Deciding together that a marriage is over is rarely easy. Even when you both agree, there can be sadness, relief and worry all mixed up. One thing you can do for each other now is keep the process calm, simple and fair.
The good news is that English law has made agreed divorce much easier. Here is how to do it well, without spending more than you need to.
The short answer: Make a joint online application through GOV.UK, agree your finances (ideally with a mediator or with light-touch legal help), and turn that agreement into a court-approved consent order. The divorce court fee is 628 pounds, and a consent order is a further 62 pounds. Skipping the consent order is the one shortcut that can cost you dearly later. |
Step one: choose a joint application
Since no-fault divorce came in on 6 April 2022, couples can apply together. A joint application means neither of you is “the applicant” against the other. It sends a clear message to each other and to any children that this is a shared decision.
You apply online through the GOV.UK divorce service. It is the same single court fee whether you apply jointly or alone. In 2025, more than 109,000 divorce applications were made in England and Wales, and most now go through the online system.
What you will need
☐ Your marriage certificate (the original or a certified copy)
☐ A certified English translation if the certificate is in another language
☐ Both of your full names, addresses and email addresses
☐ Proof of any change of name, if your names differ from the certificate
☐ A way to pay the court fee, or a Help with Fees reference number
If money is tight, you may not have to pay the full fee. You can apply for Help with Fees using form EX160 or online. For a joint application, both of you must qualify for the fee to be reduced.
Step two: follow the timetable
Stage | What happens | Earliest timing |
Application | You apply together online and pay the fee | Day one |
Reflection period | Time to sort out finances and children | 20 weeks |
Conditional order | You both confirm you still want to go ahead | After 20 weeks |
Final order | The marriage legally ends | 6 weeks and 1 day later |
In practice, most agreed divorces take around seven to nine months from start to finish. Use the 20 weeks well. It is the ideal time to settle your finances, so you are ready when the conditional order arrives.
A word of caution. Many people wait to apply for the final order until a financial consent order has been approved. That is often sensible, particularly where pensions are involved, because some rights end the moment the marriage does.
Step three: agree the money and make it binding
This is where couples most often go wrong. A divorce ends the marriage. It does not end the financial claims you have against each other. Those claims stay open, sometimes for decades, unless a court order closes them.
The Supreme Court case of Wyatt v Vince (2015) is the warning everyone in family law knows. A wife brought a financial claim around 20 years after the divorce, because no financial order had ever been made. Her former husband had since become wealthy. The court allowed her claim to go ahead.
A consent order prevents that. It records what you have agreed and, where you both want it, includes a clean break so neither of you can make future claims.
Ways to reach a financial agreement
Route | Best suited to | Typical cost level |
Agree between yourselves, then a solicitor drafts the consent order | Simple finances, high trust, no pensions to share | Lowest |
Family mediation, then a solicitor drafts the consent order | Couples who agree on most things but need help on some points | Low to moderate |
Each of you takes brief legal advice, then a solicitor drafts the order | Pensions, property or a business involved | Moderate |
Full solicitor negotiation | Complex wealth, overseas assets or a big imbalance in knowledge | Higher |
Even if you agree everything at the kitchen table, it is worth both of you getting short, independent advice before signing. The court will check that the deal is fair before approving it, and it can refuse an order that looks lopsided.
Do not forget pensions
Pensions are often the second largest asset in a marriage, and sometimes the largest. They are easy to overlook in a friendly divorce. A pension sharing order can only be made by the court, so a consent order is essential if you plan to split one.
Step four: plan for the children
If you have children, the court does not need to be involved if you agree on the arrangements. Many parents write a parenting plan setting out where the children will live, how time will be shared, holidays, school and how you will make decisions together. Child maintenance can be agreed between you, or worked out using the Child Maintenance Service calculator.
A realistic cost picture
Item | Cost |
Divorce court fee | 628 pounds (one fee covers the whole divorce) |
Consent order court fee | 62 pounds |
Mediation | Varies by mediator. Up to 500 pounds of help may be available through the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme where children are involved |
Solicitor drafting a consent order | Usually a fixed fee, depending on complexity |
Court fees change from time to time, so always check GOV.UK before you apply. The fees above were set on 13 July 2026.
Mistakes that make agreed divorces expensive
- Applying for the final order before finances are settled and losing pension rights
- Relying on an informal agreement with no consent order
- Not sharing full financial information, which can lead to a deal being reopened
- Using a cheap online form-filler that does not cover the financial order
- Letting small disagreements escalate when a mediator could resolve them in one session
How Shortlands can help
We offer a clear, fixed-cost service for couples who agree on divorce. We can handle the joint application, check your financial agreement, and draft a consent order the court will approve, so you can both move on with certainty.
Call us on 020 7629 9905 or request a call back for a no-obligation chat about your options.
Law referred to in this article
- Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, sections 23 to 25A
- Wyatt v Vince [2015] UKSC 14
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice. Please speak to a solicitor about your own situation.