Some costs, such as court fees, are fixed. Others, such as legal fees, will depend on how much legal advice you get and what the solicitor charges. You might be able to get help with the cost of getting a divorce or dissolution.
How much are court fees?
If you’re getting divorced or dissolving your civil partnership, you or your ex-partner (husband, wife or civil partner) will have to pay court fees.
You have to pay them whether you sort out the divorce or dissolution yourself or use a solicitor to help you.
Court fees vary depending on where in the UK you divorce or dissolve your civil partnership. We’ve listed the main ones below, but there might be other fees you’ll need to pay.
Court fees in England and Wales
- If you want a divorce or dissolution, the cost of the application to the court is £612. Find out more about filing for divorce on GOV.UK.
- If you want to legally separate but don’t want to end your marriage or civil partnership – for example, for religious reasons – you can apply for a judicial separation for £415. Find out more about getting a legal separation on GOV.UK.
- If you can agree how to divide your assets, you can make the agreement legally binding by applying for a consent order. This costs £60. Find out more about getting a consent order on GOV.UK.
- If you and your ex-partner can’t agree how to divide your finances, you can ask a court to decide how assets will be split. This application for a financial order costs £313. Find out more about getting a court to decide on GOV.UK.
(2025 GOV.UK figures)
Court fees in Scotland
In Scotland, the fees you pay will depend on which procedure you can use and whether you apply to the court of session or sheriff court.
Simplified procedure / DIY divorce or dissolution
To apply for a ‘simplified’ divorce or dissolution, the fee depends on the court you apply to:
Sheriff court: £156
Court of session: £162.
There is also a service fee of around £15 if the application needs to be served by sheriff officers rather than being sent by the court by recorded delivery.
You can typically only use the simplified procedure if:
your children are 16 or over, and
neither of you is seeking a lump sum or ongoing payments from the other.
If you have children aged 16 or over, the court needs to be satisfied that no orders need to be made about where they will live. All financial issues must also be resolved before a divorce or dissolution can be granted.
In all other circumstances, an application must be made under the ordinary procedure.
Ordinary procedure / Non simplified divorce or dissolution
You’ll use the ordinary/non simplified procedure if:
you have children under 16
your finances are complex or there are financial disputes
you or your ex-partner disagrees with the divorce.
To apply for an ‘ordinary’ divorce or dissolution (where the ‘simplified’ procedure can’t be used), various documents must be submitted to the court, and the fee to do this depends on the court:
Application for ordinary divorce/dissolution
Sheriff court: £191
Court of session: £213
Lodging of affidavits - These are sworn statements required in support of your application.
Sheriff court: £82
Court of session: £92
Minute for decree - This is the legal term for the document finalising your divorce or dissolution.
£67 at either court, plus £74 if you need an official extract from the court of session.
For a full list of court costs in Scotland, read the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Guide to court feesOpens in a new window
(2026 Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service figures)
Court fees in Northern Ireland
- If you want a divorce or dissolution, the cost of the application to the court is £326.
- To finalise your divorce or dissolution, the fee filing for a decree absolute or final is £117. This states that your divorce or dissolution is finalised.
- To apply for a court hearing, the cost is £488 in the High Court or £407 in a county court. If your divorce or dissolution is contested, only the High Court can deal with it.
- If you want to apply for ongoing payments or a share in the property or possessions you own, this application for ancillary relief is £488 in the High Court and £407 in a county court.
(2026 Department of Justice)
Help with paying court fees
England and Wales
You might be able to get help with paying court fees if you’re claiming certain benefits or if you have savings and income below a certain amount - this is called Help with Fees.
If you and your ex-partner are applying jointly for a divorce, both your incomes and savings are taken into account when assessing whether you’re eligible for help to pay for court fees.
To apply or find out more visit Getting help paying court and tribunal feesOpens in a new window on GOV.UK.
Scotland
You might be eligible to apply for a fee exemption if you’re in claiming certain benefit Visit help with court fees on Scottish CourtsOpens in a new window for more details.
Northern Ireland
You’ll need to fill in an ER1 form for help with court fees. Download the form at the Department of Justice
How much are legal and professional fees?
