Pros and Cons of Online Divorce
In his latest blog, Family Law Solicitor Adrian Rose discusses the pros and cons of online divorce …
A colleague and I were discussing the changes that came with the “no fault divorce” and how it had been thought that this would make the process of applying for divorce much easier, this lead us onto the discussion of the pros and cons of online divorce.
Prior to this coming into effect, there was a lot of discussion in the family law profession about what a potential client might look for when choosing a divorce lawyer, whether that was just about the cheapest option and whether clients shop around to find that. It was thought that in making the process more straightforward and taking it almost exclusively online, couples would be able to deal with their divorce themselves, and perhaps do that together for the first time.
What we are seeing is a far fewer number of enquiries from new clients who were looking for advice about legal documents that they had downloaded from the internet or bought online and wished to have checked before, in most cases, they were to be sent to the Family Court. In all of these cases, they would have been rejected by the Court and in some would have created problems in the future, rather than resolve them.
In the past, some of the documents that clients had obtained and paid for looked official, others did not. Without legal knowledge and experience it would be difficult to tell the difference and mistakes within the documents may have had long lasting consequences. The legal costs and time to resolve the problems arising would have been substantial. This point is still true, and care must be taken before applying for the Final Order. This is because in some cases, a spouse will automatically lose financial benefits on being divorced, unless they are protected before that.
But, what we are seeing is much greater number of enquiries from people who have got stuck somewhere in the process. This is often where they have applied jointly and their spouse has not responded and they need to change their application to a sole application or, when a sole application has been made but their spouse has now responded and personal service is needed to allow the application for the divorce to go ahead.
Searching For ‘Divorce’ Online
The internet can be a wonderful resource and we all now use it constantly to look for information and prices before we do anything, and professional services are no different. However, we all know that the internet is sometimes a dangerous place with those who wish to take advantage of us, only a click away.
As I mentioned above, without advice, simply by pressing ahead with the divorce without thinking of the financial consequences, can mean benefits would be lost unless protected. It is always worth remembering too that even if you are divorced, the claim for financial orders that spouses have against each other will continue, possibly forever, unless dealt with by the Family Court.
Benefits Of Using A Local Law Firm
Most solicitors’ firms will offer a range of options in terms of costs and pricing for the professional services that they provide. This can be matching the experience of the lawyer dealing with a case to its level of complexity, by giving clear estimates of costs throughout and by offering fixed fee or other packages in appropriate circumstances to remove fears about large or unexpected costs.
There can be no substitute for professional legal advice when involved with the legal system. Early advice can often resolve matters quickly, prevent problems in the future and avoid large legal bills rather than create them, giving value for money.
The moral of the story is that whilst we all love a bargain, if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.
How Can Timms Help?
Further information on separation and divorce can be found in the Family Law section of our website or contact any of the team on freephone 0800 011 6666.
December 2023