Form A is the form used in England and Wales to apply to the Family Court for a financial order on divorce, dissolution of a civil partnership, nullity or judicial separation. Form A’s official title, “Notice of [intention to proceed with] a financial application to which the standard procedure applies”, reflects rule 9.4 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, under which the application for a financial order may be made in the divorce application itself or “at any time after an application for a matrimonial or civil partnership order has been made”.[1][2] GOV.UK describes it as the form “to start a request for a financial order in proceedings for divorce or ending a civil partnership”.[3]
Form A serves two different purposes. Filed on its own, it starts contested financial remedy proceedings: the court fixes a First Appointment between 12 and 16 weeks later, the parties exchange Form E, and the fee is £321.[4][5][6] Filed with a signed draft order and Form D81, with the box marked to show the application is by consent, it is the notice that accompanies a consent order, and the fee is £62.[7][5][8] A contested application must be preceded by a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting or a valid exemption, which the form records; a consent application is outside the MIAM requirement.[9][10][11] The current version of the form, Form A (05.26), was published in May 2026 and the GOV.UK page was last updated on 21 July 2026.[3]
Definition and purpose
The financial claims that arise on divorce are made under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973: periodical payments and lump sums under section 23, property adjustment under section 24 and pension sharing under section 24B, with the equivalent provisions for civil partners in Schedule 5 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004.[12][13][14] Form A is the document by which a party asks the court to exercise those powers. The bracketed words in its title, “intention to proceed with”, reflect the older practice under which the financial claims were pleaded in the divorce petition and Form A gave notice that the applicant now intended to pursue them; the same form is used whether or not the claims were included in the divorce application.[1][2]
The form is issued by the court and, on issue, fixes the procedural timetable. Rule 9.12 requires the court to fix a First Appointment “not less than 12 weeks and not more than 16 weeks after the date of the filing of the application” and to serve the application on the respondent within four days unless the applicant elects to do so.[4] Everything that follows in contested proceedings, the exchange of Forms E, the First Appointment, the financial dispute resolution appointment and the final hearing, is measured from that date.[15]
Form A is distinguished from Form A1, the notice for applications to which the fast-track procedure applies, principally applications for periodical payments alone and applications to vary them, and from Forms A2, B and D50 series, which are used for other financial applications.[1][16][17] It is also distinct from the C100, the form used for applications about children, described on Family Court Wiki.
Legal basis
Rule 9.4 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 provides that an application for a financial order may be made “in an application for a matrimonial or civil partnership order” or “at any time after” one has been made.[2] Rule 9.5 requires the application to be filed in the court in which the matrimonial or civil partnership proceedings are proceeding, or in the relevant registry where they are in the High Court.[18] Practice Direction 5A prescribes Form A as the notice for applications to which the standard procedure applies and Form A1 for the fast-track procedure, and rule 9.9B assigns applications between the two.[1][19] The pre-application MIAM requirement is imposed by section 10(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014: “Before making a relevant family application, a person must attend a family mediation information and assessment meeting.”[9]
Practice Direction 9A supplements the rules with a pre-application protocol. It expects the parties to “seek to resolve their dispute without applying to court” and to “seek and provide information from and to each other” before a Form A is filed, and it records the continuing duty of full and honest disclosure that applies once proceedings begin.[20] Rule 9.13 requires the applicant to serve a copy of the application on any mortgagee of property to be adjusted, on the trustees of any settlement to be varied, and on any pension arrangement where a pension order is sought; those served may request a copy of the applicant’s Form E and file a statement in answer within 14 days.[21]
When Form A can be filed
A Form A can be filed as soon as the divorce or dissolution application has been issued and given a case number, since rule 9.4 permits the financial application to be made at any time after the matrimonial application.[2] It does not have to wait for the conditional order, although the court cannot make a final financial order, whether contested or by consent, before the conditional order is pronounced.[8] There is no long-stop: the Supreme Court held in Wyatt v Vince that “there is no time-limit for seeking orders for financial provision or property adjustment for the benefit of a spouse following divorce”, and a Form A may be filed years after the final order.[22]
