D70 form: ask the court to declare a marriage or civil partnership status
Form D70 asks the court for a declaration of status: a formal decision about whether a marriage or civil partnership was valid, still exists or has ended, or whether a divorce, dissolution or annulment is recognised. It is unusual, and it is not how you end a marriage or civil partnership.
Fill in the D70 form with Wren
How Wren helps with the D70
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 D70 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 D70. 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 D70 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
- Application for declaration of marital or civil partnership status: Form D70
- Edition
- 04.14 (6 pages).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Attorney General
- You must serve copies of the application and the attached documents on the Attorney General at least one month before you make your application to the court.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Fee
- £426 for a declaration as to marital status. Help with fees may be available.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Documents
- Attach a certified copy of the marriage or civil partnership certificate and any decree or order, with an authorised translation if it is not in English (or Welsh in a Welsh court).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the D70
Someone who needs the court to decide their own marital or civil partnership status, or the status of a couple where they have a sufficient interest in the result.
When it is used
For example, where there is doubt about whether a marriage abroad was valid or whether an overseas divorce is recognised. If you want to end a marriage or civil partnership, most people use the online divorce service. If you only need proof of your own divorce, ask for a copy of the final order instead.
Before you start
- The marriage or civil partnership certificate, with a translation if needed.
- Any decree or order of divorce, dissolution, nullity or separation.
- Both parties' full names and addresses.
- Details of any other court proceedings about the marriage, civil partnership or the couple's property.
- Legal advice, because a declaration can affect other people and public records.
How to fill in the D70
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.
Part 1: about you
What the application relates to, and whether you are a party. If not, your name, address and interest in the result.
Parts 2 to 4: the marriage and jurisdiction
The parties, the marriage or civil partnership as shown on the certificate, any decree or order, where the couple last lived together and why the courts of England and Wales can hear the case.
Parts 5 to 8: grounds and other details
Your grounds, when you served the Attorney General, any other proceedings, any help you need at court, and addresses for service.
Part 9: statement of truth
You sign a statement of truth.
Prepare your D70 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
The court gives directions. The Attorney General may take part in the case. If the court makes a declaration, it is binding.
Common mistakes
- Using D70 to end a marriage or civil partnership: that is a divorce or dissolution.
- Applying to the court less than one month after serving the Attorney General.
- Copying names or places differently from the certificate.
Common questions
I just need proof that I am divorced. Is this the right form?
Usually not. If the divorce or dissolution was in England or Wales, ask for a copy of the final order or decree absolute, online or on form D440.
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.