DIY divorce slashes lawyers fees for divorcing couples

Online do-it-yourself divorce costs as little as £37 and lawyers have dropped their charges to divorcing couples by 30% in eight years.

The cost of divorce is one of the main concerns stated by a third of couples seeking to dissolve their marriages, according to research by a leading UK insurer.

Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre says:

“The real cost of the continual dilution of marriage is widespread family disintegration and enormous damage to the life prospects of children who are seriously harmed by the divorce of their parents, in terms of their mental and physical health and education.”

The cost of legal advice for divorcing couples has fallen 30% since 2006, according to research by one of Britain's biggest insurers, Aviva.

The rise of so-called “quickie” and cheap DIY services, while limited to 4% of divorces, may have helped force down legal charges for advice to divorcing couples. The removal of legal aid is also believed to have contributed to cheaper professional services. These have fallen from £1,818 to £1,280.

With DIY divorce, couples must agree on the way assets will be split and how childcare and other arrangements will be organised.

Almost a third of couples interviewed by researchers said they tried to reach an amicable settlement to save on legal fees.

Andrea Williams says:

“Married parents need to give weight to the long-term damage to children which divorce causes, over and above the financial cost when considering breaking up the family.

“Research shows that children from broken homes suffer from moving to poorer housing, report more depressive symptoms, develop behavioural problems, perform less well at school, are more likely to take up smoking, drinking and drugs, become sexually active at an early age and generally suffer greater mental and physical health problems.”