Divorce is the legal ending of a marriage by a court order. In England and Wales the only ground is that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and since 6 April 2022 that ground is established simply by a statement from one or both spouses, which the court “must take to be conclusive evidence”.[1][2] There is no longer any need to allege adultery, behaviour, desertion or a period of separation, and a spouse cannot dispute the divorce except on narrow grounds such as jurisdiction or the validity of the marriage.[3][4] An application may be made only after one year of marriage, is made online or on Form D8 to the Family Court, and costs £628 unless the applicant qualifies for Help with Fees.[5][6][7]
A divorce has two stages. A conditional order cannot be applied for until 20 weeks after the application is issued, and a final order, which ends the marriage, cannot be made until at least six weeks after the conditional order, so the shortest possible divorce takes about 26 weeks.[1] In practice the median time was 27 weeks to conditional order and 39 weeks to final order in January to March 2026.[8] The divorce itself does not divide money, property or pensions and does not decide arrangements for children; those are dealt with separately, usually by agreement, mediation or a consent order.[9][10] The most recent Office for National Statistics release, for 2023, recorded 102,678 divorces in England and Wales.[11]
Definition and terminology
Section 1(1) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 now provides that “either or both parties to a marriage may apply to the court for an order (a ‘divorce order’) which dissolves the marriage on the ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably”.[1] A divorce order therefore does two things: it records the court’s finding that the marriage has broken down, and it dissolves the marriage so that each former spouse is free to remarry. It is distinct from a nullity order, which declares that a marriage was void or voidable from the outset, and from judicial separation, which relieves the spouses of the duty to live together without ending the marriage.[12]
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 replaced the older vocabulary. The person who applies is the applicant (formerly the petitioner), the other spouse is the respondent, the first-stage order is the conditional order (formerly decree nisi) and the order that ends the marriage is the final order (formerly decree absolute).[13] Applications issued before 6 April 2022 continue under the old law and the old terms, and the Family Court Statistics still report a small number of decrees absolute under that law.[8] The ending of a civil partnership follows a parallel procedure under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and is called dissolution.
Because the 2020 Act removed the need to prove any fact about conduct or separation, the current system is commonly called no-fault divorce. Conduct remains a factor, in exceptional cases, only in the separate financial proceedings.
Legal basis
The substantive law is in Part I of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Section 1, as substituted by section 1 of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, sets out the ground, the statement, the two-stage order and the minimum periods; section 3 bars an application within the first year of marriage; sections 9 and 10 govern the period between conditional and final order.[1][5][14][15] The 2020 Act received Royal Assent on 25 June 2020 and was brought fully into force on 6 April 2022 by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (Commencement) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/283.[16][2]
Section 1(3) is the heart of the reform. Where an application is accompanied by the required statement, the court “must (a) take the statement to be conclusive evidence that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and (b) make a divorce order”.[1] The court has no discretion to refuse a properly made application and no power to inquire into the reasons for the breakdown. Section 1(4) provides that a divorce order “is, in the first instance, a conditional order” and “may not be made final before the end of the period of 6 weeks from the making of the conditional order”; section 1(5) prevents the applicant confirming that they wish to proceed “before the end of the period of 20 weeks from the start of proceedings”.[1] The Lord Chancellor may alter either period by statutory instrument, but not so that together they exceed 26 weeks, and the court may shorten either period in a particular case.[1]
Jurisdiction is governed by section 5 of the Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973, as amended after the United Kingdom left the European Union.[17] Procedure is in Part 7 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Practice Direction 7A, which were substituted for the reformed law with effect from 6 April 2022 and which govern the application, service, the acknowledgement of service, answers, and the applications for conditional and final orders.[12][4]
Eligibility
A person can apply for a divorce in England and Wales if three conditions are met: the marriage is legally recognised in the United Kingdom; the parties have been married for at least one year; and the court has jurisdiction because of the parties’ habitual residence or domicile.[18][5][17] GOV.UK summarises the position as being able to apply if “you’ve been married for over a year”, “your relationship has permanently broken down” and “your marriage is legally recognised in the UK”.[18] Nothing else is required: the applicant does not need the other spouse’s agreement, and does not need to give any reason beyond the statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.[1]
The one-year bar
Section 3(1) of the 1973 Act provides that “an application for a divorce order may not be made before the expiration of the period of one year from the date of the marriage”.[5] Before April 2022 the section also prevented a petition within the first year from relying on events during that year, a provision that became redundant once facts no longer had to be proved and was repealed.[5] The bar is absolute; a spouse who needs relief within the first year may apply for judicial separation, a nullity order where grounds exist, or protective orders, but not for divorce.
