We are now able to see clients face to face at our offices by appointment, but we also continue to offer appointments by video conferencing including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other platforms.
To make an appointment, please complete our online form or call 01243 769001
Edward Cooke
Director, Edward Cooke Family Law
When you are in the midst of change, it is essential to have a clear idea of the likely costs involved in resolving issues. The level of costs will depend on which process is followed, however we will provide you with clear and transparent information about this from the outset.
The first 30 minutes of an initial consultation is always free (this includes any initial phone meeting or Zoom/online consultation). The only exception to this is "MIAMs" which take place on a fixed fee basis as set out below.
You can speak with us over the telephone or face to face, depending on what you prefer, although we normally recommend a follow-up face-to-face meeting after a phone meeting.
Initial meetings can be helpful if you simply want some very basic information and guidance or would like to discuss with us the possibility of our taking on your case.
Many initial meetings last an hour or more. The first 30 minutes of the initial meeting is free. Thereafter time is charged in accordance with our hourly rates which start at £250 per hour.
Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings ("MIAMs") cost from £150 plus VAT on the basis provided that they do not last for more than one hour. Thereafter, any further time is charged in line with the hourly rate of the mediator.
It’s helpful to email us a brief summary of your circumstances and your financial situation before the first meeting. This gives us some information before we meet you and enables us to focus on assisting you and assessing your case. Alternatively, you can complete an online questionnaire through software that we use called "Engage" - this can be helpful in enabling us to get more information from you both before we meet. We will provide you with the option to complete this online questionnaire (it is entirely voluntary) when you contact us.
During the first meeting, we discuss options to resolve your case and the likely costs of our assisting you going forward.
We then provide you with a clear estimate of your likely costs. These of course depend on which option is followed.
As your case develops, we will keep you updated on your costs position and will advise you if the initial estimate needs to be reviewed.
If we are assisting you in mediation, we will provide you with an invoice at the end of every meeting, so that you pay as you go.
If we are advising you (whether alongside mediation or in the collaborative process, the court process or otherwise), we will provide you with regular updates and will discuss at the outset how you will pay your costs (see Funding Options). We will also provide you with an invoice whenever you ask us to.
We offer fixed fee options for certain types of work, including a fixed fee divorce package.
We also offer fixed fees if you wish us to assist you with particular aspects of your case or for drafting particular documents, for example in preparing a Pre-Nuptial Agreement or a Separation Agreement.
We also offer a pay as you go service for clients who are representing themselves, but need bespoke assistance with particular tasks.
We accept payments by card, cheque or bank transfer.
Please contact us on 01243 769001 if you wish to make a card payment or bank transfer.
Where people resolve matters out of court, whether through mediation or collaborative process, then they tend to pay their legal costs as they go.
If out-of-court settlement is not possible and a court application is necessary, where possible we also recommend that clients pay their costs on a regular basis during the course of the case.
However, there are times where this is not possible, if for example cash flow is tight or capital is tied up in a home. In those circumstances, we can discuss a range of funding options so that you are able to fund your case, for example borrowing from family or a personal loan.
We are registered with Novitas and Iceberg, two legal funding providers, both of whom offer legal funding loans to people who are unable to pay all of their legal costs during the course of the case. Both Novitas and Iceberg offer legal funding loans which enable you to pay your legal fees out of the eventual settlement.
We appreciate that it can be very difficult for people to meet their costs, particularly in court proceedings where one party has the financial resources to meet their costs but is not willing to assist the other party in meeting their costs. We will therefore assess with you the options available to you, prior to the institution of court proceedings, to ensure that you can benefit from representation in such a scenario.
We offer meetings (subject to our Covid procedures) at our offices or, if you prefer, appointments by video conferencing including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and other platforms. We have been undertaking online client appointments, remote court hearings, online mediation, conferences and settlement meetings throughout the pandemic and are very familiar with using a wide range of online platforms.
To make an initial appointment please complete the online submission form in the box below, or if you would rather speak to a member of
our team directly please call 01243 769001.