How Much Does a Divorce Cost in the UK?

In England and Wales the court fee to apply for a divorce is £628, as shown on GOV.UK on 27 October 2026. A consent order adds £62. Asking the court to decide the money is £321. Solicitor, mediation and other costs are extra and depend on what you agree. Agreeing usually costs less than asking the court to decide.

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Our family law solicitors wrote this guide for people who are thinking about divorce and want a realistic picture. It covers England and Wales only. It gives the court fees and explains how we charge. It cannot give you a total, because the total depends on how much you and your spouse agree.

How much does a divorce cost in the UK?

A divorce has two separate costs. The first is ending the marriage. The second is settling the money, the home and any pensions. This guide keeps them apart.

Court fees are set by the government. Legal fees are not. They depend on the work.

The totals are court fees only. £628 plus £62 is £690. £628 plus £321 is £949. They come before any legal costs, and before any other court fee that may apply to your case. Other fees can arise, for example if your spouse disputes a sole application.

What does the court charge?

The court charges a fee at each main step. The labels below are the ones on GOV.UK's family court fees (EX50) page, which was updated on 26 October 2026.

A few points on how these work:

• The £628 is paid when you apply for a divorce. It is not refunded after the court sends the notice that your application has been issued.
• The £62 applies when you and your spouse agree the money and ask the court to approve a consent order.
• The £321 applies when you cannot agree and ask the court to decide.
• If your spouse disputes a sole application, the person filing an answer to it pays £240, shown on the same EX50 page.
• GOV.UK shows no separate court fee for the conditional order or the final order. These are the two later steps that end the marriage.

You may get help with these fees if you receive certain benefits or are on a low income. Help with court fees explains the savings and income limits, which change. In a joint application, you must both apply for help and both qualify, or you pay the full fee.

Court fees change. Check the EX50 page before you pay.

What do divorce solicitors charge?

We cannot give you a total, and we will not guess one. A fair total depends on how many issues you disagree about and how many steps the court needs.

Family matters vary too much for one price. We set out our costs in writing before you instruct us. Court fees and other third-party costs are paid on top. Our fees and service information page explains how our charges work.

What pushes a solicitor's bill up or down:

• How much you agree. Every point in dispute takes more letters, calls and time.
• How much there is to sort out. A rented flat and two bank accounts take less work than a business, several properties and pensions.
• How complete your papers are. Missing statements and late replies add hours.
• How far it goes. Each hearing adds preparation and attendance time.
• Whether children are involved. Arrangements for children can add work, though some parents agree them without court.

The court fees above do not include any of this. For the money side, see our guide to what a financial settlement involves.

What else adds to the cost?

Some costs sit outside both the court and your solicitor.

• Mediation. A mediator helps you and your spouse reach an agreement. The first meeting, called a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM), is usually about £120 per person according to the Family Mediation Council and GOV.UK. Further sessions are charged separately, and fees vary by area. Most people who want to take a money or children dispute to court must first attend a MIAM, unless an exemption applies.
• Valuations. A surveyor or estate agent may value the home. Prices vary, so we give no figure here.
• Pension reports. If a pension is large or complex, an independent expert may be asked to value it. Cost depends on the expert and the pension.
• Other experts. A business or an unusual asset can need a specialist valuation.
• Moving the home into one name. If one of you keeps the home, there is conveyancing work and, in some cases, Stamp Duty Land Tax. These are separate from any family law fee.

The mediation agreement itself is not legally binding. You need a consent order for that.

Who pays for a divorce?

The person who applies pays the court fee when they apply. In a joint application, you decide between you how to share it. In a sole application, the applicant pays it.

Legal fees work differently. Each person normally pays their own solicitor. In the money part of a divorce, the court does not usually order one person to pay the other's legal costs, though it can in some situations. If you want your spouse to contribute to a cost, say so early. A solicitor can tell you whether that is realistic in your case.

What is the first thing I should do if I want a divorce?

Check you can divorce, then get your facts straight before you apply.

