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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.

Who pays joint debt after divorce?

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

As far as the lender is concerned, both of you remain fully liable for a joint debt after divorce. If your agreement says one of you will pay it, the lender can still pursue the other if payments stop, so joint debts are best cleared or separated.

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

Options for joint debts

  • Repay the debt from the proceeds of sale or savings, which is cleanest
  • Transfer the balance to a sole account or card in one name
  • Keep it joint with a clear indemnity in the consent order, accepting the risk

Protecting your credit file

  • Remove any financial associations once accounts are closed
  • Check your credit report a few months after the settlement
  • Deal with overdrafts and catalogue accounts, not just loans and cards

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

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.

Related CalmSplit pages

Divorce and debtHow debts are treated when a marriage ends.Online divorce with CalmSplit£159 per person, one-off. Start free and see your route first.Consent orders explainedHow an agreement becomes a binding court order.Financial settlement in divorceWhat a settlement covers and how it is recorded.Can I divorce before sorting finances?Why the divorce does not have to wait.

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

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