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Most solicitors offer a fixed-fee divorce or dissolution service – but they can also charge by the hour.
The amount you’ll have to pay will depend on how much work the solicitor has to do for you.
You can cap fees or the work you want your solicitor to do. Try to agree in advance how much email or telephone contact you’d like.
Solicitor (charging hourly rate): Total costs range from £2,000 to £3,000 for a negotiated financial settlement. And £30,000 (plus VAT) or more for a financial application that goes all the way to a contested final court hearing. Costs will depend on whether you’re trying to decide on care and support for your children, or to sort out your finances, or both. It’ll also depend on how much you and your ex-partner can agree between you and how complicated your circumstances are.
Solicitor (charging fixed fee): Total costs for drawing up a consent order after an uncontested financial settlement could start from £250 (plus VAT). There will be court fees on top of this, depending on what you agree with your solicitor. This won’t include negotiating how complex assets – for example, a pension – should be divided, or extra work if you and your ex-partner can’t agree a settlement.
Collaborative family lawyer: Costs can be hard to estimate but could range from £8,000 to £15,000.
Online divorce or dissolution service: Costs for online divorce services vary widely. Simple services without solicitor involvement can cost between £40 and £200 depending on the service offered. Solicitor-managed online services typically cost more, often between £500 and £900. You will need to pay any court fees and VAT on top of that. You’ll need to check whether the service will cover just the divorce or dissolution paperwork or the financial settlement as well.
Mediator: Mediators usually charge from £100 an hour. And most couples have between three and four sessions.
If you want to take your case to court, it’s usually a legal requirement to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) unless an exemption applies. Your ex-partner will also be invited to attend a MIAM, but they don’t have to go to the same meeting as you.
Find out more about MIAM:
- if you live in England and Wales, on the Family Mediation Council
- if you live in Northern Ireland, on the Family Mediation NI
- If you go to a solicitor first, they’re likely to talk to you about whether it would help to use mediation first.
Find out more in our guide DIY (do-it-yourself) divorce or dissolution
Scotland
Most solicitors offer a fixed-fee divorce or dissolution service. The amount you’ll have to pay will depend on how much work the solicitor has to do for you.
Some solicitors may offer a fixed-fee arrangement to complete certain elements of the work required. For example, the cost of drafting a separation agreement to formalise an agreement reached between you and your ex-partner is likely to be between £1,000 to £1,500.
Where a solicitor is negotiating a financial settlement or arrangements for your children on your behalf, the costs will be higher. That’s why most solicitors will recommend other ways to resolve matters, such as mediation or collaboration.
Most family lawyers in Scotland are also mediators. There are also various family mediation services in Scotland, including:
If there is a disagreement about finances or arrangements for children, the cost will depend on what needs to be resolved in court, but these costs will be significantly higher. It’s best to try to resolve issues away from court where possible and unless there are other factors which mean the court’s involvement is necessary, for example domestic abuse.
Help through legal aid in England or Wales
You can no longer get legal aid to pay your solicitor’s costs unless there’s evidence of:
- domestic abuse (including financial abuse)
- violence, or
- child abduction.
But you might still be able to get legal aid to help pay mediation costs.
If you or your ex-partner qualifies, legal aid will cover:
all your mediation costs
the cost of the MIAM, and
the first joint mediation meeting for the other person (if they’re not eligible for legal aid).
Find out if you qualify for legal aid on GOV.UK
Help through legal aid in Northern Ireland and Scotland
You might be able to get legal aid to pay towards the legal costs of divorce or dissolution.
You’ll be assessed on how much income, savings, investments and valuables you have (not including your main home).
You might also be able to get legal aid if you receive certain benefits.
Northern Ireland
- Solicitors are responsible for calculating whether you qualify for legal aidOpens in a new window. Find out more at nidirect.
- For information about help with court feesOpens in a new window, go to the Department of Justice website.
Scotland
- Check if you can get legal aid with the Scottish Legal Aid BoardOpens in a new window
- Or find out about help with court fees at Scottish Courts and TribunalsOpens in a new window
