Very helpful and everything with regards to my visit was explained in a way that could be understood as someone who’s unfamiliar with the legal system. I would highly recommend this service to anyone.
Sean Taylor
When issues develop within families it can be a particularly difficult and emotive time. Wirral Solicitors Johnson and Boon understand this and provide clear legal advice with a sensitive and empathetic approach.
It is never easy when a marriage breaks down and there will be a variety of issues for the parties to deal with. Expert advice will be required in order to allow the parties to resolve these issues. Johnson and Boon divorce solicitors can provide this advice in a sensitive, professional and practical manner.
From our initial divorce consultation onwards our expert team will seek to lessen your stress and progress matters smoothly towards a conclusion.
Marriage is a legal contract and when ending this you need to ensure that you have received adequate advice to allow you to make informed decisions about a variety of issues.
Divorce will end legal duties and responsibilities arising out of marriage. All assets will be divided. This again requires expert advice to make sure that you receive the correct financial settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
The person starting the proceedings must be able to prove that the marriage has irretrievably broken down by establishing one of the following five facts. The five facts are Adultery, Unreasonable behaviour, Desertion, 2 years separation with consent, 5 years separation (no consent required).
Yes, there is a fee payable to the Court to commence the proceedings. This is presently £593.00. This is separate from any fees that the parties incur by instructing a solicitor.
How long do you have to be separated before you can get a divorce?
You can apply for a divorce if you have lived apart for more than two years and you both agree to the divorce.
You can apply for a divorce if you have lived apart for at least 5 years. In this instance, both parties do not have to agree.
If your husband/wife has left you without your agreement, without a good reason or to end your relationship for a period of more than 2 years in the past 2.5 years, you can apply for a Divorce.
You can still claim desertion if you have lived together for up to a total of 6 months in this period.
This could include a range of acts such as physical violence, verbal abuse such as insults or threats, drunkenness or drug-taking or refusing to pay for housekeeping.
Can I apply for a divorce due to adultery which happened a long time ago?
You are unable to give adultery as a reason if you have lived together as a couple for a period of 6 months after you found out about the adultery.
You can apply for a divorce if your husband/wife lacks mental capacity however they will need someone to make decisions for them during the divorce proceedings. This person is called a litigation friend. It can be a family member, close friend or someone else who can represent them and assist them with the process.
If there is no one suitable or willing to be their litigation friend, you can apply to the court to have one appointed.
Financial arrangements in divorce can often become a complicated lengthy process. It is therefore essential that you receive in-depth expert advice to ensure that the outcome achieved is right for you.
When considering financial settlements the Court will have regard to the following factors:
A civil partnership can only be ended by way of dissolution and with couples usually facing the same challenges and complexities as those going through a divorce, our team of experts can facilitate the best outcome for you.
Our expert solicitors will guide you through the process to ensure that the financial settlement achieved represents the very best outcome for you.
Issues concerning children present parents, family and the courts with some of the most difficult decisions to make. The Children Act 1989 is the main piece of legislation to be considered. The team at Johnson and Boon solicitor offer access to reliable and practical advice to assist you with a variety of issues concerning children.
For advice in relation to any of these issues or any other issue relating to Children, contact a member of our team.
Civil partnerships are the legally recognised union of two people of the same sex. Couples who enter into a civil partnership have the rights to the same legal treatment across a range of issues as a married couple would expect.
A Civil partnership can be brought to an end by way of dissolution. The parties will need to obtain a Dissolution Order from the court. The Dissolution Order cancels all legal duties and responsibilities of the civil partnership and essentially ends the legal contract between the parties.
If you require advice in relation to the dissolution of a Civil partnership contact a member of our team for a free, no-obligation initial meeting.
Whilst there are subtle differences between a civil partnership and marriage, in recent times many of the rights and responsibilities have been altered to mirror those of a married couple.
Non-molestation orders are civil court orders which protect victims of domestic violence. The Order will provide protection to the victim from violence, threats, and harassment. The Order also carries the power of arrest and the penalty for breaking the order can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison.
If you would like to speak to one of our expert divorce solicitors please complete the form below and we will be in touch.
We charge an initial consultation fee of £60 (£50 + £10 VAT), which can be deducted from the further costs you incur if we are instructed to proceed. At the consultation you will receive initial advice and we will gain a sufficient insight into your case to be able to advise as to the best route forward.
Our fee for your Divorce is charged at a fixed fee rate of £780 (£650 + £130 VAT) plus disbursements. The divorce petition fee is £593.00 (no VAT). That amount is payable to the Court when filing the petition.
This includes the drafting and submission of the Divorce Petition, the decree nisi stage and the decree absolute stage. It also includes all correspondence and telephone calls relating to those stages.
For Matrimonial Finances we offer a competitive fixed fee rate for each stage of the proceedings, we will provide you with a break down of costs for each stage at the initial consultation.
For any Child Access matters we charge by reference to our hourly rate of £230.40 (£192 + £38.40 VAT) per hour.
Disbursements in this instance might include, although not exclusively, court fees, barrister fees, expert reports etc.
The issue fee for a child application is presently £232.00 (no VAT).
A Barrister will charge between £600.00 (£500 + £100 VAT) and £1,200.00 (£1,000 + £200 VAT) for a hearing.
If the matter is local to the Merseyside area and we are able to attend the Hearing with you, we would charge £691.20 (£576 + £115.20 VAT) for a Solicitor to attend.
It is difficult to prove an exact figure for child access cases as it will depend on the complexity of the case and the work required to be undertaken as directed by the Court.
A typical, straight forward case with settlement at the first hearing will likely cost in the region of £691.20 (£576 + £115.20 VAT) and in addition disbursements for attendance and issue fee as set out above.
All work after the first hearing will be carried out at our hourly rate of £230.40 (£192 + £38.40 VAT) per hour and we will provide a detailed quotation once we in receipt of Court directions for further work.
A NO OBLIGATION quote for legal costs on your case will be provided during initial consultation. We will detail all the work that will be included within that price. No work will be undertaken until you have understood what we will do and agreed to the associated fees.
An estimated timescale will also be provided for key stages in the case. These are estimates only due to them being influenced by conduct of the parties, court workloads etc.
There may be unforeseen circumstances which require that quote to be revised. This may relate to an increase in complexity, a change in your instructions, an application being made or becoming necessary to make or if there are significantly more communications than normal between the parties.
You will be kept fully advised as to the costs position as your case progresses and any changes to our estimates. We will advise on the nature of that circumstance, why it has impacted upon the original costs quotation and we will provide a revised quote for your consideration and approval.
No additional costs will be incurred until these have been understood and approved by you.
All work is completed by or supervised by a qualified solicitor.
Very helpful and everything with regards to my visit was explained in a way that could be understood as someone who’s unfamiliar with the legal system. I would highly recommend this service to anyone.
Sean Taylor
Very happy with the service I received, would definitely recommend this company. I’ve dealt with a few solicitors over the years and found them both responsive and fairly priced without hidden costs.
Daniel Smith
Chris and the team helped me with a personal matter, and they couldn’t do enough for me. Very professional but conducted in a friendly attentive way. An excellent legal practice and I would not hesitate to instruct them again.
Anthony Boyd
Thank you to Chris & his team for the excellent service received whilst handling my divorce case. Very efficient process, well explained and kept up to date at all times. Would not hesitate to recommend in future.
Wendy Marston