The cost of divorce in the UK: where the £14,000 actually goes

The official cost of getting divorced in England and Wales is £612 (the court fee for a divorce application, set by the Family Proceedings Fees Order). The widely cited average total cost of a UK divorce is around £14,561. The gap between those two numbers is what the divorce industry refers to as professional fees, and what people going through it experience as a constant drip of bills.

Here is where that money goes.

1. Court fees, fixed and visible

• Divorce application: £612 (single or joint)
• Application for a consent order (financial): £58
• Application for a contested financial remedy order: £303

These are set by statute and updated periodically. They are the only fixed numbers in the process.

2. Solicitor fees, the largest variable

Most of the £14,000 average is solicitor time. Family solicitor hourly rates in England and Wales range from about £200 to £400 per hour outside London, and rise to £500+ inside London. Senior partners and specialists charge more.

Common fixed-fee services that have emerged in response include:

• Consent order drafting: typically £500 to £1,500
• Fixed-fee uncontested divorce service: £500 to £1,000 (covers the administrative process only)

A fully solicitor-managed uncontested divorce, including a consent order, often comes in around £2,000 to £5,000 per party. A contested financial remedy case can reach £10,000 to £30,000 per side, sometimes much more.

3. Mediation, the middle ground

Family mediation is typically charged at £90 to £150 per hour per party. The number of sessions varies but most couples reach an outcome in three to five sessions. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme offers up to £500 per family towards mediation costs and was extended in March 2024 until March 2027.

A complete mediation process, plus a consent order drafted by a solicitor from the mediated outcome, frequently costs £1,500 to £3,000 per party.

4. Disclosure and document preparation

Form E (the standard financial disclosure form) is detailed. Many people pay a solicitor or accountant to help complete it. Property valuations, pension valuations (a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value, often charged by the scheme), and tax advice can each add £100 to £1,000.

5. Indirect costs

These are not usually counted in the headline figure but are real: time off work, travel, the cost of running two homes during separation, and lost productivity. A 2024 survey by Aviva of UK adults found that 19% of people who wanted a divorce had postponed it for financial reasons.

Why a financial agreement changes the maths

The single largest variable in divorce cost is whether the financial settlement is contested. Uncontested settlements (where both parties already agree the terms and just need them formalised) sit at the low end of the cost range. Contested settlements sit at the high end.

A pre-existing, signed, dated, mutually disclosed financial agreement does not guarantee the settlement will be uncontested. It does, however, change the negotiation. You are no longer arguing about what was agreed; you are agreeing what should change. That is a far cheaper conversation.