Family Law Service sells advice from a solicitor as a fixed-price product. The one-hour package, at £299 which the company states includes VAT, is sold in a finances version and a child arrangements version and is described as a 20-minute telephone consultation with a family solicitor followed by a written report setting out the advice and the recommended next steps.[1][2][3] The company names Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland as the solicitors who deliver it and states that “Solicitors providing legal advice are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)”, giving the number 484839.[1][4]
That number belongs to DFA Law LLP, a licensed body in Northampton authorised for all legal services since 1 April 2021; it is not held by Family Legal Ltd, which states that “Family Legal Ltd t/as Family Law Service is not SRA-regulated. We do offer both SRA-regulated solicitor services (clearly marked) and unregulated legal information & document services that exclude reserved legal activities.”[5][4] These packages, and the £2,499 premium consent order that the same solicitors draft, are the only part of the catalogue in which a buyer becomes a client of an SRA-regulated firm for the work, with the professional duties, compulsory insurance and Legal Ombudsman route that follow from it.[6][5][7] Every other product is unregulated, as set out on Services.
What is sold
Two advice products appear on the price lists, one on each: “Legal Advice: Finances, 1 hour” at £299 on the property and finances list, and “Legal advice: Child Arrangements, 1 hour” at £299 on the child arrangements list. A case review at £499 appears on both.[2][3] The advice product covers financial options, likely outcomes and practical approaches to negotiation, and is delivered as a call plus a written report.[1] A separate product, the premium consent order at £2,499, is drafted and submitted by the same solicitors.[6]
Advice is not sold as an hourly retainer and does not include representation, correspondence with the other party or conduct of proceedings. A buyer who needs continuing representation is buying a different service, available from any solicitor; the Law Society’s directory lists regulated firms by legal issue, location and accredited specialism, and allows a search for firms offering legal aid.[8]
Regulatory status: the one regulated part of the catalogue
The company that sells the product is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; the people who deliver it are. Family Legal Ltd states that it is not SRA-regulated and marks the solicitor services separately, and the product page states that the solicitors providing legal advice are SRA-regulated under number 484839.[4][1] The Solicitors Register records DFA Law LLP, SRA number 484839, as a licensed body since 1 April 2021, authorised for all legal services, with its head office at 2 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD and no published regulatory decisions.[5]
The distinction matters because regulation attaches to the person or firm doing the work, not to the website selling it. Legal advice is not itself a reserved legal activity under section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007, so the fact that advice is being sold does not by itself mean a regulated firm is involved; here the company states that one is, and names it.[9][1] The Competition and Markets Authority expects an unregulated business to make clear which of its services are provided by others and whether those people are authorised.[10] The Solicitors Register is the authoritative record and can be searched by anyone.[5]
What the hour includes
| Element | Company description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | “20-minute phone consultation” with a family solicitor | [1] |
| Written report | A report setting out the advice given and recommended next steps | [1] |
| Subject matter | Financial options, likely outcomes and practical approaches to negotiation (finances version) | [1] |
| Solicitors named | Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland | [1][4] |
| Price | £299, the company stating that all prices include VAT | [1][11] |
| Refunds | Full refund within two weeks of purchase; no refund once the advice has been delivered in writing, by telephone or in consultation | [12] |
The product is named as an hour and described as a 20-minute call plus a written report, so the balance of the time is preparation and report writing rather than time on the telephone. The same structure appears on the equivalent Mediate UK product, which the company describes as a financial questionnaire, a 20-minute call and a written report.[1][13]
A single advice session is a piece of unbundled legal work: the solicitor advises on the question asked, on the information supplied, and does not take over the case. Where a couple have reached an agreement in mediation, advice of this kind is one way of testing it before it is turned into a consent order; the D81 statement of information filed with a consent order asks each party whether they have received legal advice.[14]
The premium consent order
The premium consent order at £2,499 is the other regulated product. The company lists its contents as an initial review of the financial agreement and the information provided, a 90-minute facilitated meeting with a mediator to test the proposals, a memorandum of understanding, a full financial statement, drafting of the order, Form A and the D81, submission of the application to the court, responses to the court’s enquiries and a free re-draft and re-submission guarantee if the court rejects the order because of a drafting error.[6] It excludes representation at contested hearings, which a consent order application does not require, and advice beyond the scope of preparing and submitting the order unless bought separately.[6]