Jurisdiction
Section 5(2) of the Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973 gives the court jurisdiction to entertain divorce proceedings if, and only if, one of the following applies on the date the proceedings are begun: both parties are habitually resident in England and Wales; both were last habitually resident there and one still resides there; the respondent is habitually resident there; in a joint application, either party is habitually resident there; the applicant has been habitually resident there for at least one year; the applicant is domiciled and has been habitually resident there for at least six months; both parties are domiciled there; or either party is domiciled there.[17] The domicile-of-either-party ground was added when the EU Brussels IIa regime ceased to apply on 31 December 2020, and the joint-application ground was added by the 2020 Act.[17][16] A marriage celebrated abroad qualifies if it was valid where it took place and is recognised in England and Wales; the applicant must produce the marriage certificate, with a certified translation where it is not in English.[4][6]
The application
A divorce application is made either through the HMCTS online divorce service or on paper using Form D8, “Apply for a divorce or to dissolve a civil partnership”.[6][19] It may be made by one spouse (a sole application) or by both together (a joint application). The applicant or applicants provide their names and addresses, the original marriage certificate or a certified copy, proof of any change of name, and the statement of irretrievable breakdown, and pay the £628 fee or apply for Help with Fees.[6][7][20] The court issues the application, gives it a case number and, in a sole application, sends it to the respondent.[21]
Sole and joint applications
The joint application was introduced by the 2020 Act and had no equivalent under the old law.[13] GOV.UK states that a couple can apply jointly if “you both agree that you should get a divorce” and both are prepared to co-operate with the process.[9] In a joint application the spouses are described as applicant 1 and applicant 2; there is no respondent, both receive the notice of issue, and both must confirm at the conditional order stage that they wish to continue.[1][21] If one of them stops co-operating, the rules allow the application to proceed as a sole application by the other, and GOV.UK confirms that a person “can apply for a conditional order and continue with the divorce as a sole applicant, even if you started the divorce process jointly”.[12][22]
In January to March 2026, 72 per cent of applications were sole and 28 per cent joint; the joint share has risen from 22 per cent in the first quarter of the new law.[8][23]
Online or paper
Most applications are now made online. The online service requires a debit or credit card for the fee and an email address for the applicant; if the respondent’s email address is given the court serves the papers electronically, otherwise by post.[6] Paper applications on Form D8, which runs to 20 pages in its April 2026 edition, are sent to the HMCTS Divorce and Dissolution service.[19][6] The Ministry of Justice reported that 96 per cent of applications in early 2023 were digital.[24] Practice Direction 7A requires the marriage certificate, or a certified copy, to be filed with the application.[4] A stage-by-stage account of the online process is published by Divorce Magpie, an information site operated by Family Legal Ltd, the publisher of this wiki.[25]
Service, acknowledgement and disputed applications
Service
After a sole application is issued, a copy must be served on the respondent together with an acknowledgement of service form and a notice of proceedings.[12] The court normally serves the application, by email where an address has been given, with a postal notification; the rules set a time limit of 28 days from issue for the steps required to serve the respondent.[12][6] Where the respondent cannot be traced or will not accept service, the applicant may ask the court for alternative service, deemed service or, in the last resort, an order dispensing with service. Problems with service are among the commonest causes of delay; see divorce timescales.