1. Check you are eligible. On GOV.UK you can get divorced in England or Wales if you have been married for over a year, the relationship has permanently broken down, and the marriage is legally recognised in the UK.
2. Decide how to apply. You can apply on your own or jointly. GOV.UK says it normally takes at least 7 months from application to the final order.
3. List what you own and owe. Savings, the home, pensions, debts and income.
4. Take advice. Ask about the money as well as the divorce itself.
5. Apply on GOV.UK. You pay the court fee when you apply, or use help with fees if you qualify.

There is a wait built into the process. The law sets a minimum of 20 weeks from the start of the application, then 6 weeks after the conditional order, however much you agree.

What is the biggest mistake during a divorce?

There is no single mistake that applies to everyone. These three often cost money later:

• Not making the money agreement binding. What you agree between you, or in mediation, is not legally binding. A consent order is what makes it binding.
• Finishing the divorce before the money is sorted. GOV.UK says that if you want a binding arrangement for money and property, you must apply to the court for it before you apply for the final order. Applying afterwards may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions.
• Not giving full details of your finances. The court expects honest, complete information. Gaps can undo an agreement or lead to more cost.

Our guide to divorcing without going to court explains how couples keep matters out of the courtroom.

How are assets divided in a UK divorce?

There is no fixed formula. A judge looks at things like the length of the marriage, your ages, your ability to earn, what you each own, your living costs and any children. They make arrangements for children first, then aim for the fairest division where there is enough to meet everyone's needs. The reason for the divorce is not taken into account. Read what a financial settlement involves for the law in more detail, or see our page on advice on dividing finances.

What changes if you divorce after 50?

You may have seen lists of "benefits" of divorcing after 50. There is no list of benefits that applies to everyone, and this guide does not suggest that anyone should divorce.

What does tend to matter at this age is pensions. A pension is usually part of the settlement, and the court can deal with pensions as it can with other assets. Take advice on pensions before the final order, because applying for money orders after the final order may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions. The court fee for the divorce is the same at any age.

How can you keep the cost down?

You cannot control every cost. You can control some of them.

• Agree what you can, early. Each point you settle is one less to argue about.
• Make the agreement binding. A consent order costs £62 and usually needs no hearing.
• Consider mediation. GOV.UK says it can be quicker and cheaper than asking a court to decide for you.
• Get your papers in order. Our page on advice on dividing finances has a checklist of what to bring to your first meeting.
• Ask for help with fees. If you qualify, help with court fees can reduce the fee.
• Check for legal aid. It is available in limited situations, such as domestic abuse. Use GOV.UK's legal aid check and read about legal aid for domestic abuse. Our guide to legal aid for family cases explains more.

Does an agreed (uncontested) divorce cost less?

Usually, yes. An agreed, or uncontested, divorce is one where neither person disputes it. The court fee for the divorce is the same £628. The saving comes from the money side. An agreed settlement needs fewer steps and usually no hearing, so it takes less solicitor time. Disagreement about money is what usually raises the bill.

Does separation length change the cost?

No. The court fee is £628 whether you have been separated for two years, five years or not at all. A divorce application no longer needs a separation period. You state that the marriage has broken down, and the court treats that statement as conclusive under section 1 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. So the court fee is the same after any length of separation.

What can differ is the money. If you separated some time ago and have no binding money agreement, ask a solicitor where you stand.

Is there a free or cheapest way to divorce?

There is no free route. The court charges a fee, unless help with fees covers it. The route that usually keeps costs lowest is to apply yourself on GOV.UK and agree the money with your spouse. You would then pay the court fees of £690 and draft the consent order yourself, or pay a solicitor only for that part. Advicenow has a guide to applying for a financial order without a lawyer.

That route may not suit you if you have a pension, a business, a home with a mortgage or children, or if you cannot agree. Legal advice is worth having then.

Sources

• Family court fees (EX50), GOV.UK, updated 26 October 2026
• Get a divorce, GOV.UK
• Money and property when you divorce or separate, GOV.UK
• Get help paying court and tribunal fees, GOV.UK
• Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 1, legislation.gov.uk

Court fees checked on GOV.UK on 27 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the sources above before you rely on a figure. This guide is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice for your situation.