Another option, and an alternative to court proceedings, is family arbitration. It involves having a third party to collect and hear all evidence and then make a decision, if perhaps a mutual agreement or mediation has failed to sort out matters.
It’s worth bearing in mind that, like the courts, this route means a decision is made for you. You can find a qualified arbitrator listed on the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators website, however costs very case to case and by the level of experience the arbitrator has. Most will also charge by the hour, but a fixed fee can be arranged for more simple cases.
Costs range from £220 per hour and, according to one solicitor on a Mumsnet forum, costs on average £3,000 - £3,500 shared between the couple.