Guidance hub
Plain-English guidance on divorce, finances, children and separation in England & Wales. Every article is written for people going through it - and written to be clear and honest.
Starting a divorce
8 min read
How to get a divorce in England & Wales
A plain-English walk-through of the no-fault divorce process, timescales, fees and the difference between a divorce and a financial order.
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7 min read
Online divorce in England & Wales: how it actually works
How the online divorce service works, who it suits, what it costs, and where an online-only service falls short.
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8 min read
The divorce process in the UK: every stage explained
Each stage of the divorce process in England & Wales, from checking eligibility to the Final Order, with the waiting periods and fees at every step.
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7 min read
How to apply for a divorce online: a step-by-step guide
What you need before you start, how the online divorce application works, what the £628 fee covers and the mistakes that get applications rejected.
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6 min read
Decree absolute explained: what it is and how to get yours
The decree absolute is now called the Final Order. What it means, when you can apply, how long it takes and why your finances need a separate order.
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7 min read
How to have an amicable divorce
Practical ways to keep a divorce co-operative: joint applications, honest disclosure, dealing with money separately from feelings, and when to step back.
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6 min read
How long does a divorce take in the UK?
The statutory timetable, the realistic end-to-end range, and the three things that actually slow a divorce down in England & Wales.
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5 min read
The divorce checklist: what to gather before you start
Everything you need to hand before you begin your divorce application, from your marriage certificate to your spouse's current address.
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5 min read
Sole or joint divorce application: which should you choose?
A practical comparison of sole and joint no-fault applications, including who keeps control of the timetable and what happens if things sour.
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6 min read
What happens after you file for divorce
Step by step from the moment your application is issued: service, acknowledgement, the reflection period, Conditional Order and Final Order.
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6 min read
A week by week divorce timeline
What to expect at each stage from application to Final Order, and the parallel financial track to run alongside.
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Financial agreements
6 min read
What is a Consent Order (and why you almost certainly need one)
A Consent Order turns your financial agreement into a court-sealed order. Without one, your financial claims stay open indefinitely.
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7 min read
Financial disclosure: what Form E covers and how to do it well
Full financial disclosure is the foundation of any fair settlement. Here's what to gather and the common pitfalls to avoid.
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8 min read
How to get a Consent Order sealed by the court
Step-by-step: financial disclosure, drafting the order, statement of information (D81), submitting to court, and typical timescales.
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6 min read
Clean break orders: cutting the financial cord properly
What a clean break order does, when it's appropriate, when it isn't, and how it fits inside a Consent Order.
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6 min read
Spousal maintenance in England & Wales
When maintenance is ordered, how the amount and term are set, and what makes an order variable or dischargeable.
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6 min read
Ten Consent Order mistakes to avoid
The drafting and disclosure errors that get financial orders rejected by a judge, and how to avoid each one.
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6 min read
Financial disclosure: what you must share
A practical list of the documents and figures each spouse should exchange, and the consequences of hiding assets.
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5 min read
Who pays the debts in a divorce?
How joint and sole debts are treated in a financial settlement, and why creditors do not care what your order says.
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6 min read
Family mediation: what to expect
How mediation works, what it costs, when the mediation voucher scheme helps, and when mediation is not appropriate.
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5 min read
Arbitration and collaborative law explained
Two private alternatives to court for financial disputes, what they cost, and who they suit.
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5 min read
Are prenuptial agreements binding in England & Wales?
Pre and post nuptial agreements are not automatically binding, but they carry real weight when properly made.
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5 min read
How to talk to your ex about money without a row
A structure for financial conversations that keeps them short, factual and repeatable.
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Children and parenting
6 min read
Child arrangements after divorce
How to agree where the children live, contact schedules, and when the court gets involved. Includes what a Child Arrangements Order does.
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7 min read
Making child arrangements work: a practical guide for separating parents
Beyond the paperwork: how to set up handovers, communication and holidays that actually work for children and both parents.
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6 min read
How child maintenance is calculated
The CMS formula in plain English: gross income bands, shared care reductions, and when a family based arrangement is better.
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7 min read
Writing a parenting plan that actually works
The sections every parenting plan should cover, from term time routines to holidays, handovers and decision making.
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6 min read
Form C100 explained: applying about child arrangements
What the C100 is for, when you need a MIAM certificate, what the court fee covers and what happens after you apply.
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5 min read
Telling the children you are separating
How to plan the conversation, what to say by age, and the three messages children most need to hear.
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5 min read
Grandparents and contact after a separation
Grandparents do not have automatic rights, but they can apply for permission to seek a child arrangements order.
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6 min read
Divorce when you care for a disabled child
How care needs, benefits and housing shape the financial settlement and arrangements when a child has additional needs.
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Property and pensions
6 min read
Dividing the family home
The three common outcomes for the matrimonial home - sale, transfer, or deferred sale - and how the court weighs them.
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7 min read
Pensions on divorce: sharing, offsetting and attachment
Pensions are often the second-largest asset. Here's how sharing orders, offsetting and pension attachment work in practice.
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7 min read
How assets are split in a divorce
The factors a court weighs when dividing property, savings and pensions, and why 50/50 is a starting point rather than a rule.
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7 min read
Pension sharing orders explained
What a pension sharing order does, how it differs from offsetting and attachment, and why a CETV can be misleading.