The comparison with the £499 paralegal-drafted product, which is unregulated and excludes court submission, pensions, business assets and cases with more than one property, is on Clean break consent order service.[14]
Prices, and the same product through Mediate UK
| Product | Family Law Service | Mediate UK | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One hour of solicitor advice | £299, company states prices include VAT[1] | £250 plus VAT[13] | Mediate UK states its package “can be purchased online through our sister company, Family Law Service”[13] |
| Two hours of solicitor advice | Not listed[2][3] | £335 plus VAT[13] | 80-minute call, which may be split, plus a written report[13] |
| Advice on a memorandum of understanding | Not listed[2][3] | £250 plus VAT[13] | Solicitor reviews the mediation outcome documents[13] |
| Consent order drafted by a solicitor | £2,499 premium consent order[6] | Included in the £1,649 plus VAT per person package[15] | The Mediate UK package also includes a MIAM and up to four hours of mediation[15] |
| Case review | £499[2][3] | Not listed[13] | Deliverer not stated on the price lists[2][3] |
At the standard rate of VAT, £250 plus VAT and £299 including VAT are close to the same amount, and both brands describe the same 20-minute call and written report delivered by the same firm’s solicitors.[1][13] Identity verification is charged separately on the Mediate UK page at £24 plus VAT; the Family Law Service page consulted did not show a separate charge.[13][1]
What protections apply
For this work the buyer is a client of solicitors at an SRA-regulated firm. The SRA Standards and Regulations apply to the solicitors, the firm must hold professional indemnity insurance meeting the SRA’s minimum terms, the SRA Compensation Fund is available where its rules are met, and a service complaint the firm does not resolve can be taken to the Legal Ombudsman, which states that it “can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”.[5][7][10]
The company’s refund policy states that no refund is available once legal advice has been delivered, whether in writing, by telephone or by consultation, and a full refund is available within two weeks of purchase before delivery.[12] Complaints about the conduct of a solicitor can be made to the SRA, and the firm has its own complaints procedure as an SRA-regulated firm, independently of the company’s policy. The complaints routes for each service type are on Regulation and professional standards.
How this differs from the unregulated products
| Advice hour and premium consent order | Clean break order, form completion, preparation, AI review | |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered by | Solicitors of DFA Law LLP[1][6] | Paralegals, McKenzie Friends or an automated system[14][16][17] |
| Regulator | Solicitors Regulation Authority (firm 484839)[5] | None[4] |
| Legal Ombudsman | Available through the regulated firm[7] | Not available[7] |
| Compulsory professional indemnity insurance | Yes, at firm level[5] | Not required; none stated on the pages consulted[10][18] |
| Legal advice given | Yes[1] | No; the products are described as documents or information[14][17] |
| Price range | £299 to £2,499[1][6] | £9.50 to £499[17][2] |
The company marks the solicitor services on the product pages, which name the solicitors and give the SRA number, but the two price lists do not label each line with its regulatory status.[1][2][3] The CMA guidance expects consumers to be told whether the business is regulated, the qualifications of the staff delivering the work and the routes of redress available.[10]
Other ways to get advice
Fixed-fee advice sessions are sold by many regulated firms, and any solicitor can be found and checked through the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor directory and the Solicitors Register.[8][5] Free advice may be available from Advocate, which arranges help from volunteer barristers for people who cannot pay, and Citizens Advice publishes free guidance on separation, children and money.[19][20] Legal aid for advice from a solicitor in private family cases is limited to cases meeting an evidence gateway such as domestic abuse or child protection, in addition to a means test, and does not apply to any Family Law Service product; the Law Society directory allows a search for firms with a legal aid contract.[8]
See also
- Services – the full catalogue and price table
- Clean break consent order service – the unregulated drafting product
- Regulation and professional standards – protections by service type
- People – the solicitors and their register entries
- Mediate UK – the sister brand’s advice packages
- Family law professionals – who regulates whom, on Family Law Wiki
- Unbundled legal services
- Consent order – on Divorce Law Wiki
References
- Legal advice: finances, 1 hour. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £299 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; 20-minute telephone consultation with a family solicitor plus a written report; solicitors named as Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland; SRA number 484839 shown. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Property and finances: services and prices. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company price list read 6 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Child arrangements: services and prices. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company price list read 6 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About us. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Regulatory statement; SRA number 484839 shown for the solicitors providing legal advice; names the team, including the paralegal as Lucy Nord-Harper. