Bringing a marriage or civil partnership to an end and resolving the financial arrangements involves legal processes overseen by a court, whose fees will come to several hundred pounds. The costs will be much higher if you use solicitors and/or mediation.
The general rule in dealing with financial negotiations is that you should each pay your own costs. That said, sometimes couples agree that the costs of dealing with the consequences of a separation will be paid by the better-off partner.
If your income is low, you may qualify for help with mediation and legal costs if your solicitor offers legal service funding - but not all do. To find one that does, and to find out more about legal aid, contact Community Legal Advice - see Useful links.
If you are married or in a civil partnership and you cannot agree how to meet these costs and you either are not entitled to public funding or do not have other savings or income to pay these yourself.
You may be able to apply to the court for maintenance that would include a contribution towards your legal fees whilst things are being sorted out. See Temporary agreements.
If you have to pay your own and/or your partner's costs, and you don't have that money to hand, you may consider borrowing. Options can include credit cards, bank loan and loans from family. In some cases it is possible to obtain litigation funding which is a loan specifically to pay legal fees. Only a few providers offer this and many will make the agreement directly with your solicitor's firm, ask your solicitor or financial advisor for more details.
