Man...most commercial law firms have droped their family departments...because they are not profitable !

I am not here to defend the legal profession (after all I'm a photographer living with a lawyer...) but...lets have a bit of balance please ! Most people I know who have gone through the process are happy with their lawyer...in some cases they have established a lasting friendship with them. Its rtange that these good positive experiences are not aired on this forum.

OBE, I agree that the traditional adversarial approach is expensive both in terms of money and the emotional damage caused to the parties. Thats why I tried to suggest Collaborative law as an alternative.

Costs will always be an issue...but my own personal experience has been that the costs of my marriage the reception, honeymoon etc was roughly 50k, my divorce costs were nearer 10k. How many of you have spent more on your divorce than on your marriage? My guess is not many!

Louise...check the gazette website...there are not many huge salaries out there to fund the holidays in Barbados etc you mention in your earlier post.

The English "something for nothing culture" sickens me. So many of you expect to pay peanuts and then whinge about the service your (cheapest possible) lawyer has delivered. It is something to do with your crafle to the grave welfare state, where you expect to have free education, free health care and yes...free or as near as damn it legal advice.For many of you one wonders whether your solicitors could afford a holiday in Butlins never mind Barbados!

You know something London Geek

I am so pleased for you that you can spend 50k on a wedding.

Thats possibly why some of us do complain about what these solicitors are fleecing us for because half of us will barely be able to afford to live off the pensions/payouts most of us are going to be left with after everything is paid out for on our divorce let alone 50k for a wedding!!

Some of us have worked all our lives for our investment only to have a judge tell us what he is going to spend it on? It took me 25 years to pay off a mortgage of 19k. I now own a house only worth 140k just under 3 times the cost of your wedding. It took me 25 years to raise that and guess what? It looks like I may not get a penny of it. How long did it take you to earn your 50k for your wedding? How long did it take you to earn your 10k for your legals? Sounds to me it was spare change in your back pocket!!

I've got a file with 4k's worth of paperwork that isn't even going to be used in court so tell me what was that all about?? Now, with just 4 days to go I am being asked to put forward a whole new set of documents as if the last lot wasn't enough. It's just a joke all of it - one great big fat legal joke and you have the cheek to tell us that you spent 50k on wedding.....well look where that got you!!!

Get in the real world lad amongst us that can't afford that sort of dosh then maybe you will understand why we get angry about such ridiculously unecessary high legal fees. I've paid all my life I've never expected anything for nothing and I've never got it either! I'm all for collaborative law - I bet half the people on this site would be but I doubt the lawyers are - its all a bit too simple and straight forward and its all cards on the table ...........not good, can't earn money, can't pull wool over mug punters eyes, can't send lots of stupid letters at 20 quid a time telling other side that they are in receipt of their letter etc etc!!!

Get real and leave Louise alone she is a genuine lady that knows her stuff and has the guts to speak her mind!! That's the bit folk like you don't like!

50k my arse - was it love or ego - or mummy and daddy's big fat greek bank account wedding???

Hahaha Londongeek

Now we no why you post so much on here about Collaborative law your touting for business for your partner awwwww not earning much are they? Or is it because your photos aren't doing very well!

The English something for nothing culture sickens you? Aww if it so sickens you why do you stay here then?

So you think 30k to 40k is not a big fat wage? I wonder what world you really live in! You have to ask why good positive experiences are not aired on this forum???? FOR GODS SAKE DONT YOU GET IT?????? People who use this site dont have any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They dont have any money, they dont earn 30 to 40k, they dont have large estates, they dont have many assets to fight over.

You however have loads, with your 50k wedding OH and how many relatives pin their hard earned money on the two donkeys who think its a massive game to belittle people, who dont have the same income as you bright sparks. tell me again Londongeek why do you come on here?

Are you really so bored or do you think you and your partner could actually help a few people on here without charging them for your time? Show us lawyers do have a heart?

Nah i didnt think so

Kind ones!
Louise

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? THIS IS AN ADVICE AND HELPLINE LONDONGEEK.AND A FRIENDLY ONE. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE YOU HAVE NO NEED TO BE ON THIS SITE SO GO AWAY AND LEAVE US ALONE.

WHATEVER YOU SAY MY EX WONT COMMUNICATE OVER MY DIVORCE AS HE IS STUBBORN AND WE ARE GOING TO COURT WHICH HE STARTED AND THE LAW HAS ALLOWED HIM TO DO OVER 0 ASSETS.

CAUSE OF THIS MY DIVORCE IS COSTING 20K WEDDING COSTS NOT INCLUDED NO BALANCE ACHIEVED BY ANYONE.

I HAD A GOOD CREDIT RATING PRIOR TO DIVORCE NOW BEING MADE BANCRUPT OVER IT,

WHO CARES WHAT SOLICITORS GET PAID. LEGAL SYSTEM ALLOWS SILLY CASES TO GO TO COURT WHEN THEY SHOULD SAY SORRY THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME IN THE COURTS EYES, PLEASE SETTLE IN ANOTHER WAY - YES THIS IS CHEAPER.

LONDONGEEK LEAVE US ALONE AND LEAVE LOUISE ALONE.
GEEK BEING THE DOMINENT WORD, ARSE.

Wow, Heavy stuff, but I agree with Louise11, OBE and OBE NP, all very sensible advise and life experiences on anything they have posted/And Londongreek - my dp separaton cost him 50K, and he still has to have the final hearing. so we can expect that to cost another few K. So, do not tell me they do not make money - 50K over 2 years from one party in one case is a lot of income.

Hi everyone, thanks for the support


As "Chinup" said in chat last night the 30 40 or 75k that Londongeek is on about must be per client!

Rofl.. Trouble is its many a true word spoken in jest!