How to Get Divorced in the UK: The Steps, the Cost and the Human Side

How to get divorced in the UK: the short answer

To get divorced in England or Wales, you apply online at gov.uk once you've been married for more than a year. One of you, or both together, states that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. You pay a £628 court fee, wait 20 weeks, apply for a conditional order, wait 6 weeks and 1 day, then apply for the final order. That's it. No blame, no evidence, at least six months.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems, covered below. The money, the home and the children are separate from the divorce itself, and they're where most of the time and cost goes.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to a family solicitor or Citizens Advice.

The quickest route through how to get divorced in the UK looks like this:

What no fault divorce changed

No-fault divorce came into force in England and Wales on 6 April 2022, under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. Before that, you had to prove your spouse's conduct, such as adultery or behaviour, or a period of separation. Now a statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably is enough.

The Ministry of Justice set out the key changes when the law came in (gov.uk):

• No blame. You no longer have to prove conduct or a period of separation.
• Joint applications. For the first time, a couple can apply together.
• No contesting. The statement is conclusive evidence of breakdown, so your spouse can only dispute the divorce on narrow technical grounds.
• A minimum wait. At least 20 weeks between starting and the conditional order.
• Plainer words. "Decree nisi" became the conditional order, "decree absolute" the final order, and "petitioner" the applicant.

Most people still apply alone. The ONS found that 74.3% of divorces granted under the new law in 2025 came from sole applications, out of 105,002 divorces in England and Wales that year (ONS). The median marriage ending in divorce had lasted 13 years, for opposite-sex couples.

Step by step: how to apply

Check you can apply

You can get divorced in England or Wales if you've been married for over a year, the relationship has permanently broken down, and the marriage is legally recognised in the UK, including same-sex marriages (gov.uk). Citizens Advice puts it simply: the earliest you can apply is the day after your first anniversary.

Choose sole or joint

A joint application works if you both agree the marriage is over. Gov.uk says it isn't the right route if you're at risk of domestic abuse. A sole application is for when your spouse doesn't agree or you don't expect them to co-operate. If you start jointly and your spouse stops responding, you can carry on as a sole applicant.

Gather what you need

According to gov.uk's divorce guide, you'll need:

• Both your full names and addresses
• Your original marriage certificate or a certified copy
• A certified translation if the certificate isn't in English
• Proof of any change of name, such as a deed poll

Apply and wait

Once the court issues your application, a sole applicant's spouse has 14 days to respond to the acknowledgement of service, saying whether they agree or intend to dispute it. Then the 20-week clock runs. After that, you apply for the conditional order. After at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day), you can apply for the final order. Gov.uk says to apply within 12 months of the conditional order, or explain the delay.

If you're the sole applicant and you don't apply for the final order, your spouse can, but only after an extra three months on top of the 43 days.

How much does a divorce cost in the UK?

The court fee for a divorce in England and Wales is £628, online or by post, and it isn't refunded once the application is issued. Everything else depends on how much you agree on. Couples who agree on money and children can keep the cost close to the court fee. Couples who need solicitors or a judge pay far more.

Current fees from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (EX50, updated October 2026):

The MIAM figure is gov.uk's typical price, not a court fee (gov.uk). Solicitors' fees aren't fixed, so get a quote in writing.

If money is tight: you may get help with court fees if you're on certain benefits or a low income. In a joint application you both have to apply for help, or the full fee is due. Legal aid for family cases is limited, but gov.uk says it may be available with evidence of domestic abuse.

Money, the home and the children

The divorce ends the marriage. It doesn't end your financial ties. That surprises a lot of people.

Finances. If you agree how to split money, property and pensions, a consent order makes it legally binding. Gov.uk says that if you want a binding arrangement you must apply to the court before you apply for the final order. Citizens Advice adds that the final order can affect how your money and home are divided, so get legal advice before it if you're the applicant, and as soon as you can if you're the respondent.

Children. You can agree arrangements yourselves with a parenting plan, through mediation, or ask the court for a child arrangements order (gov.uk). Child maintenance can be agreed between you or through the Child Maintenance Service.

Mediation and MIAMs. A mediator helps you reach agreement without a judge. Before applying to court about children or money, you may need to attend a MIAM first. There are exemptions, including if you have evidence of domestic abuse (gov.uk). For disputes involving children, the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme can contribute up to £500 towards mediation while vouchers last, though not towards the MIAM itself.

If there's abuse in the relationship, mediation may not be suitable, and a solicitor or specialist service should be your first call. Our guide to coercive control has the helplines.

Divorce in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Divorce UK-wide isn't one system. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws, courts and fees, and neither has the English no-fault statement.

Scotland. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service runs a simplified, do-it-yourself procedure based on one year's separation with consent or two years without. You can only use it if there are no children of the marriage under 16, no financial matters to resolve, and no other proceedings under way. Otherwise you use the ordinary procedure, and legal advice from a Scottish solicitor is wise.

Northern Ireland. nidirect says you can't apply in the first two years of marriage, and a petition must rest on two years' separation with consent, five years' separation, unreasonable behaviour, adultery or desertion.

The human side: telling your partner and your children

None of the guides above tell you how to say it. It's the part people dread most, and it matters more than any form.

Telling your partner

If it's safe to talk face to face, choose a calm, private moment with time afterwards, never in the middle of a row or before work. Then:

• Say it clearly, once. "I've decided I want a divorce" is kinder than hints that leave them guessing.
• Use "I", not a list of their failings. No-fault law took blame out of the forms. You can take it out of the conversation too.
• Expect a reaction you can't control. Shock, anger, bargaining or silence are all normal. You don't have to settle anything that night.
• Don't negotiate money in the same breath. Arrangements come later, ideally with a mediator.

If you're afraid of how your partner will react, don't do this alone. Speak to a domestic abuse helpline first and plan it with them.

Telling your children

Where you can, tell them together, and agree the words first. Keep it short and honest for their age. Tell them it's a grown-up decision and not their fault, what will stay the same, and what will change, such as where they'll sleep and when they'll see each parent. Then let them ask questions, today and for weeks after.

Some things to avoid: blaming the other parent, sharing adult details, and turning children into messengers. Whatever you feel about each other, keeping your arguments away from them is a gift you can give every week.

If one of you isn't sure

Plenty of couples get here with one person further along than the other. The 20-week wait gives breathing room. A legal separation lets you live apart without ending the marriage, and gov.uk lists counselling as the first step in its divorce guide.

It can also help to work out what you actually want before the next big conversation. If the marriage has gone quiet rather than cold, roommate syndrome may sound familiar. Adoree, an AI relationship assistant, gives each of you a private place to think out loud, by voice or text, about staying, leaving, or how to say either. If you both talk to Adoree, each of you keeps your own private conversations. You can read more on Adoree for the UK or see how Adoree works for couples.

If you've already decided, moving on after a breakup covers the months after.

Whatever you're deciding, you don't have to find the words alone. Talk to Adoree.