Apply for a divorce in England and Wales

This guidance applies to England and Wales only.

There are two ways to apply for a divorce.

1. Apply online via the .gov portal, or
2. Apply via post to the Divorce Service Centre in Harlow. You can download and print a paper version of the divorce application here.

In either case, you will need  to pay a court fee of £612. You may be eligible to receive help with the fee if you are on a low income and don’t have much in savings.

For more help with paying the court fee look here.

Documents needed

 

Court fees

Court fees are payable when you start a divorce.

There is a separate fee if you have to make another application as part of your divorce.

For example, if you need to apply for deemed service, you will pay an extra fee on top of the original court fee.

A fee is also payable for an order dividing your assets or making a clean break.

Help paying the court fee

If you are on a low income

• you may be eligible to pay a discounted court fee; or
• fully exempt.

Court Fee refunds

If you have paid a court fee within the last 3 months and were eligible at the time for exemption or to pay a discounted fee, you may be able to apply for a refund.

How much is the court fee?

The table below shows the most common court fees in connection with divorce.

You can find out more about fee exemption and apply for help with the court fee here.