Family law solicitor in dublin north

[pbyrne]

Hi,

A non-internet enabled friend is looking for information on family law solicitors who operate in north dublin - does anybody have any recommendations that they could send on.

On a related note - would it be standard these days to get a full estimate for all work that the solicitor would do involving a separation. How nailed down are the costs that they can project?

Thanks for any info.

 

[MOB]

"On a related note - would it be standard these days to get a full estimate for all work that the solicitor would do involving a separation. How nailed down are the costs that they can project?"

A solicitor might be able to give a reasonably accurate figure based on fixed assumptions. For example, if both parties have been through mediation, or have otherwise agreed all their differences, and simply want their solicitors to formally implement the agreement, it should be possible to give a reasonably accurate estimate (big generalisation follows. When a client comes to the solicitor with any litigation matter and says that it is "straightforward", it almost never turns out to be. There is a strange divergence between client perceptions and reality; the client who tells you his\her case is straightforward tends to be unduly optimistic; the client with a genuinely straightforward case is unlikely to tell you how straightforward it is)

However, if there are arguments of any substance (particularly issues of custody and access) it is almost impossible to give an accurate estimate, and a straight hourly rate of charge would be more transparent (though the figure could rise to a very high level by the time litigation is finished)

 

[pbyrne]

"On a related note - would it be standard these days to get a full estimate for all work that the solicitor would do involving a separation. How nailed down are the costs that they can project?"

A solicitor might be able to give a reasonably accurate figure based on fixed assumptions. For example, if both parties have been through mediation, or have otherwise agreed all their differences, and simply want their solicitors to formally implement the agreement, it should be possible to give a reasonably accurate estimate (big generalisation follows. When a client comes to the solicitor with any litigation matter and says that it is "straightforward", it almost never turns out to be. There is a strange divergence between client perceptions and reality; the client who tells you his\her case is straightforward tends to be unduly optimistic; the client with a genuinely straightforward case is unlikely to tell you how straightforward it is)

However, if there are arguments of any substance (particularly issues of custody and access) it is almost impossible to give an accurate estimate, and a straight hourly rate of charge would be more transparent (though the figure could rise to a very high level by the time litigation is finished)

Hi MOB,

Thanks for the reply - the main issue in this case I believe will be the division of assets so I am assuming the solicitors from both sides will need to hammer out some kind of a deal as both parties cannot come to an agreement between themselves.

They have also found one solicitor out that direction so will check that out - if anybody else has a recommendation please PM or comment here so we can check around.

Many thanks.

 

[DrMoriarty]

I am assuming the solicitors from both sides will need to hammer out some kind of a deal as both parties cannot come to an agreement between themselves.

Have the parties considered employing the services of an independent conciliator? I'm no expert, but it seems reasonable to assume that each party's solicitor will be bound to seek the best possible terms for their own client, and — with no disrespect to my learned friends — will stand to gain more, financially, the more protracted/conflictual the resolution process turns out to be...

 

[pbyrne]

Hi DrMoriarty,

I have been reading a bit on the Internet about the process and was not sure that the mediator would actually enter into deciding who got what. I thought their role was to get the people in the room and facilitate them discussing it but not necessarily deciding on the sharing of the assets.

I'll do some more digging around to confirm if that is the case. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[DrMoriarty]

Caveat: Fortunately for me, I have no personal experience of this whole area (well, not so far, anyway! ) — but I know from a couple of secondhand experiences — and from one old friend who specialises in Family Law — that the more that can be settled before the opposing solicitors are asked to go to work, the better. I'm not suggesting for a minute that working solicitors deliberately 'milk' such situations, but every contested element of a 'conflictual' separation inevitably clocks up expensive legal costs — whether charged on an hourly basis or otherwise. If both parties are still gunning for each other as they go to court, they can easily find that the 'asset pool' has been considerably eaten into by the end of the process. Which would be a great shame for any innocent bystanders (i.e. children or other dependants)...