We know that many people and many Advicenow users can’t afford to pay a solicitor to help them with their case, or that they need to do as much as possible themselves to save money. But there are times when you are dealing with finances on divorce or arrangements for your children when it is really useful to get some expert help from a family lawyer.
To help, we have teamed up with Resolution to provide a panel of family law solicitors that can help at the most important points of the process for a reduced, fixed fee. We are clear about what areas of the case they can advise you on and how much their help will cost - so that you can be certain you can afford it.
We have designed a process to make getting this help as cheap as possible, by making sure that the solicitor’s time is used efficiently.
How it works
You start by downloading or buying one of the guides below and then reading it.
At the most crucial points, including at the start, we suggest you get some legal advice if you can afford it. We only do this when we think it will be really useful. It is particularly helpful at the beginning of your case to help you on the right track and help avoid unneccessary stress and conflict.
What the solicitor can advise you on and how much it will cost you are clearly set out.
VAT is included in the price. There are no hidden extras.
In order to get all the advice described for the low price we offer, we ask you to use the solicitor’s time effectively by:
1. Ensuring you have read the relevant sections of the guide, so that you understand the process, where you are in it, and any particular questions you might have.
2. Completing the online form we send you two working days before your appointment. This will tell the solicitor everything they need to know about your case in order to give you advice in the appointment.
3. During the appointment, you are encouraged to take notes of the advice given and the solicitor can help make sure you have got all the most important details.
You can choose whether you have an appointment over the phone or online. The appointment is arranged at a time to suit you.
We have designed this service to take some of the worry and stress out of the process for you, and enable you to get a better, fairer outcome. Some interviewees who used the service reported substantially improved outcomes.
To see the topics covered by our panel of solicitors, read the guide most relevant to your situation.
All of the solicitors on our panel are members of Resolution. Resolution members are family lawyers committed to helping people resolve their family disputes constructively and in a way that considers the needs of the whole family, and in particular the best interests of your children.
If you don’t want to or can't afford to use the service, you don’t have to. Our guides will continue to be as extraordinarily helpful as they always are.
If you have used this service and are not satisifed with any aspect, please see Complaints about the service you received from one of our panel of family solicitors.
If you are a solicitor and would like to join our panel, get in touch.
Acknowledgements
Thanks very much to The Legal Education Foundation for funding the original development of the service.
And to the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, for funding further development and expansion of this service.
Thanks also to the Access to Justice Foundation for funding research into its efficacy and impact.