Acknowledgement of service
Rule 7.7 requires the respondent to file an acknowledgement of service within 14 days beginning with the date of service, stating whether they intend to dispute the proceedings.[12] GOV.UK explains that the respondent must respond within 14 days to say whether they agree or wish to dispute, and that if the respondent does not respond the applicant should contact them if it is safe to do so, since “they can still respond after the deadline”; otherwise “the court will contact you and tell you what you can do”.[21] A respondent who does not return the acknowledgement cannot prevent the divorce; the applicant will need to prove service, for example by a process server or by an application for deemed service, before applying for the conditional order.[12]
Disputed applications
Under the old law a respondent could defend a petition by denying the fact alleged. The 2020 Act removed that possibility. Practice Direction 7A states that “an answer cannot be filed disputing the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or civil partnership”; a respondent may dispute only “the validity or subsistence of the marriage or civil partnership or the jurisdiction of the court”.[4] GOV.UK puts it in plain terms: the respondent “cannot dispute the divorce simply because they do not want a divorce or to delay the process” and “must have a genuine legal reason”.[21] An answer must be filed within 21 days after the deadline for the acknowledgement of service, and a disputed case is listed for a case management hearing.[12] Applications to prevent a conditional order being made final, and interventions by the King’s Proctor where material facts have not been brought before the court, remain possible under section 9 of the 1973 Act but are rare.[14][12]
The stages: 20 weeks, conditional order and final order
A divorce passes through three fixed points after issue. First, nothing further can happen for 20 weeks, a period Parliament intended for reflection and for making practical arrangements.[1][13] Second, once the 20 weeks have passed and service is proved, the applicant (or both joint applicants) confirms that they wish to continue and applies for a conditional order, which the court makes if satisfied that the procedural requirements are met; the conditional order does not end the marriage.[12][22] Third, six weeks after the conditional order the applicant may apply for the final order, which dissolves the marriage on the day it is made.[1][10]
| Stage | Earliest time | Form or action | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application issued | Day 0 (after one year of marriage) | Online service or Form D8; fee £628[6][7] | Proceedings start; the 20-week period begins to run[1] |
| Service and acknowledgement | Within 28 days of issue; acknowledgement within 14 days of service | Court serves the application; respondent files acknowledgement of service[12] | Establishes that the respondent has notice; identifies any dispute |
| Application for conditional order | 20 weeks after issue | Online or Form D84, with a statement confirming the application remains true[1][26][12] | Court checks entitlement and issues a certificate with the date the order will be pronounced[22] |
| Conditional order made | Typically a few weeks after the application | Pronounced in open court on the listed date without attendance[22] | The court has found the parties entitled to divorce; the marriage continues; the court may now make financial orders[22] |
| Application for final order | 6 weeks after the conditional order (43 days in GOV.UK’s calculation) | Online or Form D36; the respondent may apply 3 months later[10][27][14] | Court checks that no application or appeal is pending[12] |
| Final order made | Usually within days of the application | Order sent to both parties[10] | The marriage is dissolved; each party may remarry; pension sharing orders take effect[28] |
The 20-week period
Section 1(5) prevents confirmation of the application, and therefore the making of a conditional order, “before the end of the period of 20 weeks from the start of proceedings”.[1] The period runs from issue, not from service, a point debated during the Bill’s passage because a respondent served late has less notice; the Family Procedure Rules address this by requiring the court, before making a conditional order, to be satisfied that the respondent has been served.[29][12] The Ministry of Justice described the period as a “new minimum wait of 20 weeks between application and conditional order” giving couples time to reflect and to agree arrangements for children and finances.[13] The court may shorten the period in a particular case under section 1(8), but this is exceptional.[1]
The conditional order
The application for a conditional order is made online or on Form D84 and must be accompanied by a statement confirming that the contents of the application remain true.[12][26] The court considers it on the papers, issues a certificate of entitlement stating “the time and date you’ll be granted a conditional order”, and pronounces the order on that date in open court without either party attending; the checks “may take several weeks” and “you will still be married after it has been granted”.[22] From the conditional order the court can make a final financial order, including a consent order. See conditional order.
The final order
Section 1(4)(b) provides that a divorce order “may not be made final before the end of the period of 6 weeks from the making of the conditional order”, which GOV.UK expresses as “at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day)”.[1][10] The applicant gives notice online or on Form D36, and the court makes the order final if no application to rescind, appeal or application to prevent it is pending and any requirements under section 10 of the 1973 Act have been met; a notice more than 12 months after the conditional order must explain the delay.[12][27] Where a sole applicant does not apply, the respondent may do so three months after the earliest date on which the applicant could have applied.[14][10] The marriage ends when the final order is made. See final order.
