Me - the Respondent

As I understand it, the respondent is only at risk of having to pay costs if they fail to comply with the court timetable or if they contest the divorce without good reason.

In my divorce we each paid our own costs and nothing more and in my partner's divorce, he has paid the court fee as the applicant and he will pay his own solicitor for advice and his stbx will pay hers for advice she receives.

Ephelia is quite right it is usual for you both to pay your own solicitors fees, as for the perition you can state you do not agrea to the reasons given i cant remember if its box 5 or 7 simply write in the box you do not agrea, then sighn the petition to agrea to the divorce, thus saveing much time and even more money as Red and others have said.

at the outset my ex and i agreed to share costs, obviously the one who petitions will pay more because of the drafting up petition costs so just agreed 50/50. my sol wrote to him to tell him how much it would be.

i get the acknowledgement of service back and it says he agrees only half of the court costs. not what we agreed.

if i had realised he would go back on it I would have waited from him to divorce me, let his bill be bigger!