How to get divorced in England & Wales

Step one: Complete the divorce application

Submitting your divorce or dissolution application is how you initially file for divorce and there are various ways of doing this. You can do this part yourself. Alternatively, if you want/ need support from a divorce expert, read through the various options available to you in our straightforward guide to divorce options or speak to one of our experts today to discuss your personal situation and how we can help you.

You will have to decide whether you would like to make a sole application or a joint divorce application. Be very careful to fill out each box as required – spell everything correctly and use the help print on the side of the divorce application or on the government website for help with this.

For a paper petition, make sure to pay the divorce court fee of £612 by enclosing a cheque or ticking the ‘pay by debit card box’. Check if you are exempt/eligible for a discount (you can check on the government website).

Step two: The acknowledgement of service

The acknowledgement of service form (AOS) needs to be completed by the other person. If you filed a paper divorce/ dissolution application, they will have received all the paperwork in the post and will need to complete the AOS form and send it back to the court.

If you’ve chosen the online route, the respondent is sent a letter with log-in details for them to acknowledge receipt of the petition online.

If they don’t or you don’t hear anything from the court you should ring the court helpline on 0300 303 0642. You may need to serve papers to ensure your ex receives them.

Step three: Apply for your decree nisi (D84)

Apply for your conditional order.
There is a mandatory reflection period built into the divorce process. You must wait 20 weeks after your UK divorce application has been issued by the court before you can proceed to the next stage.
You can apply for your conditional order if:

If you’ve applied for a divorce via paper, you can download and print off the relevant forms from the government website.
If you are using the government's online system – you will be asked to fill out the conditional order application online.
This is when a judge will review your application and confirm you are entitled to get a divorce. If the judge agrees the relationship has broken down and is past the point of repair, you will both receive a ‘conditional order pronouncement date’. And after that, a conditional order certificate confirming you are entitled to a divorce.

It’s important to ensure your application does not have errors, as this will cause delays.

Step four: Apply for a consent order (optional)

If you would like to sort out your finances, you should submit a consent order. A consent order spells out how you both plan to split your finances (assets, debts, income etc). It’s a good idea to have one if you have assets to split and want to make sure any agreement you come to is legally binding. amicable offer a consent order drafting service, to help you with this stage of the divorce/ dissolution process.

Get a consent order

You need to send it to your local divorce centre (you can find the address on the government website).

Once the court has processed your divorce/ dissolution paperwork, you will receive the notice of issue – either by email (for the online system) or in the post for the paper route.

Once you have confirmation that your divorce/ dissolution has been issued, let your ex know their paperwork is on its way.