What Happens in the Judge Review?
For those who want the most authoritative possible view of their case, a senior family court judge or barrister will review your report and financial picture. They will provide a written opinion on how they believe a court would approach your specific circumstances.
This is not a legal judgment - no court order is made - but it carries the weight of genuine judicial experience. It is particularly valuable if:
- You and your spouse have significantly different views on what a fair settlement looks like
- You want an objective third-party view to help move negotiations forward
- You are considering whether to accept a proposed settlement and want to know how a court would compare
- Your case involves complexity - high-value assets, pensions, business interests, or an inheritance dispute
The opinion is provided in writing and can be shared with your own solicitor or used as the basis for settlement discussions.
There are two options available
Barrister opinion
£1,800
including VAT
Sitting judge opinion
£3,600
including VAT
WhatWouldAJudgeSay will work with you to arrange the service.
Inputs for the session
You should have:
- Completed your SmartJudge assessment in full
- Reviewed your report and noted any sections you want to discuss or challenge
- Checked that your SmartJudge report is based on up to date valuations (such as pensions and mortgage balances)
- Prepared to share your SmartJudge report and the financial disclosure you filled in
The judge or barrister needs both the report and the information used to generate it to evaluate a financial settlement. You can export both in a couple of clicks - see how to share your report and data.
The more complete your financial picture, the more targeted and useful the expert review will be.
Next steps
WhatWouldAJudgeSay is required to carry out a conflict check before we review your SmartJudge report. This confirms that it is not already engaged with the other party in your case - as a client, an enquirer, or a prior contact. It is a routine professional requirement for every family law firm, and we apply the same standard. You can read more in our conflict check FAQ.
Here is how it works:
Book your judge or barrister reviewFree
Use the quick form. You are not charged. We reply within a day explaining what is needed for the conflict check.Share details for the conflict checkFree
Share the name, address and date of birth for both parties. You can send them by email, WhatsApp or phone. It takes less than 5 minutes.We run the conflict checkFree
You get the outcome within one working day.Pay and book
If the check is clear, we send a secure payment link for either £1,800 or £3,600 including VAT. You share your SmartJudge report and the financial disclosure you filled in - find out how. We instruct the barrister or sitting judge and arrange their review.You receive the written opinion
The judge or barrister's written opinion arrives within 6 weeks, and you book a solicitor call to review it.You discuss the findings with a solicitor
A one hour session with the solicitor to walk through the judge or barrister's findings and what they mean for your next steps.
Got a question? Contact usFree
The WhatWouldAJudgeSay team can explain the process and answer questions - at no charge. They cannot discuss the details of your case until your conflict check is complete.
“Within 4 weeks, I had clear, confidential answers about what my financial situation would look like in the event of a divorce. Everything was explained in plain English, with none of the usual legal jargon. … Highly recommended for anyone wanting clarity without the long waits and huge legal fees.”
Start with the free AI assessment - then decide whether you want to go further.
Start Your Free SmartJudge Assessment