Public Access – Financial Disputes in Divorce
Our barristers can advise you if you and your former partner cannot agree on financial matters during, or after, a divorce or a separation if you were not married. For example, you may not be able to agree on how assets should be divided, whether to sell your home or other assets, maintenance payments, or pension sharing.
If you cannot agree, you can apply to a court for a financial order. You may need to attend a number of court hearings. Our barristers can represent you in these hearings.
Timescales
Timescales for your case may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of your assets, whether you have children, how much you have already agreed with your former partner, and their approach. Written advice on your financial dispute will be available within four weeks where possible. As a guide, court hearings for a financial order tend to take six to twelve months. This does not include possible appeals.
Fees
We may charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Perceval Chambers, where the parties have joint assets which are worth less than £300,000. All fees exclude VAT (where applicable).
If we charge fixed fees, these may be towards the higher end of the range if, for example you need a more experienced barrister. If you have a particularly complex case, your fees will also be higher than the estimates below.
| Stage of case | Ranges of fixed fees (estimates) |
| Written advice on your financial dispute | £800-£2500 |
| First appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information) | £800-£1500 |
| Court appearances per day, after the first day of the final hearing | £1000-£1500 |
| Preparation of case, including meetings with you and assistance with drafting of any court documents | £1200 – £2500 |
| Financial dispute resolution appointment (second court hearing to reach a financial settlement) | £1200– £1800 |
| First day of final hearing (if no settlement was reached in the financial dispute resolution appointment) | £2000 – £2800 |
Contact Us
All information is correct as of 01/01/2023. Please note that the above fees are estimates only. For a full quotation, please contact the clerks. Alternatively write to us at Perceval Chambers, The Lawn, Ealing Green W5 5ER or make an enquiry.
Hourly rate fees (excluding VAT) for Public Access Work:
| Stage of case | Ranges of hourly rates (estimates) |
| Written advice on your financial dispute | £500 – £1500, approximately 6hours |
| First appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information) | £800 – £1200, approximately 3 hours |
| Preparation of case, including meetings with you and assistance with drafting of any court documents | £300 per hour – approximately 10-12hrs |
| Financial dispute resolution appointment (second court hearing to reach a financial settlement) | £1500-£2000, approximately 3hrs |
| First day of final hearing (if no settlement was reached in the financial dispute resolution appointment) | £1200-£1750, approximately 6hrs |
| Court appearances per day, after the first day of the final hearing | £500-£600 approximately 6-7 hours per day |