In our weekly legal column, the Leader, with the expert advice of the team at GHP Legal, sets out to answer some of your problems. Today's question is answered by solicitor Sean Rolinson...

If I use a solicitor for my divorce, how can I keep the costs down?

Q: My wife and I are amicably separated and are both keen to move on with our own lives. We have no children so everything should be straightforward and therefore, to save money, we are tempted to apply for a 'quickie divorce' using the new 'no-fault' process. However, we are aware that we still need to apply for a Clean Break Financial Order and are not comfortable doing this ourselves. Can you offer any advice on how we could keep our costs down if we use a solicitor?

A: A lot of couples who opt for the no-fault divorce process forget about the need to formally tie up their financial loose ends. They also forget that it may not just be a matter of splitting property proceeds and bank balances but also things like pensions and investments.

Using a solicitor to apply for your Financial Order is a sensible move as it will ensure that everything is concluded properly and there is no chance of something coming back to bite you at a later date. For whilst things may be amicable now, this may not necessarily be the case in the future.

To help keep legal costs to a minimum, it is key to be as prepared as possible. Maintaining clear communication between yourself and your solicitor, and between yourself and your spouse is important. Collating all relevant paperwork and information relating to your finances before you see your solicitor will also help. It will be useful to write down a list of issues and questions you might have before your solicitor appointments, so that you can cover everything at your meetings rather than firing off lots of emails every time you think of something.

• This question has been answered by Sean Rolinson, a solicitor with GHP Legal. If you would like to speak to someone about this or any other legal matter, please visit our website www.ghplegal.com and use the contact us form, or call us on: Wrexham 01978 291456, Llangollen 01978 860313, Oswestry 01691 659194.