What is a clean break order?

A clean break order is a type of financial order that ends future financial claims between you, so neither of you can make a claim against the other later. It is usually included within a consent order where a clean break is appropriate.

Does the divorce itself sort out our money?

No. The divorce ends the marriage. Money, property, pensions and debts are dealt with separately, either by an agreement between you or by a financial order made by the court. Getting divorced does not by itself end financial claims between you.

What does the £159 CalmSplit fee cover?

It covers preparing and managing your divorce application from start to final order: the questions, the paperwork, guidance and progress tracking. It does not include a financial settlement or a financial court order, which are separate.

Ending your marriage

The divorce itself. CalmSplit, £159 per person.

Sorting your finances

Property, pensions, savings and debts. A separate process.

These two processes are connected but separate. Your divorce does not by itself decide who keeps what.

Clean break order vs consent order

Written by CalmSplit Editorial TeamReviewed by Ramani GillLast reviewed 13 August 2026England & Wales

They are not alternatives. A consent order is the court order that records your agreed finances. A clean break is a feature within that order which dismisses future financial claims. Most people who want a clean break get it through a consent order.

CalmSplit takes care of the divorce itself: you answer plain-English questions online and we prepare and manage your application to HMCTS for a one-off £159 per person. Your financial arrangements are handled separately.

The divorce ends the marriage. It does not divide your money or property
£159 one-off per person for the divorce, court fee paid separately to HMCTS
CalmSplit is a self-help platform, not a law firm. Independent solicitor referrals are available

CalmSplit fee

£159one-off, per person

One-off CalmSplit fee. HMCTS court fees are paid separately to the court.

Start your divorce free

No payment to begin. £159 one-off when you are ready to prepare your application. Court fees are paid separately to HMCTS.

See how it works

Side by side

Consent order: the vehicle. Records what you have agreed and makes it enforceable
Clean break: the effect. Ends future capital, property, pension and maintenance claims
A consent order without a clean break leaves some claims open
A clean break cannot exist on its own without a court order to contain it

Which do you need?

If you have agreed everything and want it final, you want a consent order containing a clean break. If maintenance needs to continue for a while, you want a consent order now with a clean break that takes effect later.

Two separate processes

It helps to keep two things apart. Ending your marriage is a court process that follows a fixed timetable and does not look at your finances. Sorting your finances is about who keeps what: the home, savings, pensions and debts. You can run them side by side, but one does not automatically decide the other.

Ending your marriage: the divorce application, conditional order and final order
Sorting your finances: an agreement between you, and usually a financial court order to make it binding
CalmSplit's £159 fee covers the divorce itself, not a financial settlement

When to get advice

Consider independent legal or financial advice where there are pensions of real value, a business, complex property, significant debts, or where you are unsure whether what you have agreed is reasonable. CalmSplit can refer you to an independent solicitor. That does not change your £159 CalmSplit fee, and we do not take a fee for the referral.

Frequently asked questions

A consent order is a court order that records a financial agreement you have both reached and makes it legally binding. It is applied for during or after the divorce and is a separate application from the divorce itself.

Related CalmSplit pages

Consent orders explainedHow an agreement becomes a binding court order.Clean break ordersEnding future financial claims between you.CalmSplit consent order serviceHow a consent order can be prepared alongside your divorce.Online divorce with CalmSplit£159 per person, one-off. Start free and see your route first.Can I divorce before sorting finances?Why the divorce does not have to wait.Divorce and the family homeOptions for the house and how they are agreed.

Start your divorce free

No payment to begin. £159 one-off when you are ready to prepare your application. Court fees are paid separately to HMCTS.

Start free