A Judge has recently described an ongoing Divorce case as a “scandalous waste of court time”. The assets of the case amount to around £6.6million and £2million has already been spent on legal fees, regrettably the case is yet to conclude so the legal costs will continue to escalate.
Mr Justice Holman said that the parties had “completely lost touch with reality”. They were both urged to negotiate and told by the Judge that they were heading for a “catastrophe”.
At Ramsdens we appreciate that divorce proceedings are extremely difficult for all involved particularly any children. It is often seen by the solicitors at Ramsdens how easy it is for the parties to lose touch with what is important to them and in particular the children and become clouded with emotion and principles which can affect their decisions. Some parties want to proceed all the way to a final hearing as they hope it will make them feel as though they have ‘won’. Family proceedings are not about ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. If financial matters proceed to a final Court hearing then not only will the legal costs escalate the parties are going through even more stress with the addition of court on top of their own emotional problems from the marriage breakdown. Regrettably some people are unable to resolve their issues without court intervention however, in the majority of cases with the correct legal advice being given at an early point it is often possible for both parties to negotiate with the assistance of their solicitors or a mediator to reach an agreement to avoid a lengthy and emotional Court battle.
When parties go through Divorce Proceedings it is extremely important that they carefully choose a Solicitor that is right for them and that the solicitors also have regard to the costs that they are charging and also the merits of the parties finances. If a client is advised as to a fair and sensible approach this can bring matters to a close much more efficiently.
At Ramsdens, we are accredited members of Resolution and expert family law specialists. If you wish to discuss your divorce please do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly family law team to arrange a free 30 minute consultation at any of our offices across West Yorkshire. Call us free on 08000 147720 to make your appointment today. We offer both early morning and evening appointments.