D10 form: respond to a divorce, dissolution or separation application on paper
Form D10 is the respondent's paper reply (acknowledgment of service) to a divorce, dissolution or (judicial) separation application. GOV.UK says a respondent without a solicitor can reply online using the access code in the notice of proceedings.
Fill in the D10 form with Wren
How Wren helps with the D10
Official forms are written for lawyers. With Wren you do not have to decode this one on your own, and you still follow the court’s procedure.
- Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the D10 becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
- Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
- The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official D10. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
- What comes next, kept with your caseWhat usually happens after you send it, with the dates worked out from the published rules.
Time and money
- On your own
- A day or more
- With Wren
- About an hour for most forms
- Solicitor for this form
- £740 to £1,2403 to 5 hours
A solicitor’s time for the D10 can run to £1,240. With Wren it is part of £19.99 a month, and it takes about an hour for most forms rather than a day or more.
Times and hours are Wren’s estimates for a typical case, not quotes. Solicitor costs are those hours at £247 an hour, the courts’ guideline rate for a solicitor with over four years’ experience, outside London (GOV.UK, Solicitors' guideline hourly rates (in effect from 1 January 2026)). The guideline runs from £200 to £295 an hour outside London depending on experience, firms set their own rates, and VAT is added on top.
Key facts
- Official title
- Respond to a divorce, dissolution or judicial separation application: Form D10
- Online first
- GOV.UK says you can respond online if you do not have a solicitor.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Edition
- 05.24 (7 pages).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Time limit
- The form says you must respond within 14 days of receiving the application.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the D10
The respondent to an application who is replying on paper, including where they have a solicitor (GOV.UK says replies with a solicitor are by post).
When it is used
The form says you must respond within 14 days of receiving the application.
Before you start
- The application you were sent and the notice of proceedings with the case number.
- The date you received the application.
- Form C8, if you want to keep your contact details from your spouse or civil partner.
How to fill in the D10
Open each part for what it asks and how to answer it. In Wren, each part is a few plain questions, and your answers fill in the form.
The application and whether you dispute it
You confirm the type of application, that you have read it, when you received it and whether you intend to dispute it.
Jurisdiction, other cases and language
You say whether you agree the courts of England and Wales can deal with it, list other cases and choose a language.
Statement of truth and address for service
You sign on paper and give the address where documents should be sent, or use form C8.
Prepare your D10 with Wren Family
Wren Family turns official forms into short, plain-English questions you can answer at your own pace. You check everything before you send it: nothing goes to the court for you.
Get startedFree for 14 days, no card. Then £19.99 a month, with your money back within 14 days if it’s not right.
What happens after you send it
If you do not dispute the application, the applicant can apply for a conditional order after 20 weeks from issue. If you said you intend to dispute it, you file an answer on form D8B.
Common mistakes
- Replying late, after the 14 days the form gives.
- Saying you will dispute the application without then filing the answer.
Common questions
Do I have to use the paper form?
No. Most people apply and respond through the online divorce service on GOV.UK, which guides you through each step. The paper form is for people who cannot or would rather not use it, or for steps GOV.UK says are done on paper.
Where these facts come from
These are the official rules and pages this page is based on. They are listed so you can check a detail for yourself; you do not need them to use Wren. They are outside Wren and open in a new tab.