Mortlake Law Fees
Initial Consultations
First consultation meetings, currently by Whats App, Zoom, Teams or in person, can be booked via my website using Calendly for just £200 for one hour, the first 15 minutes initial chat is free so we can get to know each other.
Business hours are normally between Monday – Friday 10am-5pm.
To book a consultation visit https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/book-a-consultation/
This may be the 1st time that you’ve ever had any contact with a family lawyer or anything to do with legal matters. If you are from abroad, you may find it even more daunting. What I can say is that I am very experienced in clearly explaining matters.
Frequently, clients will have particular issues that they would like me to advise on. I encourage clients to let me know in advance what these are. I can send an oboarding form beforehand to give me an overview of your details and assets.
It’s essential for me to get a full picture of your current situation. Initial consultations are extremely popular with my clients who gain a lot of helpful information and advice based on extensive practical and personal experience. We have the opportunity to see if we’d like to work together and there is no obligation to book more time.
Retaining our services is oprional and usually are agreed whereby you may say £1000 for each month, during the duration of the division process (6 months maximum by law).
Fees
Consent orders
Cohabitation Agreements
Prenuptial Agreements
Separation Agreements
Completing Form E
Questionnaire on Form E
Negotiations and settlement of Financial Remedy Proceedings
Financial Remedy Proceedings
Spousal Maintenance
McKenzie Friend Services
Direct Access
Drafting and advising on a Divorce Application
Consent orders
Consent orders set out your settlement terms in the form of a court order. I can approve and sign the order for you.
Such draft orders can be submitted to the family court digitally for approval on or after pronouncement of Conditional Order. Special care needs to be taken in the drafting of a consent order coupled with the necessary forms such as a D81 with basic financial details for you and your ex.
If the current order needs to be drafted by you (as “Applicant”). I will refer you rto Stark Uberoi who have access in the solicitors’ portal which speeds the process up.
Please note that the fee does not include attending the family court or hearing (whether by Zoom or in person).
You may find these pages on my website useful –
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/divorce-settlement-agreement/
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/financial-dispute-resolution-hearing/
Cohabitation Agreements
Fees for Cohabitation Agreements start from £750.
I use the latest precedents and advise you fully as to the validity and enforceability. Cohabitation agreements are useful in a number of situations, for example:
- where one party has acquired assets prior to the relationship
- where the property, which is to become the family, home is solely owned by one party
- where one party’s relatives have gifted property or contributed to the property acquisition
- where parties plan to buy a property together
- where the party’s financial circumstances are complex
Cohabitation agreements are so worthwhile if you want to avoid being faced with lengthy and costly court proceedings should the worse happen. I advise you fully of the contents of such a cohabitation agreement and provisions taking effect on termination and other protective measures.
You may find these pages on my website useful –
Prenuptial Agreements
For advice on prenuptial agreements, my charges start from £250 for one hour.
These prenuptial agreements provide a couple, in a loving relationship, with an opportunity to set out how they think it would be fair to divide their marital assets and non-marital assets in the context of a future divorce or dissolution. For many couples without significant assets, such prenuptial agreements will be inappropriate.
Our affiliated solicitor can then be instructed to draft and agree the Pre-nuptial Agreement to ensure it is legally effective as it can be but please note one cannot legally oust the jurisdiction of the Family Court.
I can provide expert advice incorporating all the latest legal precedents and you may find my website useful –
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/relationship-agreement/
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/legal-advice-regarding-pre-nuptial-agreements-marriage-cohabitation-agreements/
Separation Agreements
For drafting and agreeing a separation agreement my charges start at £750.
Such separation agreements are usually entered into by a couple as a 1st step before a possible divorce or dissolution of your civil partnership and to agree matters pending a divorce or dissolution which may take place some years later.
A separation agreement is useful to set out your financial arrangements. It can cover a range of areas including who pays the mortgage or rent and household bills.
Completing Form E
Fees to complete form E are £250 per hour.
My charges depend mainly on the total time required so it helps if you can collate all the necessary information for form E and if you can present it to me in a neat and organised manner.
As an experienced family lawyer, I am very familiar with completing form E. Unfortunately, it is not a user-friendly form. It is a voluminous standard form which must be sworn by each party and will include the financial information that is required by the form. Form E also lists specific documents which must be attached to it, including bank statements, payslips, P60 and pension valuations. If there are financial remedy proceedings form E is the most crucial form and must be updated until matters are fully agreed or decided.
My charges depend mainly on the time and it helps if you can collate all the necessary information for form E and if you can present it to me in a neat and organised manner. Take a look on my website at –
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/financial-dispute-resolution-appointments/
Questionnaire on Form E
My fees for completing your Form E questionnaire are based on my hourly rate of £250.