Two rules of timing nevertheless matter. A party who remarries or forms a civil partnership after the final order loses the right to apply for a financial provision or property adjustment order in their own favour, so a Form A must be filed before remarriage.[23] And GOV.UK advises that a legally binding arrangement for money and property should be applied for before the final order, because a pension sharing order takes effect only after the final order and a party who dies in the interval loses its benefit.[24][14] In contested cases the First Appointment falls 12 to 16 weeks after filing, so an application filed with or shortly after the divorce application will usually reach its first hearing at about the time the conditional order becomes available.[4]
The MIAM section
Practice Direction 3A lists applications for a financial order, including periodical payments, lump sums, property adjustment and pension sharing, and applications under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989, among the “relevant family applications” to which the MIAM requirement applies, and excludes applications for a consent order and applications to enforce a financial order.[10] Form A therefore contains a MIAM section in which either an authorised family mediator confirms that the applicant attended a meeting, or the applicant claims an exemption. The form states: “You must have attended a MIAM before making this application unless the requirement to attend a MIAM does not apply because the financial order you are applying for: is for a consent order; or you are exempt.”[11]
The exemptions on the form are grouped as domestic abuse, urgency, previous attendance at a MIAM or non-court dispute resolution in the last four months, and other grounds, each with the evidence required; the financial remedy exemptions include the applicant’s bankruptcy.[11][10] The mediator’s confirmation is given in the form itself, with the mediator’s Family Mediation Council registration number. Where an exemption is claimed the court will consider at the First Appointment whether it was validly claimed and, if not, may direct the parties to attend a MIAM and adjourn.[10] Practice Direction 3A expects a MIAM to be held within 15 business days of contacting a mediator.[10] The meeting, the exemptions and their evidence are described on MIAM and MIAM exemptions.
The sections of the form
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Parties and court | Names of applicant and respondent, the court and the case number of the divorce or dissolution[11] |
| Consent declaration | Whether the application is for a consent order, in which case the draft order and D81 accompany the form[11][7] |
| Type of proceedings | Divorce, dissolution, nullity or judicial separation, and the stage the case has reached[11] |
| Orders sought | Tick boxes for periodical payments, secured periodical payments, lump sum, property adjustment, pension sharing, pension attachment, the Pension Protection Fund equivalents, and for the discharge of an existing order and substitution of a capital order[11][12][13][14] |
| Property and children | Address and title number of any property in respect of which an order is sought, the mortgagee’s details, whether the child maintenance service is involved, and details of the children[11][21] |
| Service details | Whether each party is represented, and addresses for service[11] |
| MIAM requirement and exemptions | The applicant’s confirmation of attendance or claim to an exemption, with the evidence required[11] |
| Mediator’s confirmation | Completed and signed by the authorised family mediator where a MIAM was attended[11] |
| Statement of truth and checklist | The applicant’s statement of truth and a checklist of the sections completed[11] |
The form asks whether the applicant is seeking an order in respect of a property and, if so, requires the address and the name and address of any mortgage lender, because rule 9.13 requires the lender to be served.[11][21] Where a pension order is sought, the form asks for details of the arrangement so that it can be notified and a valuation requested under the pension rules in Chapter 8 of Part 9.[15] Claims not marked on the form can be added only by amendment, and the final order will ordinarily dismiss whatever claims remain.[15]
Fee and Help with Fees
The fee for an application for a financial order other than by consent is £321 under fee 5.4 of the Family Proceedings Fees Order, and the fee for an application by consent is £62 under fee 5.1, both as shown in the HMCTS fee list EX50 updated on 13 July 2026.[5] GOV.UK states for the contested route: “The court fee is £321.”[6] A person on a low income or qualifying benefits may apply for Help with Fees, which can remit the fee in full or in part; on 2 September 2026 the scheme’s thresholds were a monthly income of £1,420 for a single person or £2,130 for a couple, with additions for children, and a savings limit depending on age and the size of the fee.[25]
The fee is payable on issue and is not refunded if the case settles. Where a case that began as contested settles by consent, no further fee is payable for the consent order made within the proceedings.[5] Court fees generally are collected on divorce fees and family court fees.