There are often good reasons to delay the final order until the finances are resolved. A pension sharing order “is not to take effect unless the divorce … order on or after which it is made has been made final”, but a spouse who dies after the final order and before a financial order is made leaves the survivor as a former spouse, without widow’s or widower’s pension rights and treated under section 18A of the Wills Act 1837 as having predeceased for the purposes of the deceased’s will.[28][30] GOV.UK advises that a person who wants “a legally binding arrangement for dividing money and property” must apply to the court “before you apply for a final order”.[10] Section 10 of the 1973 Act also allows a respondent to a sole application to ask the court not to make the order final until satisfied that the financial provision for them is “reasonable and fair or the best that can be made in the circumstances”.[15]
How long a divorce takes
The statutory minimum is 26 weeks: 20 weeks from issue to the earliest application for a conditional order, and six weeks from conditional order to final order, plus the court’s processing time at each stage.[1] The Ministry of Justice’s Family Court Statistics Quarterly for January to March 2026 reports that for cases under the 2020 Act the median time was 27 weeks from application to conditional order and 39 weeks to final order, that is around six months and around eight to nine months.[8] The mean figures, 39 weeks and 67 weeks, are inflated by a dwindling tail of old-law cases and by cases where the parties chose to delay the final order.[8]
Three things determine where an individual divorce falls within that range: whether service and the acknowledgement of service go smoothly; how quickly each spouse applies once the statutory periods have expired; and whether the applicant deliberately waits for a financial order before applying for the final order. The stage-by-stage figures, the causes of delay and the reasons for waiting are examined on divorce timescales.
Fees and Help with Fees
The court fee for “filing an application for a divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution” is £628 under fee 1.2 of the Family Proceedings Fees Order, as set out in the July 2026 edition of HMCTS fee list EX50; GOV.UK states “there’s a £628 fee to apply for a divorce”.[7][6] The fee is paid once, by the applicant or shared between joint applicants as they choose; there is no separate fee for the conditional or final order. An application by consent for a financial order carries a further fee of £62 (fee 5.1), and a contested financial application £321 (fee 5.4).[7]
A person who receives certain benefits or has a low income and limited savings may apply for Help with Fees, online or on form EX160, which can remit the fee in whole or in part; in a joint application both applicants must apply for help.[20][6] The history of the fee and the Help with Fees thresholds are set out on divorce fees.
Finances are separate
A divorce order ends the marriage but does not itself divide money, property, debts or pensions, and does not end either spouse’s ability to make financial claims against the other.[9][10] Those claims are dealt with under Part II of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 in separate financial remedy proceedings, which may run alongside the divorce and can be started at any time after the application is issued. Most couples resolve them by agreement and ask the court to approve a consent order, which the court can make once the conditional order has been pronounced.[12] The principles the court applies are explained on financial settlement.
Because claims survive the final order, a former spouse who does not obtain a financial order, including a clean break order, remains exposed to a claim years later. Where the couple have reached agreement before applying, a separation agreement may record it, but only a court order is binding on the parties and on pension providers.[28] Form D8 asks whether the applicant intends to apply for a financial order, and answering yes preserves the claims without starting proceedings.[19]
Children are separate
The divorce process does not involve the court considering arrangements for children. There is no requirement to tell the divorce court where the children will live or how they will be supported. GOV.UK explains that a couple can choose to work out “arrangements for looking after any children” and “child maintenance payments” themselves and “can usually avoid going to court hearings if you agree about children, money and property”.[9] Where parents cannot agree, either may apply for a child arrangements order under the Children Act 1989, normally after attending a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. Child maintenance is arranged by agreement or through the Child Maintenance Service and is not part of the divorce.
Mediation during divorce
Mediation has no formal place in the divorce application itself, which no longer requires any agreement between the spouses. It is relevant to the two sets of decisions that run alongside the divorce: finances and children. GOV.UK describes a mediator as “a professional who will work with you to help you make decisions”, puts the usual cost of a MIAM at around £120, and notes that a voucher worth up to £500 is usually available for mediation about children and that legal aid covers mediation for those who qualify on means.[31] An applicant for a financial remedy or a children order must normally have attended a MIAM before applying to court.[31] The 20-week period was designed in part to give couples time to use mediation or other non-court dispute resolution before the divorce is finalised.[13] How mediation fits around the divorce timetable, and what a mediated financial agreement needs to become binding, is covered on mediation during divorce.
