One Lawyer Divorce for Amicable Separations

Sharing Your Divorce Solicitor

It is possible to separate amicably from your husband, wife, or civil partner and sort out no-fault divorce proceedings, agree on a parenting plan to record the living and contact arrangements for your children and achieve an agreed divorce financial settlement with a financial consent order – all through using a one lawyer divorce and family law service.

For amicable divorce help call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.

What is one lawyer divorce?

One lawyer divorce is pretty straightforward – the separating couple uses one lawyer to sort out all the legal aspects of their separation and divorce, rather than each engaging their own divorce lawyer.

One divorce lawyer advises you and your former partner and prepares all necessary legal documents on behalf of you both in your divorce and financial settlement.

The benefits of one lawyer divorce

One lawyer divorce can have huge benefits, such as:

You both get the same information. This avoids misunderstandings and conflicting advice that undermines your common goal to resolve matters
You pay for one lawyer rather than you each having to pay for separate lawyers. The lawyer is committed to helping you both resolve matters fairly and amicably, avoiding the need for court or duplicated legal fees
You work together to get the information you need, such as help from a financial adviser or a report from a pensions expert
You avoid delay, as the lawyer drafts all the legal paperwork and explains it to both of you. This avoids any delay or confusion that can occur with two divorce solicitors reviewing and amending draft versions of court documents. With one lawyer, you do not risk undermining and undoing all the efforts put into negotiating and reaching an agreement

Is one lawyer divorce right for you?

At Evolve Family Law we recognise that one lawyer divorce isn’t right for everyone. However, if you are looking for an amicable divorce then it may be good option for you and your spouse or civil partner.

When looking at whether one lawyer divorce is the right way forward for you ask yourself:

Are you able to work together with your ex-partner to resolve matters amicably?
Are you both ready and able to have direct and open discussions?
Are you both committed to working together to achieve a common goal to benefit your family as a whole?
Are you both willing to be open and honest about finances and factual information?
Can you trust your ex-partner to be honest with you?
Do you want a cost-effective separation and divorce?

If you are interested in our one-lawyer divorce service then the first steps are for you and your former partner to have separate meetings with your one-lawyer divorce solicitor, so they can confirm that the process is the best fit for both of you.

As one lawyer divorce is not suitable for everyone, it is important that both of you and your divorce solicitor take the time to make sure that using one divorce lawyer is appropriate for you both.

At Evolve Family Law our one-lawyer divorce service is provided by specially trained expert family law solicitors who comply with the principles, standards, and guidance from Resolution (an organisation for family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a non-confrontational manner).

Alternatives to one lawyer divorce

There are many reasons why one lawyer divorce may not be the right option for you. That does not mean that the divorce solicitors at Evolve Family Law will not be able to help you; we will just need to help you in a way that is right for you and your family.

One lawyer divorce may not be suitable for you if:

There has been domestic abuse in the relationship. This could be physical or emotional abuse or coercive control
There are or have been concerns about the safety of one of you or a child
There is a high level of emotion and conflict
There are concerns about the ability of either of you to freely and fully engage in the one-lawyer divorce process
There are complex legal issues that cannot be resolved consensually
Either of you is reluctant to disclose information

Just because one lawyer divorce is not right for you, it does not necessarily mean you will have to engage in highly contentious, protracted, and expensive court proceedings. There are many other options available for couples to resolve matters amicably, such as:

Solicitor negotiations – you and your ex-partner each appoint your own divorce solicitor and the solicitors then negotiate childcare arrangements or a divorce financial settlement and the solicitors work together to sort out the legal paperwork for you
Mediation – a neutral impartial mediator can assist you to reach a mediated agreement with the help of mediation support from family lawyers
Collaborative law – you still engage in open and direct discussions, but you each have a divorce solicitor who is specially trained to advise and support each of you. You all commit to resolving matters without going to court
Early neutral evaluation – you ask an independent family law solicitor to indicate what they think is fair, to help you make decisions together on any issues that remain in dispute with your ex-partner
Arbitration – an arbiter (independent judge) is appointed and they decide the outcome of any disputed issues. You are each represented by your specialist divorce solicitors during the arbitration process. The arbiter’s decision is binding, so that you get a decision in a process that is similar to court but it is quicker as it can be tailored to your circumstances

How do I decide if one lawyer divorce is right for me?

It is important that you have the opportunity to make an informed decision about what legal process is right for you when separating, to help you resolve matters and be able to move forwards. Expert advice at an early stage can help you decide if one lawyer divorce or any of the other processes are the right way for you to sort out the legal aspects of your separation for your family.

Next steps

We offer a fixed fee initial consultation in which we can discuss all legal and practical aspects of your separation and assess if one lawyer divorce is the best route for you to take.

For amicable divorce help call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.