The Family Law Consumer Research Report, published this week by IRN Research (also known as Orchard Reports) is based on responses from 304 adults involved in a divorce/dissolution in the past five years.
One in ten individuals started proceedings themselves but then used a solicitor or law firm to complete the process. The majority paid for their advice under a fixed fee arrangement but only half of these actually paid the fee at the end that they were quoted at the start. Most faced higher fees.
Most people found their legal adviser through recommendations from others, but 21% used search engines to find their lawyer. The overwhelming majority of clients said they found face-to-face contact with a legal adviser important when going through divorce or dissolution proceedings.
