Divorce Solicitors Swindon - Specialists in Family Law
We understand that going through a divorce or separation is difficult and emotional, but the excessive fees charged by high-street solicitors can only add more unwelcome stress and pain to your situation.
We’re here for you when you need us the most – providing you with professional legal advice, great service and unbeatable value to ensure you obtain the best outcome for yourself and your family.
We provide an affordable, efficient and professional alternative to high-street solicitors in Swindon!
Your expert local divorce solicitors
Finding the best divorce solicitor to help with your divorce in Swindon can be difficult, especially when the average hourly rate charged is £250 + VAT. However, just because you live in Swindon doesn’t mean you should need to spend a fortune on receiving professional advice from qualified solicitors to ensure you receive a fair settlement following a divorce.
The divorce procedure is mainly a paperwork exercise, however, ensuring you achieve a fair settlement of held marital assets is certainly not and requires specialist family law solicitors to ensure you achieve this.
Divorce can be a minefield and having professional advice before getting started can ensure you are entering into a divorce with the right knowledge so you are legally protected in the future.
That is why we provide a low-cost divorce service that is handled by qualified divorce solicitors for clients in Swindon.
If there is an agreement to the divorce and a financial settlement has already been agreed or agreed in principle, or you don’t have finances to negotiate, we can help you for a fixed-fee of just £399 including VAT.
There are no hidden or extra fees involved with this service, other than the mandatory court fees, which gives you peace of mind and enables you to move on with your life.
Our Swindon divorce solicitors specialise in family law and have over 50 years of combined experience, which ensures that you are dealing with highly-qualified professionals, but at a fraction of the cost of a high-street law firm if you need extra legal advice or assistance.
Divorce-Online, supporting Swindon & the local area
Not only do we offer our services to those that live in Swindon but also the surrounding areas including; Wootton Bassett, Melksham, & the rest of Wiltshire.
Clients often search online for the ‘best divorce solicitors near me’, but the best part is that you will never be required to visit our office, which means we can just as easily cover all England and Wales. By offering a high-quality service from our qualified family law solicitors online we are potentially saving you thousands of pounds in the process.
How long does a divorce take from start to finish in the UK?
Generally a divorce will take 6 to 7 months for the simplest of cases where responses from both parties are submitted in a timely fashion. This applies to divorce applications filed since the law change in April 2022.
Unfortunately, as divorce is a legal procedure that must be carried out to a strict criteria there is no absolute timescale for the process to complete. However, there are various avoidable factors that can cause delays, some of which we will consider in this blog.
Fixed-fee divorce handled by qualified solicitors £399
If you’re planning to start divorce proceedings our fixed fee divorce solicitor service costs just £399 including VAT.
It should be noted that this divorce service only deals with ending your marriage, it does not end your financial relationship. If you have joint assets like the family home or a pension that needs dividing upon divorce then you also require an additional clean break service.
Our stress-free and affordable divorce services enable you to receive a professional service without causing unnecessary acrimony between parties as can sometimes be the case when each party instructs their own solicitor.
You can even share the cost by making a joint application for divorce which helps keep things amicable between you and your ex-partner.
With our fixed fee divorce service, our expert family law solicitors will prepare and file all the necessary documents for you to obtain your divorce.
Of course, divorce is actually the easy bit and our Solicitors are on hand should you need to receive expert legal advice on any financial issue or matters relating to your children.
Fixed-fee Divorce Solicitor Service
This service is the quickest and easiest way to get divorced whilst using a qualified family law solicitor. Our use of technology and excellent customer service ensures we provide the best divorce solicitors service anywhere in the UK.
About Divorce-Online
Our family law experts help thousands of people every year, whether that is giving legal advice or helping them deal with a divorce.
Contact Us
Give us a ring to speak with a member of our team or you can fill out our contact form and we’ll ring you back.
01793 384 029
Our phone lines are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
Swindon Based Fixed-fee Divorce Solicitors Comparison:
 Divorce-Online |  Co-op Legal Services |  Wooley & Co | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £399 | £600 | £600 |
| Fixed-Fee? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online Service? | Yes | No | No |
| Online Case Tracker? | Yes | No | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Online Case Tracker?
One of the biggest complaints about legal service providers is that you want to know what is happening with your divorce and getting updates is a struggle. The solicitor handling your divorce case is always busy and there’s nothing worse than spending ages kept on hold when phoning or waiting days for a reply to your email.
Here at Divorce-Online we enable our clients to track every step of the divorce process online from a mobile phone or laptop. You can track every step of your divorce using DivorceTrack – your own personal online case tracker.
Divorce-Online wanted to be different, to be better. DivorceTrack is our answer to inefficient, unfriendly and expensive legal providers who are never there when you need them most.
DivorceTrack is our solution and what’s more, it’s totally FREE and is one of the reasons why we are so highly recommended by many thousands of our clients.
You can not only track the progress of your divorce case in real time, but you can also use DivorceTrack to download and store documents created for you by your paralegal case manager. Plus, you can easily upload any documents that we need from you as well as securely receive our support messages in private.
Can you help me even if I don’t live in Swindon?
Yes, we certainly can. Since 1999 we’ve helped over 150,000 couples throughout the UK obtain a divorce without spending a fortune on high-street solicitors. If you don’t live in Swindon then get in touch with us on 01783 384 029 to find out how much money we can help you save.
Can you get divorced without a solicitor?
No, you can get divorced without needing a solicitor or going to court as there is no legal requirement that you must have a solicitor, or even take legal advice for that matter.
