How much do solicitors charge for divorce
A straightforward divorce in England or Wales is usually £500 to £1,500 in solicitor fees, plus the £628 court application fee. That gives a typical total of £1,128 to £2,128 before VAT. In the Legal Services Board's 2024 research, the average fixed fee for a full solicitor service in a straightforward case was £795, excluding VAT and disbursements. Adding the court fee gives a benchmark total of £1,423 before VAT.
Divorce Solicitor Costs at a Glance
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Divorce application completed yourself | £628 court fee |
| Simple divorce handled by a solicitor | £500 to £1,500 plus VAT |
| Average fixed fee for a straightforward full service | £795 plus VAT |
| Solicitor-drafted financial consent order | From about £250 plus VAT |
| Court fee for a financial consent order | £62 |
| Negotiated financial settlement | About £2,000 to £3,000 in legal fees |
| Contested financial case reaching a final hearing | £30,000 plus VAT or more |
A divorce application and a financial settlement are separate matters. A solicitor's fee for the divorce may not include advice on property, pensions, savings, maintenance or children.
What Does the £628 Divorce Fee Cover?
The £628 fee is paid to HM Courts and Tribunals Service, not to the solicitor. It covers the court application for a divorce in England and Wales. You can apply without a solicitor and pay only the court fee, unless you qualify for help with court fees.
A solicitor's fee may cover:
- Advice about the divorce process
- Completing and submitting the application
- Correspondence with your spouse or their solicitor
- Applying for the conditional order
- Applying for the final order
- Routine court correspondence
Check whether the quote also covers VAT, identity checks, postage, additional applications and the court fee itself.
How Much Does a Straightforward Divorce Cost with a Solicitor?
A straightforward divorce with no dispute about the application, finances or child arrangements usually costs £500 to £1,500 in solicitor fees, with VAT added where applicable. The £628 court fee is charged separately.
The Legal Services Board's research gives a more specific comparison. For a full legal service involving an amicable divorce with no children and no assets to divide, the average fees were:
- £795 for a fixed-fee service
- £891 for a service charged by the hour
- £1,181 where the firm provided an estimate
These figures exclude VAT and disbursements.
A fixed fee is often the clearest option for a simple divorce because you know the solicitor's charge in advance. Ask what happens if your spouse disputes the application, the court requests more information or you ask for advice about finances. Those events may take the work outside the fixed-fee package.
How Much Does a Divorce Cost if Finances Are Involved?
A divorce involving finances costs more when the solicitor must value assets, negotiate an agreement or prepare a court application.
The work may involve:
- The family home
- Mortgages and other debts
- Savings and investments
- Pensions
- Businesses
- Maintenance
- Inheritance
- A clean-break order
If you and your spouse agree on the financial split, a solicitor can prepare a financial consent order. MoneyHelper states that fees for preparing a consent order after an uncontested agreement can start at about £250 plus VAT. The court fee is charged separately and is currently £62.
If the solicitor must negotiate the settlement, MoneyHelper gives an indicative range of £2,000 to £3,000 in legal fees. A contested financial case that reaches a final court hearing can cost £30,000 plus VAT or more.
The Legal Services Board reported these average fixed fees for different types of case:
- £1,427 for a divorce involving arrangements for dependent children
- £2,849 for a more complex case involving mediation and advice
- £4,376 for a case involving disagreement over assets
The figures exclude VAT and disbursements. They are based on specific case assumptions, so they should be treated as comparisons rather than guaranteed quotes.
What Makes Divorce Solicitor Fees Increase?
Fees rise when the solicitor has to resolve disagreements, gather missing information or prepare for a hearing.
The main cost factors are:
Disagreement Negotiation, repeated correspondence and court applications add time.
Financial complexity Pensions, businesses, overseas assets, trusts and disputed property values may require further investigation or specialist advice.
Child arrangements Advice about where children live, contact and child maintenance is separate work from the divorce application.
Hourly billing Each email, telephone call, letter and hearing can add to the bill.
Court hearings Hearings require preparation and may involve solicitor advocacy or barrister fees.
Missing or incomplete information Problems with a marriage certificate, an unknown address or incomplete financial disclosure can create extra work.
The Legal Services Board found that fixed fees were more common in simpler divorce cases. Hourly charging was more common in complex financial cases, where the average costs were higher.
Who Pays the Divorce Solicitor's Fees?
Usually, each spouse pays their own solicitor. You can agree to share the court fee or legal costs, but the court will not normally order one spouse to pay the other's costs simply because that person started the divorce.
A court may consider a costs order if one party has unnecessarily made the divorce more difficult. A costs application is separate from the divorce application and may involve another court fee.
How Can You Obtain a Reliable Divorce Quote?
Ask the solicitor for a written quote that states:
- Whether the fee is fixed, hourly or an estimate
- Whether VAT is included
- Whether the £628 court fee is included
- Whether the quote covers a sole or joint application
- What happens if your spouse does not cooperate
- Whether financial advice is included
- Whether a financial consent order is included
- The cost of extra letters, calls and meetings
- The hourly rates for everyone working on the case
- When the solicitor can increase the estimate
The Legal Services Board found that almost all firms in its 2024 survey provided an estimate, a description of the service and information about likely disbursements before the client signed up.
Can You Reduce the Cost?
Yes. You may reduce the bill by:
- Applying for the divorce yourself if there are no complications
- Using a fixed-fee solicitor for the divorce application
- Agreeing the financial settlement before asking a solicitor to draft the consent order
- Using mediation where it is safe and appropriate
- Asking whether the solicitor offers an unbundled service, where you complete some tasks yourself
- Agreeing limits on calls, meetings and email correspondence
You may also be able to reduce or avoid the £628 court fee through the government's Help with Fees scheme if you have a low income, limited savings or receive certain benefits.
Legal aid for solicitor advice in England and Wales is limited. It may be available in cases involving domestic abuse, violence or child abduction.
Bottom Line
For a simple divorce, compare quotes on a like-for-like basis. The solicitor's fee, VAT, court fee and any work on finances should appear as separate items.
If you need advice about property, pensions, savings, maintenance or children, ask for a separate estimate. A quote for the divorce application alone may not cover that work.