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Money and property

Form H: estimate of legal costs before a money hearing

Form H is an estimate of the legal costs in a financial remedy case. Each party files it before hearings so the judge can see what the case has cost so far and may cost.

Fill in the Form H with Wren

How Wren helps with the Form H

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.

  1. Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the Form H becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
  2. Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
  3. The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official Form H. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
  4. 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
An hour or two
With Wren
15 to 30 minutes
Solicitor for this form
£250 to £4901 to 2 hours

A solicitor’s time for the Form H can run to £490. With Wren it is part of £19.99 a month, and it takes 15 to 30 minutes rather than an hour or two.

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
Estimate of costs for a financial remedy hearing: Form H
Deadline
At least one day before every hearing or appointmentSource: r 9.27(1) (external source, opens in a new tab)
At the hearing
Bring a copy of the Form H you filedSource: r 9.27(6) (external source, opens in a new tab)
What to leave out
Costs of other proceedings, such as the divorce or children matters. Those go in Form E.Source: paras 3.1A, 3.2 (external source, opens in a new tab)
Final hearing
Use Form H1, at least 14 days beforeSource: r 9.27(4) (external source, opens in a new tab)

Who uses the Form H

Each party to a financial remedy case, whether or not they have a solicitor. It has a statement of truth for a party who is not legally represented.

When it is used

At least one day before every hearing or appointment. Before the First Appointment it also estimates costs up to the FDR. Before the FDR it estimates costs up to the final hearing. For the final hearing you use Form H1 instead.

Before you start

  • The date of the hearing the estimate is for.
  • Any legal bills you have had for the money case, split into before and after Form A was issued.
  • Any amounts you have already paid towards those costs.
  • Whether any of your costs are covered by legal aid.
  • For the First Appointment or FDR, a realistic estimate of costs to the next stage if the case does not settle.

How to fill in the Form H

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 page

Which party you are, the hearing date and total costs so far. It asks how much is legal aid and how much is private, and what has been paid.

Section A: before Form A

Costs of the money case before the application was issued. This covers solicitors' costs, disbursements and barristers' fees, split between previous and current solicitors.

Section B: after Form A

The same headings for costs after the application was issued, including the current hearing. Sections A and B are completed for every hearing.

Section C: before the First Appointment

An estimate of costs from the First Appointment up to the FDR, if the case does not settle at the First Appointment.

Section D: before the FDR

An estimate of costs from the FDR up to the final hearing, if the case does not settle at the FDR.

Two money columns

Each line has a column for legal aid prescribed rates and a column for the indemnity rate. Totals are worked out for each column.

Statement of truth

If you have no lawyer, you confirm the estimate is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. You also confirm it will be filed and served under rule 9.27.

Prepare your Form H 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 started

Free 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 judge records the amount of each party's estimate in the order. If a party has not filed one, the order records that, and the court directs filing within 3 days or another period. The general rule in financial remedy cases is no order for one party to pay the other's costs. The court may depart from that because of a party's conduct.

Common mistakes

  • Including costs of the divorce, children matters or injunctions. The form says these must be left out.
  • Filing it late. The rules require it at least one day before each hearing.
  • Forgetting to send a copy to the other party, or to bring a copy to the hearing.
  • Using Form H for the final hearing. Form H1 is used then.

Common questions

Do I need to fill in Form H if I do not have a solicitor?

The rules apply to each party. The form has a separate statement of truth for a party who is not legally represented.

When do I file Form H?

At least one day before every hearing or appointment in the money case. Form H1 replaces it for the final hearing.

What is the difference between Form H and Form H1?

Form H is an estimate used before the First Appointment, FDR and other hearings. Form H1 is a full statement of costs filed at least 14 days before the final hearing.

Will I have to pay the other side's legal costs?

The general rule in financial remedy cases is that the court does not order one party to pay the other's costs. It may do so because of conduct, such as not following the rules or refusing to negotiate reasonably.

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.

Last checked against its sources on . How we check our pages.

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