What does it cost to get divorced?

If you want to get divorced you have to complete a form called a ‘petition’. Once you have completed your form you should take this to your county court or to the Principal Registry in London. You must explain why you want to get a divorce. The court will only allow you to get divorced if you show you have legitimate grounds for divorcing your partner.

The divorce court where you take your petition will also require you to make your payment. Divorce costs can include:

The cost of submitting your initial petition
The cost of a copy of your decree absolute
The cost of submitting an application for financial support to look after your children

The current cost to make an initial petition to the court is £300. If you want to change your petition you will have to pay an additional £200 to file the new petition with the court. Divorce costs can vary depending on your particular circumstances. You can read all of the current court costs in the leaflet EX50 that is available for download from the HMCS website.

The divorce costs that many people overlook are those charged by their solicitor. It is always advisable to get an estimate of the charges they will make before proceeding. Also, extra costs or ‘disbursements’ should be looked at very carefully.

Don’t forget that the person asking for the divorce - the petitioner - will usually have to pay the divorce costs that the court charges unless they can show that they cannot afford to pay these fees. In these cases the court may choose not to make any charges for the divorce petition.

If you would like to obtain legal advice about a divorce, Contact Law can put you in touch with a local specialist divorce solicitor free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local divorce solicitors please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.