Divorce Law Wiki

Divorce in England and Wales is the legal ending of a marriage by a divorce order of the Family Court. Since 6 April 2022 either or both parties may apply on the sole ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably; the application is accompanied by a statement to that effect, which the court must take as conclusive evidence, and no fact such as adultery or behaviour needs to be proved.[1] The applicant must have been married for over a year, the court fee is £628 (September 2026), and the process runs through a conditional order and then a final order.[2]

Divorce Law Wiki is a reference encyclopaedia of divorce and dissolution in England and Wales and their financial consequences, published by Family Legal Ltd. Divorce Law Wiki’s articles cover the process, timescales and fees, financial settlement law, consent orders and clean breaks, the court forms, pensions, maintenance and the cases that shaped the law, each written from primary sources with numbered references. About this site and editorial policy.

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The six questions most often asked about divorce in England and Wales, each answered in full on the page that owns the subject:

  1. How do you get a divorce in England and Wales?
  2. What is no-fault divorce?
  3. How long does a divorce take?
  4. How much does a divorce cost?
  5. What is a conditional order?
  6. What is a final order?

Articles

The process

  • Divorce in England and Wales How to get divorced in England and Wales: the one-year rule, the online or D8 application, sole and joint applications, the 20-week wait, conditional and final orders, the £628 fee and timescales, with sources.
  • No-fault divorce No-fault divorce in England and Wales: how the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 abolished the five facts, ended defended divorces, introduced joint applications and the 20-week period, with statistics and history.
  • How long a divorce takes A divorce in England and Wales takes at least 26 weeks: 20 weeks to the conditional order and 6 weeks to the final order. Typical times from court statistics, causes of delay and when to wait, with sources.
  • Divorce fees and Help with Fees The divorce fee in England and Wales is £628 (from 6 July 2026). What it covers, the £62 consent order and £321 Form A fees, Help with Fees thresholds, legal aid and typical legal costs, with sources.
  • Conditional order A conditional order is the first stage of a divorce in England and Wales, applied for 20 weeks after the application on Form D84 or online. What it does, the court’s checks, its effect and the six-week rule, with sources.
  • Final order A final order ends a marriage in England and Wales. When it can be applied for (6 weeks after the conditional order), Form D36, its effect on pensions and inheritance, why to wait for a financial order, and the respondent’s rights, with sources.
  • Dissolution of a civil partnership How to end a civil partnership in England and Wales: the Civil Partnership Act 2004 as amended in 2022, the one-year rule, Form D8, conditional and final orders, the £628 fee, conversion to marriage and statistics, with sources.

Financial remedy law

  • Financial settlement on divorce How a financial settlement on divorce is decided in England and Wales: the section 25 factors, needs and sharing, White, Miller and Standish, the orders available, consent orders, court fees, statistics and reform, with primary sources.
  • Spousal maintenance Spousal maintenance explained: the law under section 23 MCA 1973, how amounts are decided, joint lives and term orders, the clean break duty, Duxbury lump sums, variation, remarriage and cohabitation, and how it differs from child maintenance.
  • Property on divorce How the family home is dealt with on divorce: section 24 transfer and sale orders, Mesher and Martin orders, home rights and HR1, severing a joint tenancy, mortgages, stamp duty and capital gains tax, with sources.

Agreed outcomes

  • Consent order A consent order makes a divorce financial agreement legally binding in England and Wales. Legal basis, contents, timing, the £62 fee, D81, judge’s scrutiny, variation and setting aside, with sources.
  • Clean break order A clean break order ends all financial claims between former spouses in England and Wales. MCA 1973 s.25A, capital and income clean breaks, Wyatt v Vince, what it does not cover, nominal maintenance, with sources.
  • Nuptial agreements Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements are not automatically binding in England and Wales but are given effect if freely made, understood and fair (Radmacher v Granatino). The test, needs limit, formalities, later cases and reform, with sources.

Contested outcomes and forms

  • Form A Form A starts a financial order application in England and Wales, contested or by consent. Legal basis, when to file, the MIAM section, the £321 and £62 fees, service and the First Appointment timetable, with sources.
  • Form E Form E is the financial disclosure statement exchanged in contested financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales. FPR 9.14, the 35-day rule, sections, documents, statement of truth and non-disclosure, with sources.
  • Form D81 Form D81 is the statement of information filed with a consent order application in England and Wales. Legal basis, the 23 sections, net effect tables, what the judge checks and common queries, with sources.

Pensions

  • Pensions on divorce How pensions are divided on divorce in England and Wales: pension sharing, offsetting and attachment, the cash equivalent and its limits, the State Pension, PODE reports, forms, timing and tax, with primary sources.
  • Pension sharing order A pension sharing order transfers a percentage of one spouse’s pension to the other on divorce in England and Wales. Legal basis, pension credit and debit, Form P1, when it takes effect, the four-month implementation period, transfers and charges, with sources.

Mediation

  • Mediation during divorce How mediation fits the divorce process in England and Wales: the MIAM, the 20-week window, the memorandum of understanding to consent order route, what if it fails, cost, legal aid, the voucher and outcome data, with sources.

Cases

  • Key divorce and financial remedy cases The leading divorce and financial remedy cases in England and Wales, from White v White (2000) to Standish v Standish (2025): neutral citation, court, date, what each decided and a link to the official judgment.

Recently reviewed

Divorce Law Wiki is one of six reference sites published by Family Legal Ltd, each owning a different subject. Family mediation, the usual route to an agreed financial outcome, is covered on Family Mediation Wiki; contested financial remedy hearings and the court itself on Family Court Wiki; the wider statutes and children law on Family Law Wiki; and the period before and around divorce on Separation Wiki. Mediate UK Wiki is an encyclopaedic article on Mediate UK, a mediation provider that belongs to the publisher.

References

  1. Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, section 1: divorce on breakdown of marriage. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  2. Get a divorce. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.

This article is part of Divorce Law Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd. It is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.