Filing and service
The form is published on GOV.UK and completed on screen or by hand.[3] A legally represented applicant files it through the MyHMCTS financial remedy service; for consent applications this has been mandatory since 24 August 2020.[26] An unrepresented applicant files the paper form: for a contested application, at the regional Financial Remedies Court hub for the area, and for a consent application, by post to HMCTS Financial Remedy, PO Box 12746, Harlow, CM20 9QZ.[11][8] The form itself sets out the two addresses.[11]
On issue the court serves the application on the respondent within four days, unless the applicant has elected to serve it, in which case the applicant must do so within four days of receiving the sealed copy and file a certificate of service by the First Appointment.[4] The applicant must also serve the mortgagees, trustees and pension arrangements identified on the form under rule 9.13.[21] The First Appointment, once fixed, “must not be cancelled except with the court’s permission”.[4]
After filing: the First Appointment timetable
Filing a contested Form A starts a fixed sequence. Forms E are exchanged and filed not less than 35 days before the First Appointment; the statement of issues, chronology, questionnaire and Form G notice are filed 14 days before it; the First Appointment itself takes place 12 to 16 weeks after filing and “must be conducted with the objective of defining the issues and saving costs”.[15][4] The court then lists a financial dispute resolution appointment, at which a judge gives a without-prejudice indication to help the parties settle, and, if they do not, a final hearing.[15][6]
| Stage | Timing from filing of Form A | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Issue and service | Service within 4 days | r.9.12[4] |
| Notice to mortgagees, trustees and pension arrangements | With the application; statement in answer within 14 days | r.9.13[21] |
| Exchange of Form E | Not less than 35 days before the First Appointment | r.9.14(1)[15] |
| Statement of issues, chronology, questionnaire, Form G | Not less than 14 days before the First Appointment | r.9.14(5)[15] |
| First Appointment | 12 to 16 weeks | r.9.12, r.9.15[4][15] |
| Financial dispute resolution appointment | Fixed at the First Appointment, typically some months later | r.9.17[15] |
| Final hearing | If no settlement; “there can be several months between the appointments” | r.9.15; GOV.UK[15][6] |
The Financial Remedies Court guide of March 2026 allows parties who have exchanged Forms E and agree directions to lodge an agreed directions order and avoid attending the First Appointment; if the judge does not approve the draft, “the First Appointment will proceed in the normal way”.[27] GOV.UK tells applicants that the First Appointment “is usually 12 to 14 weeks after you apply” and that the overall length of the case depends on how many appointments are needed.[6] The hearings are described on financial remedy proceedings.
Form A in a consent order application
Where the parties have already agreed terms, Form A is still required, because rule 9.26 governs “applications for consent orders” and an application must exist for the court to make an order in. The form is completed with the consent box ticked and the orders sought marked to match the draft order, and is lodged with two copies of the draft order signed by both parties and the D81 statement of information.[7][11] No MIAM confirmation is needed, the fee is £62, and the court considers the application on paper without a hearing.[10][5][7][8]
The consent application cannot be approved before the conditional order, and GOV.UK advises lodging it before the final order.[8][24] The procedure, the judge’s scrutiny and what happens if the order is not approved are described on consent order, and the statement of information on Form D81.
