Can I Pay for a Solicitor to inderpendently represent my wife?

[kirkdx]

Hi,

My wife and I have recently separated, very amicably. As there are children involved and shared property we are looking to enter into a separation agreement.

To try and save a bit of money we are trying to put most of this together ourselves before getting a solicitor to make it legal.

My question is, I have heard that a solicitor may only represent the person who is paying them. Would I not be able to pay for a solicitor to represent my wife inderpendently?

I want her to see a solicitor before signing the agreement (as I will), not because we are looking to get anything out of each other but just to ensure we both understand what we are getting into.

I know that it could become complicated if there are disputes but as I say it is very amicable at the moment and we are working together to put the agreement together.

Thanks

[LoftyLottie]

Can you just not pay her bills when they come through? As long as the bills are paid and an invoice no. quoted I can't see any problem. Or, probably better, you could just transer the money into her account when the bills come through and she can pay them, then the solicitor has no idea you are involved.

[kirkdx]

"Can you just not pay her bills when they come through?"

I don't know, somebody told me that if I am paying the bills then the solicitor has to represent me.

"Or, probably better, you could just transer the money into her account when the bills come through and she can pay them, then the solicitor has no idea you are involved."

There probably are 'ways around it' if it is indeed true, however that would defeat the object of the exercise as if it is true and we do manourve ourselves around it then surely the whole agreement could become invalid?

Also, hopefully this would never happen, but if it comes down to it I would like to be able to prove that I am being fair and reasonable, which would be hard if there were just transfers to her account.

[joggerjayne]

It is perfectly normal for one party to pay both parties' costs.

The Agreement can even record that H (husband) will pay the legal costs of W (wife).

Hope it stays amicable !

J x

[R1Geezer]

If you want to save money just agree amongst yourselves. You don't need a solicitor at all. Just look up what to do on the net and do it. That's what I did a couple of wives ago. All it cost was court fees and £80 for an online divorce/separation service, ie they guide you through the legal process. It only costs if you are fighting each other with lawyers then you both lose and the lawyers are off to Rio. We agreed an amicable deal among ourselves and it was all sorted for very little cost.

[LoftyLottie]

That's just what my uncle did when he got his (2nd divorce). As he says, his first divorce cost him a house, a lot of money and a huge solicitors bill. The second one cost him about £40 (a good few years ago)!!

Two intelligent people who are divorcing amicable could do it without a solicitor.

[fredpuli47]

When I got divorced we struck an agreement about the house etc without using lawyers. But we are both lawyers ("a lawyer who acts for himself has a fool for a client" is the old saying in the business, but we ignored that). We had the benefit of knowing what precedents applied. My own solicitor thought me generous but any extra I gave away would have been more that consumed by his fees in arguing about it. I suggest that laymen draw up an agreement and have it 'rubber-stamped' by their lawyer, just to avoid any legal pitfalls created by the wording and any risk of one party having a change of heart later and successfully applying for more.The cost then is slight.

[boxtops]

That's what we did, fredpuli, we drew up the Ts & Cs ourselves but each took independent advice. As it happened we each paid for our own fees but it could just as easily have been pooled funds as we had a joint account at that point.