Applying for a final order as respondent

The procedure for applying for a final order as respondent is as follows:

Step 1 – application form

Complete form D11. Only do this if more than 3 months has passed since the first date the applicant could have applied for the final order.

The D11 form is used to make all sorts of general applications in the family court. It is not specific to the application for a final order.

You will need to specify the order you are looking for an why.

Step 2 – draft order

Prepare a draft order.

When making an application to court, you need to prepare a draft of the order you are asking the court to make. This is sent to the court with the D11.

Step 3 – fees

The court fee is £190. On 13th July 2026 it will increase to £195.

On the D11 you can indicate how you want to pay. These are the options:

• Send a cheque payable to HMCTS with your form.
• Ask the court staff to call you to take payment by phone.
• Ask the court staff to email you instructions on how to pay.

If you are on a low income and are eligible to pay a reduced court fee or for complete fee remission, you need to make an application for Help with Fees (opens in a new tab). You can do this online or by filling in the paper version of the form and sending it with the D11.

If you apply online you will receive a code and this code needs to be added to your D11 form.

Step 4 – court hearing

The court service will list your application for a hearing. This may take several weeks.

Both you and your spouse will be expected to attend the hearing.

The judge will decide whether there is a good reason to delay the final order of divorce. There must be special or exceptional circumstances or a risk of real prejudice to your spouse to delay the making of the order.

Everyone’s circumstances are unique. There is no definition of special or exceptional circumstances. This is up to the judge to decide in your case.

However, in previous cases, the court has decided that having to deal with financial issues/pensions is not necessarily special or exceptional.

You can now use our newly added service to prepare your application form and draft order here D11 application for final order by respondent – Online Divorce

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.