W ILLIAMSONS H U L L D R I F F I E L D B R I D L I N G T O N. Help Yourself YOUR CASE IN YOUR CONTROL

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1 W ILLIAMSONS S O L I C I T O R S H U L L D R I F F I E L D B R I D L I N G T O N Help Yourself YOUR CASE IN YOUR CONTROL TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COSTS

2 IT S TIME TO Take Control You ve already taken a decisive step towards taking control of your own matrimonial advice costs. We haven t met you yet but we can guess that your need for advice may be about the breakdown of a relationship, the financial implications of a breakdown or children from that relationship. Williamsons Help Yourself is a service designed to lower the cost of your family matter, providing only essential legal support with real cost control. We understand how, at times of emotional upheaval, you need advice that comes without a huge price tag. The average divorce can stack up legal bills of between 3,000-10,000 just as you need to start watching the pennies. Drastic cuts in government budgets mean that very few will now qualify for Legal Aid. Most hard working families are not eligible. If you need legal advice but have a budget to work to then a Williamsons Help Yourself divorce could be the perfect way forward for you.

3 The problem has to be solved and you need a Solicitor who specialises in family matters. We deal with divorce, issues regarding children, financial orders (for married and unmarried couples), trusts, injunctions and non molestation orders. Traditionally, legal advice involves a solicitor acting for you, charging a fee for every action taken on your case, whether writing a letter, receiving a telephone call or looking over a document. If controlling your costs is an issue then Williamsons Help Yourself can do just that. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COSTS

4 REASONS TO CHOOSE WILLIAMSONS Help Yourself Control you act in person you are the first point of contact and the one in control of your case. Inexpensive you do the paperwork and administration, reducing costs even further. Fast you are your only client, you work as quickly as you want. Legal Advice only see your Williamsons solicitor when you really need to, keeping costs low. This does not automatically include representation at Court but we can represent you at Court hearings, if you wish, for a fixed fee. If you need more support than Williamsons Help Yourself offers however, we are of course able to be represent you fully at any time. Reliable we will always put your interests first. At our first meeting we will take into account your legal needs, time constraints and finances. We will let you know if we do not think Williamsons Help Yourself is the right service for you. Flexible you can change to the full representation service at any time and keep the same lawyer. Service we are passionate about service, you will always see the same lawyer, where possible. This is about cutting costs for you not cutting quality of service. It is not a call centre our consultations are always face to face. Experience our lawyers are highly qualified and backed by over 120 years of Williamsons legal experience. All our lawyers promote dealing with family matters with dignity and respect for those involved. We will help you consider all solutions including mediation and collaborative law. Call Williamsons now early legal advice will put you on the right track straight away. We offer a fixed fee of 100 inclusive of vat for the first no obligation meeting. All your options are discussed and you can find out where you stand legally. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COSTS

5 THE Process Divorce Your Williamsons Help Yourself lawyer will advise you throughout the divorce process; ensuring you draft your court papers accurately and precisely. You will be advised on serving the Petition, possible defences to the Petition and what to do if your spouse will not cooperate. Children Act Matters legal advice from Williamsons Help Yourself may make a crucial difference to the outcome of your case. Williamsons will help you make applications to the Court about contact, residence and other arrangements. We will also advise you on what to expect should your case go to Court, and how to deal with a CAFCASS officer or barrister. Family Breakdown & Finances whether the Court merely approves your arrangements or is required to resolve any disagreements, support from Williamsons Help Yourself will give you the confidence to tackle difficult decisions about money and work out how you can look after yourself and your children financially. As your trusted advisors we are with you every step of the way.

6 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COSTS HOW IT Works WHAT YOU NEED TO DO n Get organised buy a lever arch file, paper, envelopes & stamps. You will be acting for yourself so need to keep everything safe and in an ordered manner. Keep track of any communication with us, your spouse or the Court. Record times, dates, places and what was discussed. n Arrange internet access either at home or get familiar with how your local library s internet works. Forms and documents can be downloaded quickly and easily this way. n Pay for your advice as you go along. There are no unexpected charges what you use is what you pay for on the day. No bank-busting bills, just clear advice on your terms. n Make your first fixed fee appointment with us to get some idea of the start up steps. Remember, it s no obligation, so if you want to think about things or wait until you are ready then we are ready when you are.

7 WHAT WE DO n Keep records of all our meetings with you and what was discussed. This way, should your personal solicitor be unavailable you will still be able to get the correct advice from another member of our team. n Give you clear advice to help you achieve what you want. We will be helping you with the detail and the strategy of pursuing your case. n Draft documents for you, if you need us to, although there will be separate charges for this. n Sign-post you to other services like mortgage brokers, independent financial advisors, mediators, life coaches, family therapists. After more than 120 years of serving the legal needs of Yorkshire, our little black book of contacts is extensive. OUR CHARGES We charge for our time. You pay for the amount you have used, no more, no less. For the avoidance of doubt our hourly rates are: n Clerk/Secretary/Trainee per hour + vat n Legal Executive per hour + vat n Solicitor per hour * + vat Of course, once you decide we are right for you, you will receive a contract called a Terms & Conditions letter. This will explain what we are doing for you, who is helping you run your case, how much their hourly rate is and all the other useful and important things. n Verify your identity! We are obliged by law to do this, so please bring a passport or driving licence and proof of your address (utility bill no less than 3 months old) to your first meeting. We also provide other legal services, such as conveyancing and home buying, wills and dealing with estates, powers of attorney, dealing with commercial property and tax help. * Depending on seniority and experience.

8 MAKING THE Most of Your Money We are always happy to help but here are a few tips to make sure you keep those costs down. n Get advice early - let us know promptly and make an appointment if you receive a letter from another solicitor, for example. n Let us know if you can t make any appointments. We can always reschedule. n Try and come to appointments with several queries rather than just one. n Williamsons Help Yourself is a face to face service only so make sure you are organised when you come to see us. Have everything in your file in order and bring it with you! Tell us if you want to switch to our full representation service. You will not need to change your current solicitor. Call us today to start your Williamsons Help Yourself family case or fill in our enquiry form online. Members of the Law Society Accredited Schemes: Children Law; Family Law Advanced; Personal Injury; Clinical Negligence; Conveyancing Quality. Members of: Action for Victims of Medical Negligence; Qualified Family Mediators; Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners; Association of Personal Injury Lawyers; Solicitors Association of Higher Court Advocates 45 LOWGATE, HULL, EAST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM HU1 1EN DX: HULL TEL: +44 (0) FAX: +44 (0) Williamsons Solicitors Limited, registered in England and Wales: No Registered Office: 45 Lowgate, Hull HU1 1EN Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority: No A list of directors is available for inspection at the Registered Office.