A NICHE family law practice based in York is a contender for the New Business of the Year title in The Press Business Awards.

Set up at the end of 2014, Paradigm Family Law (PFL) covers local, national and international divorce and financial remedy cases at fixed fees.

Managing partners James Thornton and Frank Arndt had many years’ experience in family law. What struck both of them across the legal profession as a whole was the apparent dichotomy between working for your client and yet doing so on the basis of an hourly rate fee structure.

The conflict between having the experience and expertise to do the job effectively and efficiently was seemingly entirely at odds with the profit driven nature of billing on the basis of time spent on a case.

They decided there was a better way, saying: “Paradigm Family Law is a pioneer. With a great York city-centre base, it is the only niche family law firm in the country offering clients a fixed fee for all their divorce and financial proceedings from start to finish.”

The partners have developed a secret formula which takes account of the value of the matrimonial assets, and with the benefit of their experience in the industry, applies multipliers relevant to the issues in the case. That produces a fixed fee for the whole case.

“We believe that the proof is in the pudding. Since starting our practice, all of our clients have chosen to retain us on the fixed fee basis rather than using hourly rates.”

PFL said it had forged links with local businesses such as Aviva, and its fixed fee model is attracting worldwide attention, with inquiries from America and Europe from asking us for details of the fixed-fee formula.