We know that you wouldn’t be here if you had the money to appoint a solicitor and so we do our best to ensure that you can get advice and assistance without paying extortionate fees. In order to continue to provide a helpful service to those who need the support, we charge a fee for some of our services.
Example Of How Much You Could Save
An example of the differnece between the costs involved when you choose to use our services instead of a solicitor is using the example of a Parental Responsibility agreement.
With Co Op legal services, it would cost you £240 + the £215 fee for the court fees.
We would only require a payment of £40 for helping you to fill out the form correctly and filing it with the court in the same way that CopOp legal services would. Along with the court fee, you would expect to pay £265 in total. This would be a £200 saving.
Court Forms
Please note that there is a court fee for everyone who files a form at the court as follows:
Applications under the Children Act 1989
- Any new applications under the Children Act 1989 to request permission to issue proceedings or for an order or directions to be made concerning the child(ren) e.g. contact order – with the exception of applications for care and supervision orders. £215
- An application for an enforcement order under the Children Act 1989 or an order for compensation for financial loss, due to the breakdown of a child arrangement order. £215
- Application to revoke, amend, extend or take action following the breach of an existing Children Act 1989 enforcement order. £95
In addition to the cost imposed by the court as outlined above, we charge £25 per hour to fill out the forms for you. A completed C100 usually costs £75-£100 as long as we are provided with all the necessary information.
Proofreading and offering suggestions for the rewording of completed forms is £50.
Meetings
Telephone discussions of more than 15 minutes £15 per hour
(We will not charge you for straightforward telephone calls such as to arrange a convenient time for a discussion or to confirm attendance at court)
Meeting in person to discuss your case £40 per hour at our Blackpool Offices
Attending Hearings
Travel time to court £10 per hour (minimum payment is for 1 hour, even if our travel time is less than this)
Plus travel expenses:
- Train fare
- Private car 20p/mile
Time in court £40 per hour (minimum time is for 1 hour, even if the hearing is less than this)
Waiting Time in Court £10 per hour (we will not charge you if the waiting time is less than 45 minutes)
Advice only
If you simply need advice, we offer some advice for free in our blog. Please check out our blog and the categories therein to see if we have covered your query. You are also able to comment on our posts and someone will try to reply as soon as possible.
Telephone advice £15 per hour
Current Packages
Child Arrangements Order – Basic Case
This includes
- Up to 3 telephone meetings to discuss your case and gather evidence
- Completing the form
- Completing a position statement
£185
Making an application for an Enforcement Order
- 1 telephone meeting to discuss the case
- Compiling of evidence/breaches
- Completing the form
£135
Please note that if there is complexity to your case, then additional meetings or gathering of evidence will be required. You will be notified along the way of any additional charges so that you can decide how you want us to proceed. You will also need to factor in a cost of £215 to submit your paperwork to the court, unless you are on a low income as you may be able to have that fee waived.