What to expect at your free initial consultation

The free initial consultation with one of our divorce solicitors can take place in person at our Elstead office, by telephone or via video conferencing software – whichever you prefer.

Our aim is to make you feel as comfortable as possible in the knowledge that you are receiving the best possible advice in relation to your divorce or separation. The purpose of the meeting is to help you understand the practical and legal implications of your situation and to explore the options available to you which will help you to make an informed decision.

You should rest assured that our divorce solicitors are friendly and approachable and their aim in the meeting is to make you feel as comfortable as possible, whilst also giving you the best legal advice in a manner which is clear and easy to understand.

It is often the case that answers to questions that may appear obvious on the face of it are not straightforward, so you should never be worried about asking what seem to be “obvious” questions. We want you to leave the meeting feeling confident that we can help you and assured that we will have your best interests at the forefront.

Concerns about costs are often at the forefront of people’s minds when seeking legal advice.  The free initial consultation with you allows us to discuss your situation in detail.  Once we understand your circumstances better, we can provide you with:

1. A clear understanding of how we can help you and;
2. An estimate of our fees and a choice of funding methods should you choose to instruct us.

Preparing for the free initial consultation

When you book your free initial consultation, your details and your circumstances will be passed onto the Head of our Family Department, Victoria Clarke. Visiting Victoria’s profile page on our website will help you put a face to a name and picture who you will be meeting to make you feel at ease before the initial consultation.

It will make it easier for Victoria to advise you if you can provide as much detail as possible in relation to your circumstances. You will be asked about key information such as names, dates of birth and addresses.

The information requested is likely to include the date you and your ex-partner started living together, the date of the marriage, the date of separation, the date contact broke down and so on. It would be helpful if you write down these key dates and events and bring them to the initial consultation. Do not worry if you do not have the exact dates as approximate dates will suffice to begin with and we can determine more precise dates, should we need to, at a later date.

If you require assistance with your financial circumstances following the breakdown of your relationship or marriage, we will ask you for details of all income, assets and liabilities so it might help you to write a list of these and bring this with you.

If you are seeking help or advice in relation to arrangements for children, we may require a timeline of events so it would be useful to note down any key dates such as details of the existing arrangements, when they started and when things started to go wrong.

Most importantly, we suggest that you write down a list of questions that you have for the initial consultation. It is perfectly normal for you to forget about questions you wanted to ask and not remember them until you get home. If you write them down, this will ensure that you have asked everything you want to before leaving the initial consultation.

After the initial consultation

Following the free initial consultation, you will receive a detailed email summarising the issues discussed and the advice provided to you.

The meeting is strictly confidential, and we will not contact your ex-partner. If you decide to instruct us to represent you, we will usually write to your ex-partner to confirm we are instructed but would not do so without first receiving your consent.  You will be in control and will know when the letter has been sent.

We will not put any pressure on you to proceed during or after the meeting, however, we will advise you if any urgent action is required. It is completely your choice whether you wish to instruct us immediately or go home and have a think about what we have discussed and the options available to you. Our family law team will be here for you if and when you are ready to proceed.