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6 min read
Selling the house in a divorce
Practical options for the family home: sell now, defer the sale, transfer with a mortgage release, or a Mesher order.
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6 min read
Tax when you divorce
Capital gains transfers between spouses, stamp duty on a buyout, and the tax points that catch people out.
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7 min read
Divorcing when one of you owns a business
How business interests are valued and treated, and the options that avoid destroying the value you are dividing.
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6 min read
Your mortgage during and after divorce
Who pays, how a release works, what porting means, and what to do if payments become unaffordable.
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4 min read
Dividing belongings, cars and pets
How the chattels conversation usually goes wrong, and a method for settling it without paying lawyers to argue.
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Divorce costs
5 min read
How much does a divorce cost in the UK?
A realistic breakdown of court fees, legal fees and what drives the total - from £628 DIY to £30,000+ contested.
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5 min read
Help with Fees: can you get the divorce court fee reduced?
Who qualifies for a full or partial remission of the HMCTS divorce fee, what evidence you need, and how to apply.
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6 min read
Getting divorced without a solicitor
When a DIY or guided divorce is genuinely safe, when it is not, and how to get legal input only where it adds value.
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5 min read
Divorce court fees explained
Which fees go to HMCTS, which go to a service or solicitor, and where people are caught out by unexpected extras.
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6 min read
Divorce and benefits: what changes
How separating affects Universal Credit, Child Benefit, council tax and housing support, and what to report and when.
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6 min read
Online divorce service or a solicitor: how to choose
An honest comparison of cost, speed, control and risk between DIY, an online service and a traditional solicitor.
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6 min read
Getting divorced when money is tight
Practical options when you cannot afford legal fees: Help with Fees, fixed price services, free advice and legal aid.
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Separation
5 min read
Separation vs divorce: which is right for you?
The differences between an informal separation, a separation agreement, judicial separation and a full divorce.
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6 min read
Separation agreements: what they cover and what they don't
A separation agreement (deed of separation) records how you'll live apart. What to include, how binding it is, and when to convert it into a Consent Order.
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6 min read
Cohabiting couples: what you are entitled to when you split
There is no common law marriage. What unmarried partners can and cannot claim when a relationship ends.
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5 min read
Judicial separation and annulment: when they apply
Two alternatives to divorce, who they suit, and why most people still choose a divorce.
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5 min read
Separated but living in the same house
How to manage a household after you separate but before anyone can move out, and what it means legally.
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5 min read
Should you move out during a divorce?
What moving out does and does not affect legally, and what to sort out before you go.
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5 min read
The first ten things to do when you separate
A practical opening checklist for the first fortnight, covering money, housing, children and documents.
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Safety and protection
8 min read
Domestic abuse and divorce: your legal options
Non-molestation orders, occupation orders, protective bail conditions and how divorce works when there's a history of abuse.
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6 min read
Emergency and safety concerns during separation
Immediate steps if you or your children are at risk, what to say to police, and how to protect finances and information while you plan to leave.
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6 min read
Non-molestation and occupation orders
Emergency protection available from the family court, how quickly it can be obtained, and how to get support.
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6 min read
Financial abuse and coercive control in divorce
How to recognise financial abuse, what evidence helps, and how the process can be adjusted to keep you safe.
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5 min read
Looking after your mental health during divorce
Why divorce ranks among life's most stressful events, and practical ways to reduce the load while it runs.
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After the divorce
4 min read
Changing your name after divorce
How to revert to your maiden name, which organisations need what evidence, and the order to do it in.
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5 min read
Update your will after divorce
Divorce does not revoke your will. What changes automatically, what does not, and the accounts a will never touches.
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5 min read
Divorce and your credit score
Divorce itself is not recorded on your credit file. What actually damages it, and how to disentangle your finances.
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6 min read
Enforcing a financial order when your ex will not pay
The enforcement options available when a sealed order is ignored, from attachment of earnings to charging orders.
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5 min read
Can a financial order be changed later?
What can be varied, what is final, and the narrow circumstances in which an order can be set aside.
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Special situations
6 min read
Which country should you divorce in?
How jurisdiction is decided, why England & Wales is often chosen, and why acting quickly can matter.
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5 min read
Divorcing a spouse who lives abroad
Service outside the jurisdiction, timescales, and what to do when your spouse cannot easily be reached.
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5 min read
Divorce after a short marriage
How short marriages are treated financially, when equal sharing is departed from, and the one year rule.
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6 min read
Divorce over 50: the financial priorities
Why pensions, housing and income sustainability dominate later life divorce, and the mistakes that are hard to undo.
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5 min read
Divorce and immigration status
How divorce can affect a spouse visa, what to report to the Home Office, and where to get specialist advice.
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Forms and paperwork
5 min read
How divorce papers are served
Service by email and post, what happens if your spouse ignores it, and the alternatives available from the court.
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5 min read
Applying for the Conditional Order
What the Conditional Order is, when you can apply, what the judge checks and what happens if it is refused.
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5 min read
When to apply for the Final Order
Why applying for the Final Order too early can cost you money, and the checklist to run before you press the button.
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5 min read
The paperwork mistakes that delay divorces
Ten errors that cause HMCTS to reject or query a divorce application, and how to avoid every one.
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