Information for Legal Professionals

A focused, efficient and cost-effective private FDR service for your clients

Our price £1,200 plus VAT for a standard hybrid hearing. You will appreciate this is significantly lower than that offered by other providers. Our fees are pitched at 'mid-value' cases. We envisage cases comprising assets of between £500,000 and £3 million are best suited for our services.

We offer a hybrid hearing in most cases, with the evaluator attending remotely via MS Teams. The parties attend in person, most likely at the offices of one of the solicitors.

This structure retains all the benefits of in-person negotiation but allows us to offer the service at a significantly lower price than elsewhere. The result is an accessible, proportionate service in many mid-value cases where a private FDR can still make a decisive difference.

What we provide

Experienced evaluators

The evaluator on the day will be either Gary Howell (LinkedIn profile or CV available upon request), or an evaluator selected by Gary (who will have at least the equivalent experience).

Clear, structured indications

The evaluator provides an indication on the likely range of outcomes at a final hearing, supporting productive negotiation and helping manage client expectations. The evaluation will be clear, realistic and firmly grounded in the Section 25 factors and relevant caselaw.

As much time as needed

The evaluator will remain available throughout the day if necessary, providing space for meaningful progress. Sometimes the 1 to 1½ hours allocated for a court FDR is insufficient.

Booking and documentation

We aim to make the process as straightforward as possible.

To book, simply email:

preferred dates
venue details (usually one firm’s office)
names of solicitors, counsel and parties
any special considerations

If the date is available, we will respond with a copy of our standard conditions. Payment is expected at least 7 days before the hearing.

Document requirements typically include the documents usually before the court for an FDR, as set out in the Financial Remedies Court Statement on Efficient Conduct:

composite case summary in the form of Template ES1
schedules of assets and income in form ES2
chronologies (in neutral terms) and relevant correspondence
position statements
any open offers
Form E and supporting documents (where applicable)

Further guidance is provided upon booking.

Suitable cases

Our hybrid model is ideal for any case that would otherwise be listed for a 1 to 1½ hour FDR:

mid-value cases where traditional private FDR fees may be prohibitive
matters where a court-listed FDR is months away
parties motivated to settle but needing a realistic steer
matters where a full-day format is beneficial

We are happy to discuss suitability at any stage.

Next steps

To find out about availability or to discuss whether a case is suitable for a private FDR, please contact us through our Contact page or email at the address below.