Even if both parties cannot reach an agreement, under the new divorce law the divorce cannot be contested. Therefore, you no longer need a divorce solicitor to represent you.
However, in some complicated divorce cases which involve substantial matrimonial assets, both parties will often have their own divorce solicitor.
How much does a divorce solicitor cost?
If you are the one seeking the divorce then you are the petitioner and you will usually pay anything from between £500 up to £3000 in solicitor’s fees plus a further £593 in mandatory court-filing fees.
It is estimated that Swindon divorce solicitors cost an average of £2,679 per spouse and couples with children can expect legal fees to be more expensive.
If you’re starting divorce proceedings against your spouse in Swindon and require a divorce solicitor our fixed fee divorce solicitor service costs just £399 including VAT.
What does a family law solicitor do?
Family law essentially comprises three main disciplines which are matrimonial, finance, and child law. Some solicitors may choose to specialise in just one line of work such as matrimonial or child law, whilst others retain a mixed client base.
Other family law matters might include domestic violence, guardianship, child abuse, neglect or financial matters like inheritance, retirements or pensions.
When acting for a client seeking a divorce, solicitors are generally engaged in taking initial details, gathering evidence including financial evidence, preparing the necessary documentation, negotiating settlements and the welfare of children including parental contact and residency. Other duties could include mediation referrals and advocating for a client in court hearings.
Family law solicitors can also advise with prenuptial agreements in the UK to protect an individual’s financial interests when getting married.
Our team of family law solicitors is made up of:
- Peter Thomas LLB (HONS) – As head of family law and also a director, Peter has been a practicing solicitor for over 25 years specialising in high-net-worth matrimonial finance cases and has acted in some extremely complicated and high-profile cases, including to the Court of Appeal
- Isabel Gillman LLB (HONS) – Isabel has over thirty years’ experience as a solicitor and specialises in family cases of all kinds and has also taken cases to the Court of Appeal
- Lara-Jayne Hooper LLB (HONS) – Lara-Jayne specialises in matrimonial and private children matters and is a member of Resolution, a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way
What does the fixed-fee divorce service include?
Our expert Swindon divorce solicitors are on hand to handle the entire divorce procedure for you and unlike high-street solicitors, there’s no need to visit our offices. You can provide us with all of the details we need to complete your divorce application online.
You can also stay up-to-date throughout the process in your account at any point without needing to call or email us.
- Documents – From the information you provide us with, your solicitor will draft the required paperwork they need in order to complete your divorce.
- Application – Each divorce application will be sent into the court on your behalf by your solicitor.
- Communication – Your solicitor will deal with all communication with the court, opposing solicitors and the judge when necessary.
- Online Case Management – Track when paperwork has been sent into court, received by your solicitor or sent into court to be processed.
- Free Legal Advice – Get free legal advice via telephone skype and email with no extra charges.
You can file a divorce petition in England or Wales provided you can answer YES to the following four questions:
- Have you been married for a year or longer?
- Do you permanently live in England or Wales or are you domiciled in England or Wales if you live abroad?
- Is your marriage legally recognised in the UK? (includes same-sex marriage)
- Has your relationship permanently broken down?
Our Swindon Divorce Solicitors will handle the entire divorce procedure from start to finish on your behalf, ensuring everything proceeds smoothly and efficiently.
You will be able to track every step using DivorceTrack
You can not only track the progress of your divorce case in real time, but you can also use DivorceTrack to download and store documents created for you by your paralegal case manager. Plus, you can easily upload any documents that we need from you as well as securely receive our support messages in private.
The key stages of the divorce process are as follows:
File a D8 divorce petition
Start the divorce process by making a sole or joint application by filing the divorce petition form D8 – a payment of £593 is required to apply for a divorce and will not be refunded after you are sent notice that your divorce application has been issued. The filing of form D8 means you are formally asking the court for permission to divorce.
Acknowledgement of Service
The court sends your spouse (the respondent) an Acknowledgement of Service form, which they need to respond to within 14 days saying if they agree or intend to dispute the divorce. They must have a legal reason to dispute the divorce, they cannot dispute the petition because they do not want to get divorced or to delay the process.
Apply for Conditional Order
A conditional order (previously called decree nisi) confirms that the court does not see any reason why you cannot divorce. If the information in the divorce petition is correct and your spouse has responded to the court, they will grant you a conditional order after a 20 weeks ‘cooling-off’ period.
Pronouncement of final order
The final order is made once the court has received the Notice of Application for the conditional order to be made Final. You can only apply for a final order (previously called decree absolute) after waiting at least 6 weeks + 1 day from the date of the conditional order.
Once you receive the pronouncement of final order, you are officially divorced, no longer married and free to marry again if you wish.
Please note, divorce does not end your financial relationship. If you have joint assets including the family home or a pension, that will need to be divided and you will require an additional clean break service.
Compare Our Service With High-Street Solicitors
If you are not familiar with online divorce solicitors and want to know how we are different from traditional high-street solicitors, the chart below will help show you the main differences.
High-Street Solicitors
Our Divorce Solicitors
Few people actually want to go into expensive high-street law firm premises anymore
Thousands of people each year are doing their divorce via online services
Many people dislike the inconvenience of travelling to town or city centres and visiting offices for meetings, especially since the COVID pandemic
No need to visit our offices or take time off work
Excessive hourly fees provide no guarantee on the final cost of your divorce
For your piece of mind our fixed fees provide you with clarity from the start
Speaking to your solicitor via a receptionist can be frustrating and costly
Speak to your personal adviser directly at anytime throughout your case
Staying updated on your case requires you to chase for updates
Track your entire divorce procedure online, 24/7