The home may be the first worry, but pensions, savings, debts and future living costs also matter. In England, married couples and civil partners have a financial settlement process alongside ending the relationship. People who were not married have different rules.
England · Checked 17 September 2026
A divorce ends a marriage. It does not, by itself, complete every financial arrangement. Married couples and civil partners may agree a settlement or ask a court to decide.
If you lived together without marrying or forming a civil partnership, do not assume the divorce rules apply because the relationship lasted many years or you have a child. Ownership and any available claims need a separate assessment. Both parents still have responsibilities for child maintenance.
A useful financial picture includes:
Pensions can be significant even when there is little cash in an account. Do not leave them out because they cannot be spent today.
A consent order is a court order that records an agreed financial settlement. To make the agreement legally binding, the draft is submitted with information about the finances for a judge to consider. The judge can ask for changes if the proposal is not fair.
Timing matters. The court cannot approve it before the conditional stage of the divorce, and it takes effect after the final order. GOV.UK advises that dealing with it before the final divorce order is usually simpler; waiting can have consequences, particularly for pensions.
The application for a financial order uses Form A. Both people normally provide detailed financial information using Form E. The process can include an initial appointment, a meeting aimed at settling the dispute and a final hearing if agreement is not reached.
The court considers needs and circumstances such as income, earning capacity, resources, age, health and contributions to family life. Children’s needs, especially housing, are considered. It is not a simple rule that every individual asset must be cut in half.
The reason the relationship ended is not ordinarily the basis for dividing the finances. Focus preparation on the financial information and needs the court must assess.
This guide explains general rules and services. It does not assess your individual case.
Information checked on 17 September 2026.
Based on the original article by Linda Ljunggren Syding.
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