Form A: ask the court to decide money and property
Form A is the application that asks the family court to make a financial order when a marriage or civil partnership ends. The person asking the court, called the applicant, fills it in and sends it to the court.
How Wren helps with the Form A
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 Form A 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 Form A. 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 Form A 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
- Give notice of your intention to proceed with an application for a financial order: Form A
- Edition
- 05.26 (20 pages)Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Fee (not agreed)
- £321Source: Financial orders (fees order 5.4) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Fee (consent order)
- £62Source: Financial orders (fees order 5.1) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Where it goes
- Not agreed: the financial remedy centre most local to you. Agreed, with an existing divorce: HMCTS Financial Remedy, PO Box 12746, Harlow, CM20 9QZ.Source: Guidance note "What you do next" (external source, opens in a new tab)
- MIAM
- Needed first, unless the application is for a consent order or an exemption appliesSource: sections 2-4; General information paras 4-15 (external source, opens in a new tab); para 13(2)(a) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- First Appointment
- Standard procedure: the court fixes it 12 to 16 weeks after filingSource: r 9.12(1)(a) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Related forms
- Form E (financial statement); D81 and a draft order if agreed; C8 to keep your address privateSource: r 9.14(1) (external source, opens in a new tab); page 2 "Type of application"; General information paras 3, 4 (external source, opens in a new tab); Service details pages 5-6; Guidance note (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the Form A
A spouse or civil partner who wants the court to deal with money, property or pensions in divorce, dissolution, nullity or separation proceedings. It also covers some claims for children under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989. If you have both agreed terms, Form A is also sent with a draft consent order.
When it is used
You can apply when you start your divorce or dissolution, or at any time after that. GOV.UK says the court typically cannot make a financial order before the conditional order. The order only takes effect after the final order.
Before you start
- Proof that you attended a MIAM, or the evidence for any exemption you will claim, such as evidence of domestic abuse.
- A copy of your conditional order and final order, if the court has made them.
- The address of any property you want an order about, and the name and address of any mortgage lender.
- Each child's name, date of birth and relationship to you both, and any child maintenance calculation.
- If you have agreed terms: the draft consent order signed by both of you and Form D81.
- A way to pay the fee, or a Help with Fees reference number.
How to fill in the Form A
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.
Front pages and the asset question
You give your name and the other person's name. You then say whether you think your combined net assets, excluding pensions, are under £250,000. In pilot court areas this answer helps decide if the express procedure applies. It is only one of several conditions.
Nature and type of application
You say whether the claim is part of a divorce, dissolution, nullity or separation, and whether a conditional or final order has been made. You then tick each type of order you are asking for, such as a lump sum, property adjustment, maintenance or pension sharing. You also say whether this is a consent order.
Section 1: property and children
If you want an order about land or a home, give its address and any mortgage lender's details. If you ask for maintenance for a child, tick the box that gives the court power to deal with it. The form warns that without one, the court may not have jurisdiction.
Service details
You give an address in the UK where documents can be sent to you. If you do not have a solicitor, this is your own address. To keep your address from the other person, leave it blank and fill in Form C8 instead. If you are in danger, call 999.
Sections 2 to 4: MIAM
You confirm you attended a MIAM, and the mediator signs section 4. Or you claim an exemption in section 3, for example domestic abuse or urgency. Some exemptions need evidence sent with the form. If you cannot send it, page 14 lets you explain why.
Section 5: statement of truth
You sign to confirm the facts are true. The form warns that a false statement without an honest belief in its truth can lead to contempt proceedings.
Section 6: checklist and fee
The checklist asks you to confirm you completed sections 1 to 5. The guidance says every question should be answered or marked as not applying, or the case may be delayed. For card payment, the court contacts you within 28 days.
Prepare your Form A 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
Under the standard procedure the court fixes a First Appointment 12 to 16 weeks after filing. It sends Form A to the other person within 4 days, unless you chose to serve it yourself. Both of you then exchange Form E at least 35 days before the First Appointment. In express pilot cases the first hearing is 16 to 20 weeks after issue, and Form E is due within 28 days.
Common mistakes
- Leaving questions blank instead of saying they do not apply. The form's guidance says this can delay the case.
- Claiming a MIAM exemption that needs evidence without sending the evidence or explaining why it is missing.
- Writing your address on the form when you want it kept private. The form says to use Form C8 instead.
- Sending a contested application to the address meant for consent applications. The guidance gives different destinations for each.
- Forgetting to attach a copy of the conditional order or final order when one has been made.
Common questions
How much does Form A cost?
The fee is £321 if the application is not agreed and £62 for a consent order. You may get help with the fee online or by using form EX160.
Do I need a MIAM before Form A?
Usually yes. The form says you must attend a MIAM first unless the application is for a consent order or an exemption applies. If neither applies, you cannot make the application.
How long after Form A is the First Appointment?
Under the standard procedure the rules say the court fixes it 12 to 16 weeks after filing. GOV.UK says it is usually 12 to 14 weeks. Express pilot cases have a first hearing 16 to 20 weeks after issue.
Can I send Form A before my divorce is final?
Yes. You can apply with your divorce or dissolution application or at any time after it. Any financial order only takes effect after the final order.
What is the express financial remedy procedure?
It is a pilot for some cases filed in listed courts between 7 April 2025 and 2 April 2027. It applies only where combined net assets, excluding pensions, are under £250,000 and the case is not a consent application.
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.
- GOV.UK: Form A (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Money and property when you divorce or separate: get the court to decide (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Money and property when you divorce or separate: if you agree (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Family court fees (EX50) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Get help paying court and tribunal fees (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 9 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 9A (and Pre-application Protocol) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 3 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 3A (MIAMs) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 36ZH (Express Financial Remedy pilot) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 29 (external source, opens in a new tab)