Most people who represent themselves at financial remedy hearings do so not because they want to, but because they have looked at solicitors' fees and decided they have no choice.

Under the direct access scheme, you can instruct a barrister to advise you, prepare your case, or represent you in court without a solicitor acting as an intermediary. For Barrister Connect, access to justice in family proceedings is not a principle held at arm's length. It is the reason the service exists. Here, a specialist family barrister sets out the ten things every person going through a financial settlement deserves to know.

1. The financial settlement is a separate legal process from the divorce.
Being granted a divorce does not resolve how your finances will be divided. These are two distinct legal processes. Without a court order, known as a Consent Order, either party can make financial claims against the other years or even decades after the divorce is finalised. A decree absolute alone does not protect you. Many people discover these implications too late.

2. The first court hearing sets the tone for everything that follows.
The First Appointment is an early directions hearing before a judge. It establishes the timetable for your case and determines what financial information must be exchanged. Many people treat it as a formality. It is not. Arriving unprepared or without legal representation can put you at a disadvantage that is difficult to overcome. The directions made at this stage shape the entire proceedings.

3. Going direct to a barrister means expert representation without the full cost of solicitor-led advice.
Under the direct access scheme, barristers can work with you directly. There is no requirement for a solicitor to instruct them on your behalf. This means you can have a specialist family advocate in your corner at a hearing, someone who appears in these courts regularly and understands how they work, at a fraction of the cost of traditional legal representation. You agree on a fixed fee upfront. You know exactly what you are paying for. This is not a compromise. It is a different route to the same level of expertise. For many people going through financial proceedings, it is the most sensible and accessible option available.

It is advisable to have input from a direct access barrister as early as possible in order to get a clearer idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your case, your legal position, and the likely preparation required

4. Knowing what you might be entitled to is not the same as achieving it.
The court has very wide discretion in financial remedy cases. There is no fixed formula. The length of the marriage, the needs of any children, each party's income and earning capacity, and the contributions made during the relationship all carry weight. How those factors apply in your specific situation requires careful legal analysis. A barrister can help you understand your realistic position and argue it persuasively before a judge.

5. Full financial disclosure is not optional, and gaps have consequences.

Both parties must provide complete financial disclosure through a document called Form E, covering all assets, income, debts, and pensions. Failing to disclose fully is treated seriously by the court. Adverse inferences can be drawn, costs and penalties imposed, and in some cases, orders made on incomplete information can be set aside entirely. If you have concerns about what the other side has provided, a barrister can advise you on how to challenge it.

A Form E ends with a statement of truth confirming that the party has given “full and frank disclosure” for a reason. A court will often make findings against a party for failing to provide full and frank disclosure of their financial information, resulting in the other party receiving a lion's share of the marital pot.

6. The FDR hearing is your best opportunity to settle.
The Financial Dispute Resolution hearing, known as the FDR, is a without-prejudice hearing at which the judge gives a non-binding indication of how they see the case. It is designed to encourage settlement, and the majority of financial remedy cases that do not settle by consent resolve at this stage. Having a barrister who can negotiate effectively, help you assess any offer made, and present your position clearly to the judge makes a genuine difference to the outcome.

7. Reaching an agreement outside court is almost always the better outcome.
A negotiated settlement gives both parties more control over the result than a judge imposing a decision after a final hearing. It is faster, less costly, and far less stressful. A direct access barrister can advise you on whether any proposed settlement is reasonable, help negotiate on your behalf, and ensure that what is agreed is properly recorded in a binding Consent Order. Agreements reached without legal input are frequently unenforceable or later challenged.

8. Pensions are often the most significant asset and the most frequently overlooked.
In many marriages, pension assets are worth more than the equity in the family home. Pension sharing orders, earmarking orders, and offsetting arrangements are all available, but the right approach depends entirely on your circumstances. A cash equivalent transfer value does not tell you what a pension is actually worth to you in retirement. Failing to address pensions properly at the time of settlement can leave one party significantly worse off for the rest of their life.

Once CETV values of pensions are disclosed, and they are significant in amount, a Pension On Divorce Expert (PODE) report is essential in achieving a fair division of assets between the parties. This is particularly important with marriages of longer duration.

9. You can get support for just the parts of the process where you need it most.
Direct access is not all-or-nothing. You can instruct a barrister to advise you on a specific issue, review a draft settlement, represent you at a single hearing, or support you through the whole process. This means you can get expert help precisely where and when you need it, without committing to the cost of full ongoing representation. For many people, this targeted approach is what makes proper legal support genuinely accessible for the first time.

10. You should not have to face a family court hearing without someone in your corner.
Family financial proceedings involve your home, your income, your future security, and, in many cases, your children's lives. These are not matters where being unrepresented is a reasonable or fair position. Access to justice means having someone with you at the moments that count, not just access to a document or a website. Barrister Connect exists to make that a reality, at a cost that reflects what you actually need rather than what you can be charged.



About Barrister Connect
Barrister Connect is changing how people access legal help in England and Wales.

Built for litigants in person, Barrister Connect connects individuals and businesses directly with vetted, specialist barristers, no solicitor needed. Clients receive transparent, fixed-fee quotes and are matched with the right barrister in as little as 24 hours across family law, employment, commercial litigation, property, probate, and more.

For more information, visit www.barristerconnect.com or call +44 (0) 1823 589 333.