Areas of Advice

Working in a way that best suits you

So as to keep costs down I aim to support women by advising and guiding them through their specific legal issues by way of having a legal expert on side. Where necessary, the actual application/claim/petition is submitted by the client herself (as a litigant in person). All courts recognise the right of parties to represent themselves in a case involving them, however being aware of the common pitfalls and difficulties faced by those who are unfamiliar with the court system I will endeavour to cover every aspect of the procedure and explain the relevant laws to you. By way of example, looking at financial remedy post divorce, we have a jurisdiction that recognises that every family is different and, accordingly, has given the courts a wide discretion when dealing with financial remedy following divorce. The court is mandated to achieve ‘fairness’ between the parties both with respect to capital settlements and with respect to payments of maintenance. This cannot always be achieved with a set formula or easy definitions of what are matrimonial assets hence the need for the guidance and advice which I can provide.

To find out more and discuss any questions you might have please contact me.

• I, Camilla Khawaja was called to the Bar in 1998, I hold a self employed practising certificate and have full rights of audience as a Barrister of England and Wales. I am registered with the Bar Standards Board under the name: Camilla Khawaja. 
• I charge £450 per hour plus VAT, I practice family law predominantly in the field of divorce, money and  children cases. Please note my fees are non-refundable and payable in full, in advance of any work being carried out by myself, unless we have come to an alternative agreement. Please refer to my email to  yourself as to the specifics of our agreement as to the work I am to carry out for you and the fees payable.
• By way of an indication only I charge £9000 plus VAT for the first stage in a financial relief claim, specifically in preparation for the First Appointment (FDA). Within this fee, I will assist with completing Form A and Form E, analyze the other party’s Form E and prepare the Practice Direction documents ahead of the FDA. This fee covers up to 20 hours of my time. I charge an additional  5 hours for representation at the FDA (remote and/or in person), which is £2250 plus VAT based on 5 hours. 
• If any intervenor(s) make an application, this preliminary matter will be charged separately from the above fee. Various interim applications such as for Part 25 Experts/SJE’s on pensions and/or property valuations, will be charged separately. I can provide fee details at the time depending on the matter’s complexity and the time required.
• I charge the same, i.e., £9000 plus VAT for all work between the First Appointment (FDA) and Hearing 2, known as the Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR). This fee covers up to 20 hours. I charge an additional 5 hours for representation at the FDR, which is £2250 plus VAT based on 5 hours. 
• For the Final Hearing, I charge £11,250 plus VAT for work between the FDR and the Final Hearing. This fee includes advising on compliance with the FDR Order and preparation for trial. This fee covers up to 25 hours of my time. I charge 5 hours for representation for each day of the trial, this is £2250 plus VAT based on 5 hours. 
• With regards to time scales and the timetabling of Hearings, this depends on the court and could be anywhere from 6-18 months between each stage/Hearing, court tabling is wholly out of my control, however you may contact me for timescales specific to your case.
• If matters are concluded by agreement at any stage of the proceedings my fee to prepare the Consent Order is fixed at 10 hours of work.
• Please note these are fees quoted on the basis I am being instructed in the absence of a solicitor and on the basis the total marital/cohabitational assets are less than £300,000 in total, where assets exceed £300,000 please let me know as this may affect the above fees. The above fees are an indication only, please refer to my email to yourself as to the specifics of our agreement as to fees payable. Please contact me for a fee quotation specific to your case.
• If you wish to instruct me on a Direct Access basis, you may wish to review the Bar Standards Board Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients.
• The BSB’s Barristers’ Register shows (1) who has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/search-a-barristers-record/the-barristers-register.html
• Complaints: You must complain to the Legal Ombudsman either within six years of your barrister’s actions/failure to act, or no later than three years after you should reasonably have known there were grounds to complain. From April 2023 the time limit for referring a complaint the LeO shall be one year, counted either from the date of the act or omission being complained of or from the date when the complainant should have realised there was cause for complaint. Clients can complain to LeO if they are unhappy with the final response to their complaint within six months of receiving your barrister’s final response to your complaint, or if their complaint has not been dealt with within eight weeks. You can write to the Legal Ombudsman at: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton. WV1 9WJ. Tel: 0300 555 333 E:enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Website: http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/. Ombudsman decision data: the decision data on LeO’s website shows providers which received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months. In each case, the data shows whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/data-centre/ombudsman-decision-data/