Ending the marriage is a separate legal process from settling the finances. These guides cover what a consent order is, how to draft one, how to get it to court, and what happens if the judge sends it back — everything you need to turn an amicable agreement into a legally binding order in England and Wales.
What a consent order is, what makes a settlement fair, and how the big-ticket assets are handled.
The court-sealed document that makes your financial agreement legally binding, and why you need one even if you agree on everything.
How courts in England and Wales decide what is fair: the section 25 factors, what equal split actually means, and why needs always come first.
Permanently severs all future financial claims: why it matters even when there are no significant assets.
Sale, transfer, or Mesher order: the three main outcomes and how courts decide what happens to the property.
How pension sharing orders work, when they are used instead of offsetting, and what happens after an order is made.
From gathering the paperwork to writing each clause, plus the DIY-versus-solicitor question and total cost.
A single checklist of every figure, date, account and clause you need before drafting a Consent Order, so you finish the builder in one sitting.
The structure of a UK Financial Consent Order — heading, recitals, undertakings, order paragraphs for property, pensions, lump sums, maintenance and clean break — and how to draft each one.
You do not need a solicitor to get a Consent Order in England & Wales. What you actually need, when DIY is the right call, and when to still get one-off legal advice.
What a Consent Order actually costs in 2026: the £62 court fee, drafting options from £149 to £1,500+, and how to keep the cost down without cutting corners.
The filing steps, HMCTS timelines, and what to do if the judge sends the order back for amendment.
When Form E is required, when D81 alone is enough, and how the decision depends on whether the divorce is contested. Straight answers for the amicable route.
The exact filing steps after your draft is signed: D81, Form A cover, £62 fee, court address, HMCTS Financial Remedies portal, and what to expect from the judge.
The realistic HMCTS timeline from filing to seal: typical four-to-eight weeks, what delays it, and what "returned" versus "sealed" actually means.
The common reasons a judge sends a Consent Order back, whether you lose the £62 fee, and how to amend and resubmit without redoing the whole process.
What Form E is, why it matters, and the common mistakes to avoid.
When Form E is required, when D81 alone is enough, and how the decision depends on whether the divorce is contested. Straight answers for the amicable route.
A digital platform for completing the D81 Statement of Information online: auto-save, auto-calculation, court-ready PDF. Included in the Amicable Bundle.
Compare the three main divorce routes in England & Wales, with a cost and stress comparison table.
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