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Solicitors Register: DFA Law LLP, SRA number 484839. Solicitors Regulation Authority. Licensed body since 1 April 2021, authorised for all legal services; head office 2 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD; no published decisions. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Premium consent order. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £2,499 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; drafted by the named solicitors; 90-minute facilitated meeting with a mediator, memorandum of understanding, court submission and a re-draft guarantee. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Complaints we can help with. Legal Ombudsman. States “We can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Find a solicitor. The Law Society of England and Wales. Free directory searchable by legal issue, location, language, legal aid and accredited specialism. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Legal Services Act 2007, section 12: meaning of reserved legal activity. legislation.gov.uk. Six reserved legal activities: right of audience; conduct of litigation; reserved instrument activities; probate activities; notarial activities; administration of oaths. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Unregulated legal services: consumer protection law guidance. Competition and Markets Authority. updated 30 January 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Fixed fee family law and divorce help. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company home page read 6 September 2026; footer regulatory statement; telephone 0333 339 5505; “All prices include VAT; any mandatory third-party fees, such as court fees, are shown clearly before you buy”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Refund policy. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Fourteen-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations; AI Barrister Review non-refundable once purchased except where the report contains significant errors; 50 per cent refund for a McKenzie Friend meeting cancelled in advance. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Legal advice packages. Mediate UK (Family Legal Ltd). One Hour Legal £250 plus VAT; Two Hour Legal £335 plus VAT; Memorandum Legal Advice £250 plus VAT; states the first “can be purchased online through our sister company, Family Law Service”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Online clean break consent order. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £499 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; paralegal-drafted; Form A and D81 included; free re-draft guarantee; states it is suitable only where there is one property, no business and no pension share or spousal maintenance. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Consent order package. Mediate UK (Family Legal Ltd). £1,649 plus VAT per person (tier 1) and £1,799 plus VAT per person (tier 2); includes a MIAM, up to four hours of joint mediation, a memorandum of understanding, solicitor drafting, Form A and D81, a pension sharing annex if required and filing; excludes court fees, identity verification and independent legal advice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Form C100. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £240 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; completed by the named McKenzie Friends; includes drafting for specific issue and prohibited steps applications where applicable. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- AI Barrister Review. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Read 6 September 2026: “COMING SOON……..Launching September 2026”; £9.50; “information, not legal advice”; “delivered by our AI system, not by a barrister”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- McKenzie Friend: what they can and can’t do. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). States McKenzie Friends are “not regulated by any professional body” and “typically don’t have” professional indemnity insurance. 21 January 2026, updated 24 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Advocate: free legal help from volunteer barristers. Advocate. Charity operating since 1996 with about 5,000 volunteer barristers, placing cases across England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family: advice on separation, children and money. Citizens Advice. Free guidance on separating, arrangements for children, money and housing on separation. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Support Through Court. Support Through Court. Charity whose volunteers help people facing court without a lawyer, including completing court forms; does not give legal advice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Fee 5.1, application by consent for a financial order, £62; Children Act 1989 application £270; divorce application (fee 1.2) £628. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Mediation Council. Family Mediation Council. Describes itself as “The home of regulated family mediation”; holds the register of family mediators for England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
External links
- Solicitors Register: DFA Law LLP (484839) – check the firm
- Family Law Service: legal advice, finances, 1 hour – company product page
- Mediate UK: legal advice packages – the sister brand’s equivalent
- Find a Solicitor (The Law Society)
- Legal Ombudsman: complaints we can help with
This article is part of Family Law Service Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd, the company that trades as Family Law Service. It is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.