Hiring legal help
When it is worth paying for a lawyer, when it is not, and how to do it on your terms.
Solicitor-led case
£14,950
Children Act, full representation
Hybrid approach
£3,650
Litigant + targeted lawyer use
Potential saving
76%
Compared to full solicitor
C100 court fee
£263
Paid to court, not lawyer
The all-or-nothing myth
You have more options than you think
The myth
Either you hire a solicitor for everything, or you represent yourself alone.
A solicitor is a lawyer who manages your case day to day: paperwork, legal advice, instructing a barrister when needed. Unlike barristers, solicitors deal with you directly and handle the ongoing relationship.
Most people believe these are the only two options. They then face an impossible choice: empty the savings account, or walk into court without help.
The reality
You can mix and match. Prepare the groundwork yourself, then hire specialist help where it matters.
Barristers can be hired directly for individual hearings, without a solicitor acting as middleman. Done well, this can cut your total bill by two thirds or more.
Know who does what
Solicitor or barrister?
Solicitor
Your day-to-day legal representative. Solicitors handle correspondence, paperwork, negotiations, and manage the case from start to finish.
For court hearings, most solicitors instruct a barrister on your behalf. You pay the solicitor to brief the barrister, then pay the barrister to appear. Two bills for one hearing.
Barrister
A courtroom specialist. Barristers argue cases in front of judges and cross-examine witnesses. Many family barristers work on a fixed fee per hearing.
You can hire many barristers directly through the Direct Access scheme. No solicitor needed. You brief them yourself using the pack you have already prepared.
Worked example: a witness statement
Same document. Two routes.
Here is what it costs to get one witness statement filed, the traditional way and the Litigant way.
The traditional route
- 1You tell your solicitor what happened in a long client meeting.
- 2Your solicitor writes a draft witness statement based on their notes.
- 3You review it and spot things they got wrong or missed.
- 4Your solicitor redrafts, billing you for the changes.
- 5Your solicitor instructs a barrister, briefing them on the case.
- 6The barrister reads it all cold, billing for preparation time.
- 7Your solicitor files the statement with the court.
Typical cost
£1,925
The Litigant route
- 1You build your timetable and evidence in Litigant as things happen.
- 2You draft your own witness statement using the tool, with factual language support.
- 3You send the ready-made pack to a direct access barrister.
- 4The barrister builds the legal arguments on top of your prepared facts.
Typical cost
£400
Full case comparison
What a whole case can cost
These are representative fixed-fee figures for a contested case that goes to final hearing. Your actual costs will vary, but the pattern holds.
| Step | Solicitor route Full cost |  + BarristerDirect access Save 76% | No lawyer Save 100% |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIAM (mediation assessment) | £250 | £0 You book direct | £0 You book direct |
| C100 application | £1,200 | £0 You do this | £0 You do this |
| FHDRA (first hearing) | £2,000 | £750 Direct access barrister | £0 You attend yourself |
| Dispute resolution hearing | £2,500 | £1,000 Direct access barrister | £0 You attend yourself |
| Witness statement | £1,500 | £400 Barrister reviews | £0 You draft with our tools |
| Final hearing (1 day) | £4,000 | £1,500 Direct access barrister | £0 You represent yourself |
| Correspondence | £3,500 | £0 | £0 You handle this |
| Litigant Guides, checklists, and core tools are free. Preparation tools from £20/month. | – | Free / £20 / £45 per month | Free / £20 / £45 per month |
| Total | £14,950 | £3,650 | £0 |
MIAM (mediation assessment)
- Solicitor route
- £250
- + Barrister
- You book direct
- Litigant alone
- You book direct
C100 application
- Solicitor route
- £1,200
- + Barrister
- You do this
- Litigant alone
- You do this
FHDRA (first hearing)
- Solicitor route
- £2,000
- + Barrister
- £750Direct access barrister
- Litigant alone
- You attend yourself
Dispute resolution hearing
- Solicitor route
- £2,500
- + Barrister
- £1,000Direct access barrister
- Litigant alone
- You attend yourself
Witness statement
- Solicitor route
- £1,500
- + Barrister
- £400Barrister reviews
- Litigant alone
- You draft with our tools
Final hearing (1 day)
- Solicitor route
- £4,000
- + Barrister
- £1,500Direct access barrister
- Litigant alone
- You represent yourself
Correspondence
- Solicitor route
- £3,500
- + Barrister
- Litigant alone
- You handle this
Guides, checklists, and core tools are free. Preparation tools from £20/month.
- Solicitor route
- –
- + Barrister
- Free / £20 / £45 /mo
- Litigant alone
- Free / £20 / £45 /mo
Total
- Solicitor route
- £14,950
- + Barrister
- £3,650
- Litigant alone
- £0
Court fees (set by HMCTS) apply to all paths and are not included in any column. Current fees: C100 £263, Form A £313, divorce £612, consent order £60.
Figures are indicative fixed fees from public direct-access price lists. They are not quotes. Always confirm fees in writing with the professional you instruct.
Cost data last updated April 2026. Court fees per HMCTS EX50A, effective 2025-11.
We will never push you towards a lawyer or charge you to access essential tools. Litigant exists to make sure people representing themselves are prepared, informed, and heard.
Where to spend, where to save
When to hire a lawyer, and when not to
Hire for this
Fact-finding hearings
Where a judge decides whether abuse or harm happened. Cross-examination and legal argument are unforgiving here.
Hire for this
Final hearings
The decisions the judge makes here shape the rest of your life. Skilled advocacy matters most.
Hire for this
Complex financial cases
Businesses, pensions, trusts, or overseas assets. Valuations and tax planning need expert eyes.
Hire for this
When the other side has a lawyer
An unrepresented party versus a represented one is a harder fight. Level the ground where it matters.
Do it yourself
Filing applications
C100, Form A and most court forms are designed for litigants in person. Filing yourself saves hundreds.
Do it yourself
Attending a MIAM
Mediation assessments are one-to-one. You do not need a lawyer present for the assessment itself.
Do it yourself
Day-to-day correspondence
Letters and emails to the other side. Keep them factual, dated, and short. A lawyer bills per letter.
Do it yourself
Simple directions hearings
Short, procedural hearings where the judge sets a timetable. Often a few minutes with no advocacy needed.
Finding a direct access barrister
How to hire one yourself
The Bar Council runs a searchable directory of barristers who take instructions directly from the public. Most family barristers who accept Direct Access work on fixed fees per hearing, so you know the cost up front.
Search directaccessportal.co.ukAsk for a fixed fee
Get the fee in writing before you instruct. A good direct access barrister will quote a flat fee for hearing-day representation and a separate fee for preparation time.
Look for the Direct Access badge
Not every barrister is qualified to take public instructions. The portal only lists those who are. Chambers pages usually flag Direct Access accredited members as well.
Send your pack in advance
Use the case pack export from your Litigant timetable. A well-organised bundle means the barrister spends time on legal argument, not sorting through papers.
Want to know why we built this? Read our story →
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