News and Insights

According to statistics published in the UK in 2014 the average couple spends £44,000 on their separation.

Viberts have launched a new fee structure that will cut both the financial and emotional cost of ending a marriage.

Up to now some law firms have offered a ‘fixed fee’ for the divorce process (this covers only the mechanics of ending the marriage) but there is less clarity about the costs of sorting out the finances (often the most costly and time-consuming stage of ending the marriage).

Viberts are now offering a transparent approach to the WHOLE process so that clients know exactly what to expect right from the beginning.

There has been growing pressure by the Royal Court to curb legal fees, particularly in family law where money is often unnecessarily spent going to court instead of settling out of court and where all too often there is a no clarity as to what the process is costing.

To avoid this happening to our clients, we have introduced a transparent guide to divorce and finances. We go through this with our clients at the first meeting to help them understand what choices they have at each different stage, and the associated costs.

The fees are based around a core divorce element, which applies to everyone. Additional costs will vary according to each individual and their requirements. Each stage is costed so they can build up a picture of the overall cost before proceeding down any given route, so there are no hidden costs or nasty surprises at the end.

Is this really new?

Yes – this is very new. Ending a marriage is an incredibly stressful time and all too often legal fees build up very quickly. With this fee structure, each client will be able to see clearly what each stage will cost them and what future steps will cost depending on the route chosen. For example, it will always be the case under this fee structure that resolving the dispute out of court before a final hearing will be cheaper as well as being far less stressful. This is a very different approach to the hourly rate used by most lawyers and the client is therefore in control of the costs.

Viberts’ new fee structure will apply to the vast majority of marriage breakdowns. There will always be a few cases that it can’t apply to as they are too complicated but the client will be informed of this near the beginning of the process.

What are the benefits to clients?

Our unique approach means that clients are clear about where they stand and what to expect from the outset. This makes a huge difference to people who are going through such a difficult time and it gives them one less thing to worry about. They can budget for their fees and set up a payment schedule that suits them knowing what it is all going to cost.

By following Viberts’ transparent guide to divorce and matrimonial breakdown, clients could save themselves thousands of pounds, especially if they decide to settle out of court through alternative dispute resolution or a negotiated settlement. They will also save themselves untold stress of appearing in court and ultimately give themselves more control over the outcome than leaving it to a judge. So there is both a financial and emotional saving and ultimately more money in the matrimonial pot for the family.