A North London family solicitor has launched an app designed to help divorcing or separating couples in England and Wales to save money on their legal fees.

Peter Martin, head of family law at Finchley firm OGR Stock Denton, has devised the ‘Divorce?’ app to provide people with easy-to-understand, practical information about the divorce process.

It covers topics including legal costs, the practical implications of separation, individual rights and entitlements, long-term financial impact and expectations, and issues around handling any children involved.

Reflecting the new move for divorcing couples to be referred for mediation prior to going to court, it promotes the use of mediation throughout the process and explains how it works.

It also includes a financial needs calculator that follows the principles used by the family courts in deciding each party’s financial needs when considering settlements.

The app will initially be available through the iTunes apps store.

Martin said: ‘This is not a gimmicky do-it-yourself guide, but a tool for making the process work for real people.

‘People spend significant amounts of money on a lawyer’s time just to go through the complex explanations of the process, working out practical elements and having financial discussions about needs and what the court considers important.

‘Working through all of this in your own time before even meeting a lawyer should save hundreds in fees.’