Statistics
Two official series describe divorce in England and Wales. The Office for National Statistics publishes an annual count of divorces granted, derived from Ministry of Justice records; the most recent release, for 2023, appeared on 2 July 2025, and a release covering 2024 and 2025 is due on 23 September 2026. The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly court data on applications and orders in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly, most recently for January to March 2026.[11][8]
| Measure | Figure | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Divorces granted | 102,678 | ONS, 2023 (described as a return to pre-pandemic levels)[11] |
| Divorces granted under the 2020 Act | 76,164 (74.2 per cent of the total) | ONS, 2023[11] |
| Same-sex divorces | 1,891, the highest annual figure to date | ONS, 2023[11] |
| Divorce rate | 8.6 per 1,000 married men and 8.5 per 1,000 married women | ONS, 2023[11] |
| Median duration of marriage at divorce | 12.7 years (opposite-sex couples) | ONS, 2023[11] |
| Sole applications among final orders under the new law | 73.1 per cent | ONS, 2023[11] |
| Divorce applications | 28,632, down 5 per cent on a year earlier | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
| Sole and joint applications | 72 per cent sole (20,673); 28 per cent joint (7,959) | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
| Final orders granted | 27,320, up 24 per cent | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
| Median time to conditional order (2020 Act cases) | 27 weeks | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
| Median time to final order (2020 Act cases) | 39 weeks | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
| Financial remedy applications | 12,646 | MoJ, January to March 2026[8] |
The 2022 figure was unusually low because the new minimum periods meant that few applications made after 6 April 2022 could reach a final order within the calendar year; the ONS notes that the 2023 increase “reflects the lower number of final orders recorded in 2022, following the introduction of the new legislation”.[11] The first quarter of the new law saw 33,566 applications, described by the Ministry of Justice as the highest quarterly figure in a decade, reflecting applicants who had waited for the reform.[23]
History
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 1857 | The Matrimonial Causes Act 1857 created the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, making judicial divorce available for the first time in place of a private Act of Parliament. Adultery was the only ground[32] |
| 1 January 1971 | The Divorce Reform Act 1969 came into force, making irretrievable breakdown the sole ground, to be proved by one of five facts: adultery, behaviour, desertion, two years’ separation with consent, or five years’ separation[33][29] |
| 1973 | The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 consolidated the 1969 Act and the law on financial provision; its section 1 remained the basis of divorce for the next 49 years[1] |
| 1996 | Part II of the Family Law Act 1996 provided for divorce by a period of reflection and consideration after an information meeting. After pilots the government declared it unworkable in 2001; it was never brought into force[34][29] |
| 13 May 2014 | Section 18 of the Children and Families Act 2014 repealed Part II of the 1996 Act, except section 22 on funding for marriage support[35][34] |
| October 2017 | The Nuffield Foundation study Finding Fault, led by Professor Liz Trinder, reported that the fault-based system was out of step with practice and recommended a notification system[36][29] |
| 25 July 2018 | The Supreme Court in Owens v Owens dismissed Mrs Owens’s appeal against the refusal of her behaviour petition, Lord Wilson observing that “Parliament may wish to consider whether to replace a law which denies to Mrs Owens any present entitlement to a divorce”[37] |
| 15 September 2018 | The Ministry of Justice consultation Reducing family conflict proposed removing the five facts; the government announced legislation on 9 April 2019, noting that the behaviour fact accounted for 46.4 per cent of petitions in 2016 to 2018[38] |
| 25 June 2020 | The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 received Royal Assent[16] |
| 6 April 2022 | The 2020 Act came into force under SI 2022/283, together with the substituted Part 7 of the Family Procedure Rules and the new online service[2][13][12] |
Criticism and debate
The 2020 reform commanded broad support among family lawyers and the judiciary, and its passage through Parliament was contested mainly on two points. Opponents argued that removing fault would make divorce easier and undermine marriage; the government responded that the old law had not prevented divorce but had required couples to make allegations, and that the 20-week period introduced a longer minimum timetable than the old law’s uncontested procedure.[29][38] A second concern was the running of the 20 weeks from issue rather than from service, which can leave a respondent with less than 20 weeks’ notice; the rules require proof of service before a conditional order is made.[29][12]
Since implementation the debate has moved to the process rather than the ground: the typical divorce takes considerably longer than the 26-week minimum, partly because many applicants wait for a financial order before applying for the final order.[8]
Getting help
The application is designed to be completed without a lawyer, and most applicants use the online service unrepresented. Advice is most valuable on the financial consequences, on jurisdiction where there is an international element, and on the timing of the final order.