The questionnaire on the form E of your ex forms part of the documents required prior to the First Appointment. The most important document is the form E in my view, as this is your main opportunity to seek further information in respect of your spouse’s finances. The questionnaire on form E must be carefully drafted and must relate only to issues relevant are proportionate to the case. I am an expert in drafting the appropriate questions.
At your First Appointment at the family court, the district judge can decide the extent to which such form E questionnaire is answered if disputed.
Negotiations and settlement of Financial Remedy Proceedings
My costs of negotiations and/or settlement are based on my hourly rate of £250 but can be capped.
I can assist you with negotiations in financial remedy proceedings such as without prejudice correspondence or a roundtable meeting with both lawyers and the parties. Once all the necessary information is available, I focus upon conducting financial remedy negotiations to help save my clients stress and costs. I have extensive knowledge and experience of negotiations in financial remedy proceedings acquired over 40 years of legal practice.
You may find this page on my website useful –
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/financial-dispute-resolution-hearing/
Financial Remedy Proceedings
I cannot think of a divorce/dissolution scenario where one would not need good objective, professional advice. If there are financial remedy proceedings, then it’s even more important to have a good, committed family lawyer on your side, my fees are £250 per hour.
Financial Remedy proceedings are a particular strength of mine and some of the matters that may arise are as follows:
- bonuses, lump sums, transfer of property, pension sharing orders, pension attachment orders
- S25 Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and the section 25(2) checklist and how the court family court considers such cases
- the notable leading case law such as White V White, a landmark case decided by the House of Lords in 2000 which is binding on all family law courts click here to view.
A consultation with me is money well spent. I bring all my knowledge and personal experience to help you.
Spousal Maintenance
Fees for spousal maintenance advice start from £250 per hour.
I advise clients as to how spousal maintenance orders are dealt with, including clean break orders or term maintenance and variations. I can advise you the latest thinking of the family court and the applicable principles and specific key issues that arise, in spousal maintenance.
The court has power to order one party of the marriage to pay to the other, spousal maintenance, (otherwise known as periodical payments) so it’s wise to be well informed of your position. Most cases these days involve ‘a clean break’ so it is rarely granted. I can advise you further if you seek a variation of one of these or a ‘Global’ maintenance order granted years ago.
McKenzie Friend Services
Over the years I have frequently acted as a McKenzie friend in clients’ divorce cases. I only charge for my time when I am actually in the court building at a rate we agree in advance (normally £100 per hour).
I seek leave of the judge and the other side’s barrister to attend the hearing with you (this is invariably granted). Although I cannot personally address the judge, I can take notes and quietly advise you and help you ask suitable questions. I can also act as your confidante and supporter in what you may find is a stressful situation.
Sometimes I will travel to the court with you if you wish and I do not charge you for my travel costs/travel time for acting as a McKenzie friend.
Some useful web pages from my site:
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/divorce-questions-answers-free/
https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/helpful-family-web-sites/
Direct Access
Direct Access is the ability for a client to employ a junior barrister direct. I am able to recommend a good barrister that is the most appropriate for your case.
Direct Access recommendations do not always mean I have to end our relationship. I can attend with you at the conference or hearing to introduce you to the barrister beforehand if you wish. Frequently I do not charge for this as I do not encourage clients to pay for 2 lawyers at once and furthermore, I add to my knowledge base.
I can assure you that the barristers I choose for Direct Access are hand-picked and you will be represented well. We are fortunate at the London Family Bar to have the best practitioners in the world. I have ”Direct Access” barrister contacts at ”1gc.com/barristers” (largest Family Law Chambers in the UK) and ”qeb.co.uk” a fantastic pre-eminent finance chambers.
I really care that your case goes well.
Drafting and advising on a Divorce Application
Since 2022, one can prepare a divorce application online and I encourage my clients to do this. I am always happy to check over the divorce application before it is submitted. An initial consultation of an hour or less at only £200 is usually quite sufficient for a divorce application.
There are a few traps on the divorce application for the unwary and you would be well advised to consult me before finally submitting the divorce application. For example, if your spouse is abroad, it is essential you take independent advice over this issue of the divorce application e.g., service and acknowledgement of service. A useful page on my website is – https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/family-lawyer-south-west-london/
Initial Consultations
First consultation meetings, currently by What’s App or Zoom, can be booked via my website using Calendly for just £250 for one hour, the first 15 minutes is free so we can get to know each other.
Business hours are normally Monday to Friday between 10am-5pm.
To book a consultation visit https://www.mortlakelaw.co.uk/book-a-consultation/