Form A1 and the fast track
Rule 9.9B directs three kinds of application to the fast-track procedure: applications for an order for periodical payments only; applications under the Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1978, Schedule 6 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 or Article 10 of the 2007 Hague Convention; and applications to vary a periodical payments order, other than one seeking to discharge it in return for a lump sum, property adjustment or pension sharing order.[19] The notice for these applications is Form A1, “Notice of [intention to proceed with] a financial application to which the fast-track procedure applies”, whose current version was published in April 2024.[1][16] The fast track uses a single hearing and a shorter financial statement (Form E1 or E2) exchanged within 21 days of issue, and the court may at any stage direct that the case proceed under the standard procedure instead.[15][19]
Statistics
The Ministry of Justice does not count Forms A as such, but its financial remedy series records the applications they start. In January to March 2026 there were 12,646 financial remedy applications in England and Wales, up 11 per cent on the same quarter in 2025; 73 per cent were uncontested applications for a consent order and 27 per cent were contested. There were 12,764 disposals in the quarter.[28] In the same quarter 28,632 divorce applications were made and 27,320 final orders granted, so fewer than half of divorcing couples make any financial application.[28] Divorce statistics are collected on divorce.
History
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2011 | The Family Procedure Rules 2010 came into force, with Part 9 governing financial remedy applications and Practice Direction 5A prescribing Form A[15][1] |
| 22 April 2014 | The statutory MIAM requirement under section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014 began, and Form A acquired its MIAM section[9][10] |
| 11 March 2015 | Wyatt v Vince: no time limit on filing a financial application after divorce[22] |
| 24 August 2020 | Represented applicants required to lodge consent applications, including Form A, through MyHMCTS[26] |
| 6 April 2022 | No-fault divorce: the form’s references to decree nisi and decree absolute became conditional order and final order[24] |
| 29 April 2024 | Amendments to FPR Part 3 tightened the MIAM exemptions and required the court to consider non-court dispute resolution at every stage; Form A1 revised (04.24)[10][16] |
| May 2026 | Form A (05.26) published; a minor amendment on 20 July 2026 was reverted on 21 July 2026[3] |
| 13 July 2026 | Fee for a contested application set at £321 and for a consent application at £62 in the current EX50[5] |
Getting help
See also
- Form E – exchanged after a contested Form A
- Form D81 – filed with a consent Form A
- Consent order
- Financial settlement – how the court decides
- Divorce fees
- Conditional order
- Final order – and the remarriage bar
- MIAM – the pre-condition for a contested application
- Financial remedy proceedings – what follows filing
- Family court fees
References
- Practice Direction 5A: Forms. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.4: When an application for a financial order may be made. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Give notice of your intention to proceed with an application for a financial order: Form A. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 21 July 2026 (form version 05.26). Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.12: Duties of the court and the applicant upon issuing an application. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Money and property when you divorce or separate: get the court to decide. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.26: Applications for consent orders for financial remedy. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Money and property when you divorce or separate: apply for a consent order. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 10: Family mediation information and assessment meetings. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Practice Direction 3A: Family Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs). Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Form A: Notice of [intention to proceed with] a financial application to which the standard procedure applies (05.26). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. May 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 23: Financial provision orders in connection with divorce proceedings, etc.. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 24: Property adjustment orders in connection with divorce proceedings, etc.. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 24B: Pension sharing orders in connection with divorce proceedings. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 9: Applications for a financial remedy. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Give notice of intention to proceed with an application for a financial remedy (other than a financial order) in the county court or High Court: Form A1. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 8 October 2024 (form version 04.24). Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Financial remedy forms. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. published 21 May 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.5: Where to start proceedings. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.9B: Application of standard and fast-track procedures. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Practice Direction 9A: Application for a financial remedy. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 9.13: Service of application on mortgagees, trustees etc.. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Wyatt v Vince [2015] UKSC 14. Find Case Law, The National Archives. 11 March 2015. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 28: Duration of continuing financial provision orders in favour of party to marriage, and effect of remarriage or formation of civil partnership. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get a divorce: finalise your divorce. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Get help paying court and tribunal fees. GOV.UK. updated 2 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Financial remedy consent order applications: mandation of online applications. The Law Society. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- The Financial Remedies Court of England and Wales: Financial Remedies Guide 2026. Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. March 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026. Ministry of Justice. 25 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
External links
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.