How to run a case on a tight budget

3 years ago

A family law case can be expensive

There’s no denying it. With solicitors costing around £250 an hour, legal aid being hard to get hold of and the sheer disruption of your life of hearings, assessments, stress, unpredictability and much more a court case can hit your finances at  time they’re likely at a low ebb. Your budget is a factor here.

It’s one of the reason why people often choose to represent themselves (but not the only one despite what many of learn’d friends in the legal professional would have us believe).

It’s where we come in – we’re a fraction of the cost of a solicitor, don’t do exactly the same job and can dip in and out depending on what suits you, where it suits you.

But some people choose to go entirely alone.

Doing it on your own – what’s your budget?

Firstly…we advise you don’t do this – especially at hearings. Quiet at the back! Yes, yes, yes. Of course we’d say this…but even though we would there are a few things to consider:

• You’re unlikely to be able to listen, think, take notes and formulate a response in a hearing.
• It has been known for people to feel taken advantage of by legal professionals – although they do have a duty of care to assist you.
• You’re not going to be neutral in all this – chances are you’re going to be a liiiitle bit biased when it comes to your kids, your money, your house, your ex.
• It’s stressful at the best of times.
• You’ve got no one to kick you under the table to make you shut up during a hearing when you’re about to damage your own case (yes…seriously).

Your options

1. Go to mediation if possible. It’s cheaper than a hearing.
2. Decide if it’s worth going to court in the first place.
3. Check to see if you’re eligible for for fee remissions for court fees (you need form EX160).
4. Take a Family Law Specialist, solicitor or barrister to court purely for key hearings.
5. Get some decent advice online (avoid Facebook groups, blog sites and organisations with content full of anger and negativity or people, as well as people who tell you it’s never a good idea to represent yourself).
6. Get someone (as neutral as possible) as  `sanity check’ to see if you’re being unreasonable.
7. Dial hostility down – by responding only to child-focused matters, not responding to angry emails, not posting about it all on social media, etc.

Your call

These options can help. But they’re not a solution. There isn’t as much help there as you’d like probably. But on the up side there is a lot you can do to help yourself. There’s no cavalry, no silver bullet, no magic wand. And any solution is likely to be slow and gradual – but you can do it if you are minded to.

You can do this!