Sorting out money and property through the family court
Guides and forms for people in England and Wales who are applying for, or responding to, a financial order after a divorce or dissolution, without a solicitor.
Time and cost at a glance
| Step | On your own | With Wren | Solicitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working out where to start | Several evenings of reading | About 15 minutes | £250 to £4901 to 2 hours |
| A long form, such as Form E or the C100 | Several days | A couple of hours | £1,480 to £2,4706 to 10 hours |
| Getting ready for a hearing | Several days | A couple of hours | £740 to £1,4803 to 6 hours |
| A position statement | A day or two | About an hour | £490 to £9902 to 4 hours |
| Putting a bundle together | Days of sorting | Minutes: Wren builds the PDF | £740 to £1,4803 to 6 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.
Step by step, and how Wren helps
Open a step for what the court needs and the full guide.
What to do before applying to court for a financial order
Answer a few questions and Wren shows where your case is, what usually comes next and which forms you need.What the court needs
Before you apply for a financial order, the rules expect you to try to settle things without court. This usually means a MIAM, trying a form of non-court dispute resolution, sharing financial information and setting out what you want.
Drafts Wren gives you
- Letter before applying for a financial order, as a Word draft to finish in your own words
How the financial remedy process works after divorce or dissolution
Answer a few questions and Wren shows where your case is, what usually comes next and which forms you need.What the court needs
A financial remedy case is how the family court decides money, property and pensions when a marriage or civil partnership ends. The usual route is a MIAM, then Form A, then up to three court stages. These are a first appointment, an FDR appointment and, without agreement, a final hearing.
How to complete Form E and give financial disclosure
Wren breaks the form into short plain-English questions, explains each one, and fills in the official form from your answers for you to check, sign and send.What the court needs
Form E is the financial statement each person fills in once a financial order application is made. It sets out income, assets, debts, pensions and future needs. It must be exchanged at least 35 days before the first appointment.
Drafts Wren gives you
- Asking for a pension valuation, as a Word draft to finish in your own words
What happens at a first appointment in a financial remedy case
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
The first appointment is the first court hearing in a contested financial remedy case. The judge defines the issues, decides what further information each person must give, and usually sends the case on to an FDR appointment.
Using a single joint expert in a financial remedy case
Wren explains how a single joint expert is chosen and paid for, and gives you a letter to propose one.What the court needs
Sometimes the court needs an expert, such as a property valuer or a pension expert. In financial cases you need the court's permission to use expert evidence. The court often directs one expert for both of you, called a single joint expert.
Drafts Wren gives you
- Letter proposing a single joint expert, as a Word draft to finish in your own words
What happens at an FDR appointment (financial dispute resolution)
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
An FDR (financial dispute resolution) appointment is a court hearing where a judge helps both parties negotiate a settlement. What is said there cannot be used as evidence later, and the FDR judge cannot decide the case at a final hearing.
What happens at a final hearing in a financial remedy case
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
The final hearing is where a judge decides how money, property and pensions are divided if you have not agreed. Before it, each party files open proposals, a statement of costs and evidence, and the applicant usually prepares the court bundle.
How to apply for a financial consent order
Wren asks the questions on the forms that go with a consent order, such as the D81, in plain English and fills them in from your answers.What the court needs
A consent order is a court order that makes your financial agreement after divorce or dissolution legally binding. You both sign a draft order and give financial information on Form D81. This goes with Form A and a £62 fee for a judge to approve.
Carrying out a financial order after divorce or dissolution
Wren turns what the court orders into dated steps, so you can see what has to be done and by when.What the court needs
A financial order says who must do what, and by when. This guide explains when it takes effect and the usual steps for pensions, property and payments. It also covers what you can do if the order is not followed.
How to write a position statement for a family court hearing
Wren takes you through each heading the court expects, with made-up examples, and you write it in your own words.What the court needs
A position statement is a short document that tells the judge your position for a particular hearing and what order you are asking for. It is not evidence, has strict page limits, and a fresh one is written for each hearing.
How to prepare a court bundle for a family court hearing
Mark the papers you need and Wren builds one page-numbered PDF bundle with an index you can tap and a count against the page limit.What the court needs
A court bundle is the indexed, page-numbered set of documents the judge reads before a hearing. The applicant usually prepares it, and it must reach the court and other parties at least 5 working days before the hearing.
How to get help paying family court fees (Help with Fees and EX160)
Wren asks the Help with Fees questions in plain English and fills in Form EX160 from your answers, if you apply on paper.What the court needs
Help with Fees can reduce or cover a family court fee. It depends on your savings, your benefits and your income. You apply online or on Form EX160 at the same time as your court application.
Not sure where you are?
- Where are you in your family case?
Six quick questions, then see what usually happens next and what to get ready. - Which family court forms do you need?
Answer up to six quick questions and see your list of forms, with what each one is for. - Are you ready for your hearing?
Check what to prepare for your next family court hearing, in under two minutes.
The forms
- Form AAsk the court to decide money and property
- FM5Tell the court your views on mediation and other options
- Form EFinancial statement for a divorce money case
- ES1Agreed summary of a financial remedy case
- ES2Agreed schedule of assets and income
- Form HEstimate of legal costs before a money hearing
- Form H1Full statement of legal costs before a final hearing
- D81Statement of information for a consent order
- Form PAsk a pension scheme for divorce information
- Form P1Pension sharing annex to a financial order
- Form P2Pension attachment annex to a financial order
- Form A1Apply for maintenance only (fast-track)
- Form E1Financial statement for other money claims
- Form E2Financial statement to change a maintenance order
- D11Ask the court for an order within a money case
- D50KEnforce an unpaid financial order
- FP2General application notice in family proceedings (Part 18)
- FP6Tell the court how and when you served documents
- FP8Tell the court and the other party that your solicitor has changed or stopped acting
- FP162Respond to an appeal in the Family Division of the High Court
- FC600Contempt application in the family court
- EX160Ask for help paying a court fee
- FE15Ask for money to be taken from the debtor's pay
- FE16Ask the court to search for an attachment of earnings order
- FE17Reply to an attachment of earnings application
- FE6Ask for a charging order on the debtor's land or property
- FE7Ask for a charging order on the debtor's shares or securities
- D62Ask the court to summon a debtor who has not paid
- D151Register a High Court maintenance order in the family court
- FP25Summon a witness to attend court or bring documents
- EX107Order a transcript of a court hearing
- EX105Ask for an appeal transcript to be paid at public expense
Get organised with Wren Family
You still run your own case, with help at every step. Wren Family turns long official forms into short, plain-English questions, guides you through each hearing, helps you write statements in your own words, and keeps your dates, papers and orders in one place. Nothing is sent 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.