How to apply for a financial consent order

How long it takes, and what it would cost

On your own

A day or more

With Wren

About an hour for most forms

Solicitor for each form

£740 to £1,2403 to 5 hours

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.

Why a consent order matters

GOV.UK says that if your agreement is not legally binding, a court cannot enforce it if there are problems later. A consent order confirms how you will divide assets such as pensions, property, savings and investments. It can also include maintenance.

You do not need to attend a MIAM to apply for a consent order.

When to apply

You can ask the court to approve a consent order when you apply for divorce or dissolution, or at any time after.

GOV.UK says the court cannot approve a consent order before the conditional order. Asking after the final order may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions. The order only takes effect after the final order.

What to send

GOV.UK and the rules describe a short set of documents.

1. A draft consent order, signed by both of you. GOV.UK says you also need 2 photocopies of the signed original.
2. A statement of information on Form D81. This may be one joint form or one each.
3. Form A, with the consent box ticked, completed by one of you.
4. The £62 court fee, or a help with fees application.

Form D81

Form D81 gives the judge a summary of each person's finances, so they can decide whether the agreement is fair. The pinned edition is 04.25.

If you use one joint form, you both sign it to confirm you have read each other's information. If you use separate forms, each is signed by the other party.

The duty of full and honest disclosure applies to consent orders too. An order can be set aside later for material non-disclosure.

Pensions

If the order shares or attaches a pension, it must say so. It must come with a pension annex for each pension, on Form P1 or Form P2.

For an agreed pension sharing order, the pension holder asks the provider for Section C of Form P. They send a copy to the other party. For an agreed attachment order, the provider must be served and has 21 days to object.

Where to send it

If you are divorcing and no financial case has started, GOV.UK gives one address. It is HMCTS Financial Remedy, PO Box 12746, Harlow, CM20 9QZ.

If you are ending a civil partnership or legally separating, GOV.UK says to send them to the court dealing with your paperwork. Keep your own copies.

What happens next

There is usually no hearing, and neither of you needs to attend. A judge approves the order if they think it is fair. If not, they can ask you to change it.

If a contested case is already running, you can still settle. The court can make a consent order at an FDR. The Form E notes say an agreement reached before the first appointment can go to the court as a consent application.