The price of divorce

Although the government said that divorce proceedings should cost €193 a number of clients have footed exorbitant fees.

5 August 2012, 12:00am
by Julia Farrugia

1 min read

Justice minister Chris Said said that divorce proceedings in Malta should cost 193.

In answer to a parliamentary question, justice minister Chris Said said that divorce proceedings in Malta should cost €193. However this has raised a few eyebrows of persons who have obtained a divorce.

While the government has said that lawyers are due €150 and the rest goes towards court expenses, persons have received bills which are much more expensive.

The Yes movement had insisted that the tariffs should not be expensive.

However, the movement's chairperson Deborah Schembri is among the lawyers who is at the centre of such complaints. A bill issued by Schembri, seen by Sunday newspaper Illum amounts to €1,300.

In comments to Illum, Schembri said the €150 tariff is not realistic.

An exercise carried out by the newspaper reveals that a number of legal firms, including Gonzi & Associates Ltd could not guarantee that the tariff stands at €150.

The president of the Chamber of Advocates Rueben Balzan said that the normal practice is to have a price agreed by the client and the lawyer before the case is filed, however clients can always file a complaint with the chamber if they feel that they have been overcharged.

Read more in today's edition of Illum

Julia Farrugia is a former editor of Illum newspaper.

More from Julia Farrugia

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@ bejn il-linji, do not be asinine nmae just one nationalist lawyer who would take up a divorce case for €150

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A simple "rekors" costs about €120 never mind a divorce case. Chris Said is trying, in gonzipn's name, to stir malcontent on the issue seeing that they lost the referendum. It is simply trying to say "We told you so, divorce is a messy business" How better to get revenge on those who wanted divorce than to stir shit.

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Very Nicde deborah....if the tariffs are ridiculous do not take up that work...leave it for those that can work according to the tariffs... dhaqt bin-nies darba (mhux bija) u tidher li ser tibqa tidhaq bin-nies...

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It is quite unfair to state that the lawyers fee is 150 euro only. First there are a number of documents which have to be presented in court which are the affidavits of the persons involved, the court sittings which may be up to three depending whether the person want a quick divirce or try to fight it out once again. Secondly, there are other expenses which concern the visiits at the office of the lawyer. So one cannot say that the 150 would cover the whole costs. The same principle applies to other orofessionals, every time you visit one he or she charges you. Does this mean that if you go once at the dentist he charges for the whole future treatments? Therefore, it is one thing to file an application and receive the value of 150 Euro and these do nkt cover the costs of other things which I mentioned above such as the affidavits and meetings at the office. So please, do not generalize and mention facts correctly.

Paul Sammut •

€150 jew Lm 83 biss????? Isa hej, ghanqas haqq iz-zieda fil-gimgha li hadu il-ministri? Il-lum anqas tbajjad kamra b`€150. Bla dubju, jidher li is-shana qed tghamel tghaha jew dehlin fl-istagun tal-buzullotti.

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€193 price of divorce, should read "Legal fees for a divorce". The price one pays is not valued in pounds or Euros, then again the amount is ridiculously low. I've heard some or most lawyers charge anything between 1,000 to 1,500 for their services and the court fees are something like €150 to €200 depending on any other registrar fee. Something is wrong with this question, Chris Said needs to re-ask this question.

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who says divorce is cheap. That is a very low figure. The figure should calculate everything - housing, maintenance, living expense etc. Malta didn't get divorce earlier was becuase going back 30-40 years ago, it couldn't afford it. Now things have changed. ANd people can go the government and get free money.

Ian Sammut •

"A bill issued by Schembri, seen by Sunday newspaper Illum amounts to 1,300 Euro" No wonder that Dr. Schembri was ( may be she is still occupying this position) the Chairman of the Pro Divorce lobby Movement.