If you use a family-law solicitor to prepare a prenuptial agreement, expect the total to run into four figures once everything is included – and that is usually per side, not for the couple. Fees are typically billed by the hour, so the final figure depends on how complex your finances are and how much negotiation is needed. This guide breaks down what makes up a solicitor prenup cost, what pushes it up, and how to bring it down without losing the safeguards that make an agreement hold up.
What you are paying for
A solicitor-led prenup typically involves four things:
- Taking instructions – meetings to understand your finances and what you want the agreement to do.
- Drafting the agreement – producing a bespoke document tailored to your situation.
- Negotiation – back-and-forth between the two partners’ solicitors until both sides are content.
- Independent legal advice for each person – because both partners should be separately advised, you are usually paying two sets of fees.
That last point is the one people miss. A prenup needs independent legal advice on both sides to carry full weight, so a solicitor-drafted agreement is really two engagements running in parallel (see do both partners need a lawyer?).
Solicitor prenup cost at a glance
| Scenario | Rough total | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple, agreed terms | Lower four figures per side | Little negotiation, straightforward assets |
| Some negotiation | Mid four figures per side | Several rounds between solicitors |
| Complex estate | £5,000+ per side | Businesses, trusts, pensions, overseas assets |
| Online draft + advice only | £199 + advice fee each | Solicitor advises rather than drafts |
These are broad guides, not quotes – hourly rates and the amount of work vary widely. For the whole cost landscape, see our guide to prenup costs.
What drives the price up
- Complexity – businesses, trusts, pensions and overseas assets all add time and specialist work.
- Negotiation – every round of back-and-forth between solicitors adds hours, and hours are what you are billed for.
- Seniority and location – partner-level solicitors and city firms charge more per hour than a high-street practice.
- How ready you are – turning up without your finances organised means the solicitor does that work at their hourly rate.
How to keep the cost down
The biggest lever on a solicitor prenup cost is how much drafting and negotiation you ask them to do. To reduce the bill:
- Agree the broad terms together first, so the solicitors are not negotiating from scratch.
- Set out your finances and wishes clearly before you start – our guide to what to include and the information you will need helps you arrive organised.
- Consider drafting online for a fixed fee, then using a solicitor only for the independent advice – far cheaper than full bespoke drafting.
How to reduce your solicitor prenup cost
The most effective saving is to change what you ask the solicitor to do. Agree the broad terms together first, have your finances clearly set out, and consider drafting the agreement online for a fixed fee – then instruct a solicitor purely to review it and give independent advice. That keeps you well clear of a full bespoke drafting bill while still getting the advice that helps the agreement stand up. As a rough guide, expect a fixed online fee from £199 plus a separate advice fee per partner, rather than the open-ended hourly billing that pushes a full solicitor-drafted prenup into four figures.
Questions to ask before you instruct a solicitor
A little diligence at the start keeps the bill predictable. Before you sign an engagement letter, ask: Do you charge by the hour or offer a fixed fee for a straightforward prenup? What is your hourly rate, and who will actually do the work – a partner or a junior? What is your best estimate of the total, and what would push it higher? Does the quote cover the independent advice my partner needs, or is that a separate firm and a separate bill? How many rounds of negotiation are included? Getting these answers in writing turns an open-ended commitment into something you can plan around, and lets you compare firms on a like-for-like basis. See how to choose a prenup solicitor for more on picking the right adviser.
How solicitors bill – hourly rates versus fixed fees
Most family-law solicitors charge by the hour, and rates vary widely by seniority and location: a high-street practice might charge a few hundred pounds an hour, while a senior partner at a city firm can charge considerably more. Because a prenup involves meetings, drafting, correspondence and negotiation, the hours add up quickly – and since the final total depends on how much work is needed, you often do not know the exact figure until the job is done. Some firms offer a fixed fee for a straightforward agreement, which removes that uncertainty, so it is always worth asking at the outset whether a fixed quote is available and exactly what it includes. Watch for extras that sit outside a headline fee, such as the cost of the second solicitor advising your partner, or additional rounds of negotiation billed separately.
A realistic example of where the money goes
Suppose a couple instruct separate solicitors. She has a solicitor take instructions, draft the agreement and prepare a disclosure schedule; that is several hours before anyone else is involved. His solicitor then reviews the draft, advises him, and suggests changes – more hours, on the other side. Those changes go back to her solicitor, who advises her and responds. Even a fairly amicable agreement can involve two or three rounds of this, and each round is billed by both firms. It is easy to see how a “simple” prenup reaches four figures per side without anyone doing anything unusual – the cost is structural, built into a two-solicitor, hourly-billed process. That is precisely why reducing the amount of drafting and negotiation you ask for is the single biggest lever on the bill.
What a solicitor cannot charge you to avoid
It helps to know what your fees can and cannot buy. No amount of spending makes a prenup automatically binding – since Radmacher v Granatino (2010) a court gives a properly made agreement significant weight, but it keeps a discretion under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 that no fee can remove. A solicitor also cannot draft away the court’s two backstops: an agreement cannot leave a partner in real need, and it cannot override the court’s duty to provide for children. What you are paying a good solicitor for is careful drafting, sound advice and a fair, robust agreement – not a guarantee, because none exists.
Is a cheaper option any good?
A cheaper prenup can be perfectly sound – provided it is done properly. What matters to whether an agreement holds up is full disclosure, fair terms, good timing and correct execution as a deed, not the size of the bill. The danger is a bargain-basement prenup or DIY template that cuts those corners. For most couples the fixed-fee online route, plus advice, is the value sweet spot – see online prenup vs solicitor.
Solicitor prenup cost: FAQs
Why do solicitor prenups cost so much?
Because you are usually paying, by the hour, for drafting, negotiation and separate advice for both partners – effectively two engagements at once (see online vs solicitor).
Is the fee per person or per couple?
Usually per person. Each partner instructs their own solicitor for independent advice, so the household typically pays two sets of fees (see do both partners need a lawyer?).
Can I just pay a solicitor to check a prenup I already have?
Yes – review-and-advise is much cheaper than bespoke drafting, which is why drafting online then taking advice is so popular (see prenup costs).
Is a cheaper prenup any good?
It can be, if it is done properly – but watch the corners a cheap prenup might cut, such as disclosure and correct signing.
Will a solicitor give me a fixed quote?
Some offer fixed fees for straightforward agreements, but many bill by the hour, so ask up front. A fixed-fee online draft removes that uncertainty for the drafting stage (see choosing a prenup solicitor).
Does paying more make a prenup more binding?
No. A high fee buys careful drafting and advice, not enforceability. A prenup is never automatically binding; its weight comes from disclosure, fairness, timing and correct signing – not from the price tag (see what makes a prenup invalid).
How much does the solicitor’s advice-only option cost?
Advising on a finished agreement is far cheaper than drafting one, because the document already exists – the solicitor simply reviews it and advises you. Ask for a fixed fee for that limited scope (see independent legal advice).
Are there any costs beyond the solicitor’s fee?
Usually the main cost is time – gathering documents for full disclosure and valuing assets. Occasionally a formal valuation of a business or property adds a separate cost, which you would agree up front.
Create your prenuptial agreement online
UK Prenup lets couples in England & Wales create a clear, fair prenuptial agreement online from £199, with your document generated instantly as a PDF. See how it works or get started.
UK Prenup is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. A prenuptial agreement in England & Wales is not automatically binding, and both partners should take independent legal advice before signing.