Divorce & Financial Settlement Solicitors
Why Choose Osbourne Pinner?
- Free initial 30 Minute Consultation Via Video With Our Senior Solicitors and Associates, Monday to Friday.
- 25+ Years of Experience In Dealing With Simple & Complex Family Matters including Finances and Children
- Highly Competitive Fee Structure With Installment Options Available
- Initial Consultations also via Video and WhatsApp
- Fully Regulated By Solicitor Regulation Authority
- 24 Hours Phone Line Available
- Members Of The Law Society
- International Divorce Experts
- Payment Plan Options
DIVORCE & FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT
We provide a wealth of support, knowledge and expertise to secure divorce financial settlements. Our friendly and professional experts are on hand to provide a dynamic range of services that enable you to benefit from their skills and support. Take the first step by calling us or completing the contact form.
Affordable Pricing
High Success Rate
Free Initial Consultation
No Hidden Charges
REACHING A SETTLEMENT
When two parties cannot agree over money, possessions or property at the end of a marriage they may need to ask the courts to make these decisions for them. It can be a long process and having the right lawyer on hand for it can make it as painless as possible. We always aim to resolve the financial side of divorce through negotiation through correspondence and/or by referring you to a family mediator. If you are able to reach a settlement in this way, you will avoid the necessity of court proceedings which will save you money. We offer a number of services regarding divorce including assisting with the arrangements of financial matters in London.
The first requirement is that both parties file Form E Financial Statements before the FDA. The Form E is a lengthy document and you are required to attach supporting documentation to the form. We have vast experience in completing Form Es and can relieve the burden of completing this form by doing the work for you.
The Form E is intended to provide the parties with a clear picture of each other’s assets and it is not usually possible to reach a financial settlement without going through the process of full and frank financial disclosure.
There is duty for each party to provide full and frank financial disclosure during this process. If you are concerned that your spouse may try to hide assets or that you believe they have not disclosed all of their assets, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can determine the best course of action.
We will assist you in preparing for any hearings and arranging representation for you at the hearings.
BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION
We do not offer Legal Aid.
Meet the Team
Transparent Fees for Divorce Solicitors
Free consultation Via Zoom or Face to Face: We offer a 30-minute free consultation.
Fixed Fees Areas
We charge fixed fees in the given areas
- Divorce Petition (Uncontested) acting for the petitioner £850 plus VAT plus court fee
- Divorce Petition (Uncontested) acting for the respondent £750 plus VAT
Hourly Charges
Exceptional legal consultancy
- Children Matter: Solicitor's Hourly Rate: £220 - £250 Plus VAT
- Financial Settlement Solicitor's Hourly Rate: £220 - £250 Plus VAT
WHAT FACTORS DOES THE COURT CONSIDER?
The factors which will be taken into consideration by the court when making its decision are commonly known as the section 25 checklist.
The first consideration is the welfare of any minor child of the family who has not attained the age of 18.
- Unlike divorce, it is possible to seek a judicial separation at any moment after getting married. Plus, you are not required to wait until you have been married for a year.
- It is not necessary to prove that your marriage has ended irretrievably to stop living together, but simply show the grounds for the separation.
- When applying for a divorce, it is necessary to mention and prove one of the five grounds to show that the marriage has irretrievably ended. In contrast, you just need to mention one of the grounds without proving it for judicial separation.
- If you want judicial separation, there’s just one decree once the court has met the requirements. In contrast, you will need two decrees in a divorce; Decree Nisi and decree absolute.
- By having a judicial separation, you won’t have similar effects on pensions as divorce as the marriage is still intact. It also means that you cannot get a pension sharing order. This is often considered as the biggest disadvantage in judicial separation as compared to divorce. Since the marriage is still not broken with a legal separation, none of the spouses will be able to remarry until a divorce is settled.
The court decides how to exercise its jurisdiction using the factors set out in section 25 as set out above. There is no hierarchy to these factors: in each individual case, different factors will carry a different weight.
The court must also consider whether to impose an immediate or deferred clean break so as to sever the financial obligations the parties have toward each other.
WHAT TYPES OF ORDERS CAN THE COURT MAKE?
Maintenance Pending Suit
These are periodical payments ordered to be paid prior to the marriage being dissolved by the decree absolute.
Property Order/Order for Sale
This is an order that one party transfers to the other some property. In the majority of cases this will be actual property such as a house, however, personal property, chattels, may be subject to a transfer of property order.
Lump Sum Orders
This is an order that one party pays to the other a sum of money. The lump sum may be payable in one go or by way of instalments. There is no time limit on the amount that can be awarded.
Periodical Payments
Otherwise known as maintenance payments. Periodical payments are a continuing obligation, normally an obligation to pay a certain amount to your ex-spouse every week or month as opposed to a final lump sum payment or transfer of property. Maintenance payments can be ongoing or for a certain period of time. In addition, maintenance payments can be varied. A party who has remarried cannot apply for periodical payments, even if the application was made before marriage.
Secured Periodical Payments
These are rare but involve a hybrid of periodical payments with an order that they be secured, i.e. against a property so as to ensure that they are paid.
Pension Orders
Aside from the matrimonial home, a pension fund is likely to be the most substantial financial investment a party has. The court can make various orders in relation to pensions such as pension sharing or earmarking part of a spouse’s pension for the benefit of the other spouse.