Pay as you go Law | Family First Solicitors

Pay As You Go Law – Legal Help Doesn’t Have to Be “All or Nothing”

Pay-As-You-Go Law enables you to afford legal advice all the way through your case – without the worry of unmanageable bills or losing your legal advice just when you need it most. You do the things you don’t need a solicitor for (like opening a letter) and we give you legal advice as you go along.

George Sayers - Family Lawyer Oxford & London. Family First Solicitors - Family Law Solicitors in Oxford, London and St Albans

Here, Family Lawyer George Sayers explains how it works:

Here at Family First, I often meet people who are caught in a difficult dilemma. They are facing a significant life change – whether that is a divorce, a separation, or a dispute regarding their children – and they know they need legal help. But they are also terrified of the cost.

There is a traditional view that instructing a lawyer means handing over your entire life (and bank balance) to a firm, placing thousands of pounds on account, and losing control of the process.

I’m writing this to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

At Family First Solicitors, we champion a flexible approach known as Pay-As-You-Go (or “unbundled”) legal services. It is designed to give you access to expert help and advice exactly when you need it, regardless of what type of family law issue you are facing.

How Pay-As-You-Go Law Works

In this model, you remain the “Litigant in Person.” This means you stay in the driving seat of your case, handling the day-to-day admin and correspondence. My role is to sit in the background as your legal safety net. You book time as and when you need.

Pay-As-You-Go Law with Family First Solicitors. Family Law Solicitors Oxford. Pay As You Go Divorce.

Pay-As-You-Go Family Law at a glance

We’ll explore with you if PAYG meets your needs.
You are told exactly when you need to come in for your legal advice, so no need to worry that you will miss something.
You pay only for our skill and judgement – not for our letter writing, letter reading or photocopying.
All your advice is given face to face. If you cannot see us then you are not being charged!
Your advice is given by an experienced lawyer.
We offer PAYG for divorce, cohabitation, financial matters, children matters and domestic abuse. It does not matter whether you are in or out of court.

In the PAYG meeting we will advise on the strategy, advise on the law, help you with drafting court forms, draft letters to your spouse or write up your statement: whatever is necessary to run your case.
You pay for our time at the end of the meeting.
Your case will speed up – because you are your only client.
The cost of your matter will be significantly less, as you cut out unnecessary Solicitor’s work.
You can combine PAYG with our fixed fee service and our fixed fee advocacy rates. You can switch to our full representation service and keep the same lawyer.

Suitable for All Practice Areas

We can assist with any area of our private family law practice areas. Whether you are at the very start of a separation or in the middle of court proceedings, we can step in to help with:

Divorce & Separation: Guiding you through the paperwork and procedure to legally end the marriage or partnership.
Financial Settlements: Helping you understand what a fair split of assets looks like and how to achieve it.
Private Children Matters: How child contact and care works after separation, how the Family Court can get involved, managing your expectations regarding Child Arrangement Orders and how to deal with issues surrounding domestic abuse and ensuring you and the children are safe.
Family Law Act Matters: Assisting with applications such as Non-Molestation Orders or Occupation Orders.

How We Help: The “Sense Check”

One of the most valuable things we offer Pay-As-You-Go clients is a “sense check.”

When emotions run high, it is very easy to lose sight of the legal reality. You might have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, but is it legally realistic?

We act as a strategic sounding board. Before you send a proposal, file an application, or dig your heels in on a specific issue, we can review your position. We ensure you are approaching the case correctly, sensibly, and in a way that helps, rather than hinders, your chances of success.

Specific Ways to Use Us

Beyond being a ‘sense check, we can support in all the important ways:

Ghost-writing: We can draft letters for you to send, ensuring your tone is professional and your legal arguments are sound.
Form Preparation: We can help you fill in all the daunting forms you have to fill in for a court application.
Settlement Proposals: We can calculate and write out sensible offers to help you reach an agreement early.
Checking Disclosure: We can review financial documents and advise on whether the disclosure provided by your ex-partner is sufficient.
Court Documentation: If you are attending a hearing alone, we can draft your Position Statement to ensure the Judge has all your key points in writing before you walk into the room.

Representation at Hearings: “Direct Access”

Pay-As-You-Go law doesn’t mean you have to stand up in court alone.

There are critical moments in a case, such as at a hearing where you might feel out of your depth. In these instances, you can instruct us on a Direct Access basis.

This means you handle the lead-up to the hearing yourself, but you instruct us specifically to represent you and be your voice on the day of the hearing. This ensures you have professional advocacy when it matters most, without paying for us to manage the months of admin beforehand.

Is Pay-As-You-Go law Right for You?

This approach works brilliantly for clients who are organised enough to manage their own paperwork but want the reassurance that they aren’t making mistakes.

We often suggest that clients bring a trusted friend or family member to meetings. Having a support person to take notes allows you to focus on the advice we are giving.

However, if you feel overwhelmed, or if your case involves very complex assets or high conflict, we can always step in for Full Representation at any stage.

Let’s Talk About Your Options

I firmly believe that everyone deserves access to good legal advice.

For appointments, we work predominantly remotely, which means we can assist you wherever you are (in England & Wales). But we can meet you in person in London and Oxford. We can also attend court wherever needed. Predominantly we represent clients at hearings in Oxford and surrounding areas and anywhere in or near to London. However, anywhere is possible – I can also very easily attend hearings in Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. If we cannot attend court on the day of your hearing, we can arrange for a direct access barrister to represent you instead and ensure they are fully instructed.

It all starts with our Fixed Fee Initial Consultation (£180). This meeting is not timed by the clock, it takes as long as it takes. We will listen to your story, explain the law, provide you with clear advice and your next steps and can help you decide if Pay-As-You-Go is the right strategy for you.

If you want to take control of your case with a top-flight family lawyer by your side, get in touch with us today.