HOW TO HIRE · BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

How to hire a family law solicitor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Each nation has its own divorce process and solicitor regulator. Here is how to check a family solicitor and keep the costs clear.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a family law solicitor in five steps

  1. Check whose law appliesEngland and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland each has its own divorce process.
  2. Check the solicitor and firmOn the register for that nation.
  3. Ask about legal aidIt can cover family mediation and cases involving domestic abuse.
  4. Consider mediationA mediation information meeting may be needed before court about children or money.
  5. Get the costs in writingFixed fee for an agreed divorce, or hourly with an estimate.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

The Solicitors Register

In England and Wales the SRA regulates family solicitors and their firms, and conducting litigation is reserved to authorised persons under the Legal Services Act 2007.

Search the family law solicitor and the firm on the SRA register. sra.org.uk →

Mediation information meeting (MIAM)

gov.uk explains that before mediation, and often before applying to court over children, you may need an initial meeting with a mediator, called a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. A family solicitor on the SRA register can tell you whether it applies.

Ask the solicitor whether a mediation meeting (MIAM) is needed in your case and how to arrange it. gov.uk →

Legal aid for family problems

Some family problems qualify for legal aid towards advice and representation, including family mediation and protection from domestic abuse, subject to a means test. Only some firms on the register hold legal aid contracts.

Ask whether the firm does legal aid work and whether you may qualify. gov.uk →

Law Society of Scotland or Northern Ireland

Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate divorce processes and their own solicitor regulators.

Use the solicitor search for the nation whose courts will hear your case. mygov.scot →

VAT

Legal work is standard-rated, so a family law solicitor's firm adds 20% to its fees, from first advice to the final hearing. Registration becomes compulsory once a family law solicitor's firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the firm for the VAT number on the client care letter and for fees, VAT and court fees shown apart. gov.uk →

“Is this family law solicitor regulated for my nation?”

A good answer: A register entry you can check.

“Is an agreed divorce a fixed fee with your family law firm?”

A good answer: Often yes; a figure and what it includes, with court fees separate.

“Do I need a mediation meeting before the family court?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no for your case.

“Could I get legal aid?”

A good answer: A quick means check and whether the firm offers legal aid work.

“What will a contested finances case cost?”

A good answer: An estimate by stage, including barristers and experts.

“How will the solicitor keep costs down?”

A good answer: Practical steps: organised papers, email updates, mediation where safe.

“Who will deal with my family case day to day?”

A good answer: A named solicitor and supervisor.

Getting the quote right

  • Fixed fee or hourly rate with an estimate per stage
  • Who actually attends to your case and the hearings: the family law solicitor named, a supervised colleague, or a barrister instructed
  • Court fees, mediation and barristers listed separately
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the solicitor's fees, listed apart from court fees
  • Who does the work and at what rate
  • Legal aid position explained
  • In the client care letter

Walk away if

  • Not regulated for the right nation
  • No written estimate
  • Pushes court when mediation is safe and possible
  • Promises a particular outcome on children
  • Cannot say who handles your case
  • Bills far above the estimate without warning
LOW
£142
TYPICAL
£247
HIGH
£579

What a family law solicitor costs: £142–£579 per hour

Family law solicitors charge by the hour for contested work and often quote fixed fees for an agreed divorce; court fees and barristers are extra. Family Law Solicitor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Family law solicitors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. First consultationYour situation, options and costs explained.
  2. Advice and disclosureFinances shared and advice on a fair outcome.
  3. Negotiation or mediationAgreement sought outside court where safe.
  4. Court applicationsDivorce, financial or children applications if needed.
  5. OrdersAgreement turned into a binding court order.

MIAM
Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting.
Consent order
A court order recording a financial agreement.
Child arrangements order
An order setting where children live and who they see.
Final order
The order that ends the marriage in England and Wales.
Disclosure
Each side setting out their finances.
Pension sharing
Splitting a pension between former partners.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the ordersFinal order, consent order or child arrangements, filed safely.
Act on the financial orderPension sharing, property transfers and payments as ordered.
Check the final billAgainst the estimate and the client care letter.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, so yours counts. If the family law solicitor fell short, use the make-it-right step first and they get the chance to put it right.

STEP 1Give the family law solicitor the chance to fix itDescribe the fault and give a fair deadline to fix it. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects reasonable care and skill from the family law solicitor as a trader, so you can insist on the work being put right or the bill cut.
STEP 2Let us chase itA rating under four stars asks whether the family law solicitor should hear about it first. Agree, and the make-it-right step runs before your review appears.
STEP 3Ombudsman, commission or Law SocietyEngland and Wales: the Legal Ombudsman for service, the SRA for misconduct. Scotland: the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. Northern Ireland: the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims if it is still unresolvedSmall claims is the last step against the family law solicitor: the limit is £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a family law solicitor: questions people ask

Yes, with the SRA in England and Wales, or the Law Society of Scotland or Northern Ireland.

No. England and Wales share one process; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own.

Possibly, for mediation or where there is domestic abuse, subject to a means test.

Expect £142–£579 per hour; £247 is typical. Contested finances or children cases, seniority and barristers push the costs up. Our family law solicitor price guide breaks the figures down, and your town above brings up family law solicitors close by.

You may need a mediation information meeting before applying to court over children or money.

An agreed divorce takes several months; contested cases can take a year or more.

MORE GUIDES

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Family law solicitors near you

Family law solicitors in LondonFamily law solicitors in ManchesterFamily law solicitors in BirminghamFamily law solicitors in GlasgowFamily law solicitors in BelfastAll family law solicitors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. SRA — the Solicitors Register
  2. gov.uk — child arrangements: mediation
  3. gov.uk — get a divorce
  4. gov.uk — legal aid
  5. Legal Services Act 2007, section 12 — reserved legal activities
  6. mygov.scot — using a solicitor
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register