says about paying legal fees for a divorce in England & Wales.
This article provides advice on how you can reduce the cost of your divorce and helps to explain how costs are divided between the divorcing parties.
Seeking a simpler divorce for under £250? Find out how to get an uncontested divorce online.
Are there rules for paying divorce costs?
Divorcing couples can come to an amicable agreement between themselves regarding the divorce costs.
One spouse may agree to pay for the legal fees and court fees and offset the total cost against assets such as joint savings, as part of the overall divorce settlement.
Who pays what will likely depend on the circumstances of each couple and how well they get on following the separation.
There are no hard or fast rules for paying divorce costs, especially when it comes to starting proceedings.
How much are the court fees in a divorce?
Regardless of how you choose to file for divorce, be it with an online divorce provider, a local solicitor or you go alone and do it yourself, there is still a court fee to pay.
If you just want to get divorced and not secure your finances afterward by obtaining a consent order that is the only fee payable.
If you want to obtain a legally binding financial order there is an additional court fee to pay, which is outlined below;
- The court fee to apply for a divorce is £593
- The court fee to apply for a consent order is £58
If you are on a low-income or receive certain benefits you may be eligible for a remission on court fees – to find out, use our free court fee calculator.
The applicant always pays the divorce fees
Initially, the person filing for the divorce (known as the applicant ) will always pay the divorce filing fee.
The court fees are paid to the court to prove the administration for the divorce process. The fee to apply for a divorce in England and Wales is currently £593 as of September 2021 – which has recently risen from £550.
However, this new fee to file for divorce now covers the entire divorce process with no extra or separate payments required.
If the applicant is on a low income they may get help with paying this fee, known as court fee remission. Use our free online court fee calculator to find out if you could be eligible for a court fee remission.
Should I claim the divorce fees from my partner?
In most cases we deal with here at Divorce-Online, we advise the applicant to not claim costs, as a no fault divorce essentially means there are no reasons for costs to be awarded and there will be very limited occasions when costs can be claimed.
Claiming for fees may cause the respondent to withdraw co-operation
A claim for costs will usually cause the Respondent to withdraw their consent and delay the issue of the final decree.
So, is it really worth not getting your divorce because you have chosen to claim £593 in divorce fees?
For advice on paying divorce fees or finding out how much you are expected to pay for your divorce, call us on 01793 384 029 or email us today.
Divorce-Online can help you save over £1,000 on the cost of your divorce when compared to a high-street solicitor.
