Family – Public Access
Colleton Chambers does not offer direct access services for private law children proceedings or those matters where an individual is entitled to Legal Aid – generally this includes (but is not limited to) care proceedings, divorce proceedings where there are allegations of domestic abuse and some contact proceedings. Our barristers will not conduct litigation on your behalf so they can only offer legal advice to you, drafting on your behalf and advocacy services in court. If you have a care matter that is not covered by Legal Aid or a matrimonial finance matter in the Family court our barristers may be able to help but please call Joanna Creech on 01392 274898 to check for availability of counsel and fees.
Financial Disputes in Divorce
The area where our barristers can help on a public access basis is where you and your former partner cannot agree on financial matters during, or after, a divorce. For example you may not be able to agree on how assets should be divided, whether to sell your home or other assets, maintenance payments, or pension sharing.
If you cannot agree, you can apply to a court for a financial order. You may need to attend a number of court hearings – our barristers can represent you in these hearings.
Timescales
Timescales for your case may vary depending on factors such as barristers’ availability, the value and complexity of your assets, whether you have children, how much you have already agreed with your former partner and their approach. Written advice on your financial dispute will be available within two to four weeks where possible. As a guide only, court hearings for a financial order tend to take six to twelve months. This does not include possible appeals.
Fees
We may charge fixed fees, which means that we will charge you a set amount of money for the work. Below we provide estimates based on the ranges of fixed fees for barristers in Colleton Chambers, where the parties have joint assets which are worth less than £300,000. Fees for instructing a KC are not included. All fees include VAT where applicable. For matters where the joint assets are worth more than £300,000 please telephone Joanna Creech on 01392 274898.
If we charge fixed fees, these may be towards the higher end of the range if you need a more experienced barrister or less experienced barrister is not available. If you have a particularly complex case, your fees may also be higher than the estimates below. There are also likely to be additional costs of 45 pence per mile for travel if the barrister is travelling outside Devon to represent you in court and subsistence based on the accommodation available (to be agreed with you in advance).
| Stage of Case | Range of Fixed Fees (ESTIMATES) |
|---|---|
| Written advice on your financial dispute | £750 – 3,000* |
| Preparation of case, including meetings with you and assistance with drafting of any court documents | £900 – 3,000* |
| First Appointment (first court hearing exchanging financial information) | £1,500 – 2,400* |
| Financial Dispute Resolution Appointment (second court hearing to reach a financial settlement) | £1,800 – 7,200* |
| First Day of Final Hearing (if no settlement was reached in the financial dispute resolution appointment) | £3,000 – 14,400* |
| Court appearances per day after the first day of the final hearing | £1,200 – 6,000* |
*These fees do NOT include KC fees – further information about fees to instruct King’s Counsel is available from Joanna Creech
Contact Us
All information is correct as of February 2024 but fees are estimates only. For a quotation please contact Joanna Creech on 01392 274898 or email publicaccess@colletonchambers.co.uk. Please also contact us if you and your former partner have joint assets which are worth more than £300,000.
Page reviewed February 2025