See also
- No-fault divorce – the 2020 Act and what it changed
- Divorce timescales – stage-by-stage timing and causes of delay
- Conditional order
- Final order
- Divorce fees
- Financial settlement – dividing money, property and pensions
- Consent order
- Mediation during divorce
- Dissolution of a civil partnership
- Divorce cases – the leading judgments
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 – the governing statute
- Child arrangements order – arrangements for children
- Separation agreement
- Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting
References
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 1: Divorce on breakdown of marriage. legislation.gov.uk. As substituted by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 from 6 April 2022. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (Commencement) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/283. legislation.gov.uk. Regulation 2: the Act comes into force on 6 April 2022 in so far as not already in force. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, section 1: Divorce: removal of requirement to establish facts etc (as enacted). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Practice Direction 7A: Procedure for applications in matrimonial and civil partnership proceedings. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 3: Bar on applying for a divorce order within one year of marriage. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: how to apply. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026. Ministry of Justice. 25 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: before you apply. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: finalise your divorce. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Divorces and dissolutions in England and Wales: 2023. Office for National Statistics. 2 July 2025. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 7: Procedure for applications in matrimonial and civil partnership proceedings. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- “Blame game” ends as no-fault divorce comes into force. Ministry of Justice. 6 April 2022. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 9: Proceedings before divorce order has been made final. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 10: Proceedings before divorce order made final: special protection for respondent. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (2020 c. 11). legislation.gov.uk. Royal Assent 25 June 2020. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973, section 5: Jurisdiction of High Court and family court. legislation.gov.uk. As amended by the Jurisdiction and Judgments (Family) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 from 31 December 2020. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: check you can get a divorce. GOV.UK. updated 12 November 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Apply for a divorce or to dissolve a civil partnership: Form D8. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 29 April 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get help paying court and tribunal fees. GOV.UK. updated 2 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: what happens after you apply. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: apply for a conditional order or decree nisi. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly, April to June 2022. Ministry of Justice. 12 October 2022. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2023. Ministry of Justice. 29 June 2023. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- How divorce works in England and Wales. Divorce Magpie (Family Legal Ltd). Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Apply for a conditional order or judicial separation order: Form D84. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. form version 03.24, updated 13 June 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Apply to make a conditional order final: Form D36. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. form version 07.24, updated 18 September 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 24B: Pension sharing orders in connection with divorce proceedings etc. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Commons Library analysis: Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill [HL] 2019-21 (CBP-8697). House of Commons Library. 4 June 2020. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Wills Act 1837, section 18A: Effect of dissolution or annulment of marriage on wills. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate: make an agreement through mediation. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c. 85). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Divorce Reform Act 1969 (1969 c. 55). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Law Act 1996, Part II: Divorce and separation (repealed except section 22). legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 18: Repeal of uncommenced provisions of Part 2 of the Family Law Act 1996. legislation.gov.uk. In force 13 May 2014. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Trinder, L., Braybrook, D., Bryson, C., Coleman, L., Houlston, C. and Sefton, M.. Finding Fault? Divorce Law and Practice in England and Wales. Nuffield Foundation. 2017. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41. Find Case Law, The National Archives. 25 July 2018. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- New divorce law to end the blame game. Ministry of Justice. 9 April 2019. Accessed 5 September 2026.
External links
- GOV.UK: Get a divorce – official guide and online application
- Form D8 on GOV.UK – paper application
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 1
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
- Family Procedure Rules, Part 7
- ONS: Divorces and dissolutions in England and Wales
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly
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.