Divorce/Seperation Agreements

[Sppedy-Mat]

Well its come to it, can anyone advise a good solicitor that deals with separation agreements, would like to get a fixed fee if possible.

[Chilli]

Don't use one if at all possible. I did some rough calcs and offered the Mrs a sum. It was fair and we both knew it. That was that.

[mondeoman]

Do it online, keep it civil and fair and there'e no real need for lawyers to get involved, even if there are kids.

Good Luck.

[Galileo]

I'll do it for £500.

I've arranged so that she gets everything.
Where do I send the invoice?

To be fair, this is what most solicitors will start with anyway. Could have saved yourself £500.

I hope you get what I'm trying to say. Solicitors can be crap and loose you a st load of money. I didn't get one, and ran rings around the ones the ex employed. She now rents an ex council house and I, well, don't. By a long shot.
(Got my own round-a-bout!)

[wiliferus]

I completely echo what others have already said - do it yourself, it will cost a hell of alot less. I did it without a solicitor and all ended well with us both getting a fair deal.

That said, if you must use one, this is your man -

http://www.thrings.com/site/people/profile/mkellow

He is very, very good. And he's also a petrolhead

[Timmy35]

mondeoman said:

Do it online, keep it civil and fair and there'e no real need for lawyers to get involved, even if there are kids.

Good Luck.

My thoughts too. Try to agree it all directly with her, on an amicable basis. If necessary use a solicitor at the very end of the process and give them a very strict brief as to their remit.

But certainly don't go straight to one before trying to sort it out any other way.

[edinburghlandlor]

Mine has just managed to get legal aid so her lawyer is after approximately 100% of the assets and double the CSA guide (Ideally in cash) he has convinced her that she is deserving of the whole lot. I offered her around 55% with the CSA recommended amount for the kids (I have them 2 nights)

Obviously she is getting no where near that and am now going to speak to the folks to see if they can help out with one days babysitting per week and go for a 50-50 split in child care. Part of the reason we split was the way she treated her elder kids and I didn't want the same treatment for mine, so that arrangement would suit me fine.

Will get a lawyer at some point but with hers getting legal aid he will just drag his heels and bump my fees.

Any and all advice appreciated.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Sppedy-Mat said:

Well its come to it, can anyone advise a good solicitor that deals with separation agreements, would like to get a fixed fee if possible.

Don't waste your money, it is not worth the proverbial paper. It can be completely ignored later in the divorce process.

[fatboy69]

CSA - bds.

When i got divorced 10 years ago i had a perfectly good arrangement in place with the wife for maintenance payments, when i had the kids, etc etc.

All agreed in writing & witnessed by her cousins husband who was a Solicitor.

Paid her weekly in cash as agreed & i always insisted on a signed, dated & timed receipt for every payment i ever gave her. Had a proper receipt book with a copy for her & a copy for me.

Half way through the divorce she, for reasons that were never explained, changed solicitors. First thing that her cock-socket solicitor did was to contact the CSA (we had kept them out of the divorce until that point) to advise them that i was ot paying enough, i was missing payments & that i was earning more money than i admitted too.

Which was all bks as she knew exactly how much i earned.

To cut a long story short the CSA believed her solicitors lies, refused to listen to me, refused to accept that the signed & witnessed agreement was worth the paper it was written on & they accused me, in writing!!!!, of fabricating the receipts as her solicitor told the that i was not making the payments.

Even the kids said i was paying every week as i made sure that they saw me giving her the money. The CSA accused the kids of lying!!!!!

I ended up paying double what i should have been paying as the CSA said that i was 'in arrears' with maintenance payments even though i wasnt.

Cost me an extra £15k.......

Utter s are the CSA.

If you can keep them at arms length then do so. If they get involved good luck.

Sadly i am about to go through the whole split up thing again & as we have an eight year old to think of i will make damn sure that whatever is agreed to 100% watertight so that the CSA dont bite me on the arse again.

Bellends.

[Sppedy-Mat]

Thank you all for the tips, yes its a nightmare, I am paying the whole mortgage on a four bedroom house while there are only two people living in it! Have my 13 year old son one day a weekend.

I want to get the separation agreement in place in order to get the divorce sorted.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Sppedy-Mat said:

I want to get the separation agreement in place in order to get the divorce sorted.

You don't need a separation agreement to start the divorce process. Who told you you do?

[Justayellowbadge]

Sppedy-Mat said:

Thank you all for the tips, yes its a nightmare, I am paying the whole mortgage on a four bedroom house while there are only two people living in it! Have my 13 year old son one day a weekend.

I want to get the separation agreement in place in order to get the divorce sorted.

www.wikivorce.com

Some good fixed fee arrangements there, and much helpful advice.