Khans Money Saving Tips

Top Tip: If you are a wealthy man. Do not ever marry. Its not a wise investment.

Prior to Divorce
Take as much out of your account and pre-pay your solicitor. My costs have racked up to £35,000.
Pay all your debts.
Close your joint accounts.
Remove yourself from any join liability.
Ask to remove all your overdraft facilites which are shared.
Employ a counsellor to listen to your problems as they are cheaper than a lawyer.


During Divorce
It may be possible that your ex will accuse you of being a drug user. If you take drug tests through a soliciotr you will incur a lot of costs while letters to anf fro.
1) Contact an approved drugs testing company. As we cannot advertise companies, google "Tricho Test". Its a registered trademark test which courts accept.
2) Contact them and tell them you want a test for cannabis (£35), cocaine (£35), amphetamine (£35), meta-amphetamine (£35). There is an extra cost for sample preparation (£45) and for collection (£120). VAT £61. for a total of £366. Just tell them to send it to your solicitors address.
3) If you have not used drugs, you will not need to ask for the Expert Witness Report, the fee will be £135 + VAT. The results come back not detected and you will have wasted money.


Post Divorce
Make a packed lunch to take to work
Eat out very little... learn to cook if you do not know how to.
Get rid of a petrol car and buy diesel.
Get a 50cc scooter.
Pay off all your debts.
Cut your own hair (shave to grade 2).
Create another cash fund for a rainy day.
Learn to self represent and buy some good law books. Lawyers cost more than callgirls and strippers. (I know what I would rather blow my money on).

Books
You do not need a solicitor. I simply bought the following books.

(a) "Family Courts Without a Lawyer : A Handbook for Litigants in Person", Lucy Reed
(b) "Children Act Private Law Proceedings : A Handbook" (3rd Edition), His Honour Judge John Mitchell
(c) "A Practical Guide to Family Law Proceedings" (5th Edition), District Judge robert Blomfield
(d) "Child Law : Essential Court Materials", His Honour Judge John Mitchell
(e) Fathers 4 Justice Handbook. Very substantial and great value for money. I have read it and cannot think of anything that is not covered. PM Forsetti or check out his signature on his posts. You can also go directly to the F4J website to purchase it. At over 700 pages, the £20 cost is very small.

If you can''t afford them, just simply borrow them from the library. I got all the book from either Ebay or Amazon (amazon is cheaper as u can get second hand). (a) is a really good intro but not enough depth. (b) is amazing and very detailed. (c) mostly covered by items in (b). (d) good for taking to court for easy reference.

and finally...
Top money saving tip: Do not ever get married again. Learn from your mistake OR marry within your own financial class. Prenup/Postnups are not air-tight.

my money saving tip is:

Join Wikivorce!

Talk to each other sensibly.

Sort things out without solicitors.

Be reasonable!

Use the wiki service for divorce and Consent Order.

spend your money on your children

If my ex had done this there would have been another £50k to go round . Still, I am sure the lawyers have spent it wisely .

Hadenoughnow

Self-rep.

Save £35k.

I feel a bit of a fraud, my divorce and consent order including court costs was errr £709.

We followed hadenough''s advice above... our divorce cost £700 in total, split 50/50.

Fighting in divorce matters is the most expensive argument we''ll ever have

Shezi

Not quite finished yet but mine will be just over £700 too. Compare and contrast to my close relative who fought and between them racked up £45K.

Yep.. Allow me to elaborate... My ex caused a lot of problems. Still causing them. 35k is only my own cost using a mid range solicitor. I began to self rep so I must have saved around 5k so far. Ex''s costs have gone through the roof as she is using one of the most expensive sols in london as well as very expensive barrister.
It has worked for her as I have lost absolutely everything I have ever worked for. But i will rebuild... Hence I now wish I had never married. She has probably spent around 50k but got over half a million. I see a loss. She sees a 450K profit.

SELF REP SAVES ££££

Example: Last Directions hearing for child matters.
My cost = £0
Her cost = £8k (as she used a barrister and a sol)

I am now going to try to make sure we have a hearing...

my cost £0
her costs circa £15k

Costs do increase with added allegations, non mol order etc...