7 brilliant ways to save £32,500 on your divorce

The cost of living has put pressure on everyone’s finances, and going through a divorce at the same time can feel financially terrifying. But the truth is that how much a divorce costs is largely within your control. The biggest costs in divorce almost always come from conflict, delay, and poor decisions about when and how to use professional help.

At Mediate UK, we have helped thousands of couples reach fair agreements without the cost and stress of contested court proceedings. The tips below are practical, honest, and based on what we see working every day. For a full overview of the legal process, read our complete guide to getting a divorce in England and Wales.

Applying for the divorce itself is something most people can do without a solicitor. It currently costs £628 to apply online, and since the introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022, the process is more straightforward than it has ever been. You no longer need to state a reason for the breakdown of the marriage, apportion blame, or wait two years after separating. You simply apply on the basis that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.

You can apply individually or jointly with your spouse through the government’s online divorce service. If you are on a low income, it is worth checking whether you qualify for a fee remission using the court fees calculator – it is worth checking even if you have a full-time job, as the threshold is higher than many people expect.

The best people to decide how your children will be raised whilst living separately are you, the parents. Without a doubt. Courts make orders based on limited information presented in formal hearings. You know your children far better than any judge ever will.

Focus on the decision from your child’s perspective rather than your own. The courts view it this way: children have a right to a good and loving relationship with both parents. If you can adopt that principle early, the parenting conversation becomes much easier. If your children are over 10, their views should be taken into account. At 13 and above, the court is more than likely to follow their wishes.

If you cannot agree between yourselves, family mediation is the next step before considering court. If you are on a low income, you may qualify for legal aid for family mediation. If not, the government’s £500 mediation voucher scheme is available for most disputes involving child arrangements and has been extended into 2027.

Agreeing the financial arrangements between yourselves, if you can do it, is one of the biggest money-savers in the whole process. The key is to approach it as a joint problem rather than a battle. The question you are both trying to answer is: how do we fund two households from the money we have, when before we were only funding one? That framing takes blame out of the equation and focuses both of you on what actually matters, finding a workable solution.

Once you have reached an agreement, you will need a financial consent order to make it legally binding and to get a clean break. Without one, either party can make a financial claim against the other years down the line. Solicitors have been known to quote £5,000 or more for a consent order, but fixed-fee online options are available at a fraction of that cost.

If you cannot reach agreement between yourselves or through mediation, court should still be the last resort, not the next step. There are numerous alternatives to court worth trying first. If you only agree on one thing throughout the whole process, try to agree on which method of dispute resolution you will use if direct negotiation fails.

If all other options have genuinely been exhausted, arbitration is a far better alternative to family court. You still get a legally binding outcome, but you both agree to attend rather than being summoned. Crucially, you can also choose your arbitrator, which gives you more control over the process and often a faster resolution.

Since April 2024, courts have also been more actively requiring parties to demonstrate they have genuinely considered non-court dispute resolution before issuing proceedings. Failing to do so without good reason can affect who pays the legal costs. The FM5 form, which must now be filed before most first hearings, requires both parties to set out their position on this.

This tip costs nothing and can save you tens of thousands. How you conduct yourself during the divorce process has a direct bearing on your legal costs, and potentially the costs awarded against you if you end up in court.

If you respond to correspondence promptly, negotiate in good faith, make a full and frank financial disclosure, and genuinely attempt to resolve matters through mediation before going to court, you are far less likely to face a costs order against you. Courts look at conduct in negotiations, not conduct in the marriage. Being reasonable pays off financially, even if it is difficult emotionally.

Read our guide on what happens if you refuse mediation for a clear picture of how the courts view this.

Solicitors are excellent at what they do, but what they do best is give specific, informed legal advice on your situation. They are expensive, and their value is highest when they are doing exactly that, not reading forwarded emails, managing your correspondence, or acting as a sounding board for your frustrations about your ex.

A common and costly mistake is using a solicitor as a counsellor or confidant throughout the process. You would not pay a vet to come and feed your dog. In the same way, you should not pay solicitor rates for support that a counsellor, trusted friend, or community like The Divorce Circle could provide at a fraction of the cost or for free.

Use your solicitor for focused, specific legal advice at the right moments, before mediation to understand your position, after mediation to check your agreement, and for the consent order itself. Our fixed-fee legal advice packages are designed for exactly this, giving you the legal input you need at a predictable cost.

Delay costs money. The longer it takes to reach a financial agreement, the more you pay in ongoing professional fees, and the more of your own assets can erode in the meantime, particularly pensions.

Start gathering your financial information early. You will generally need to value everything worth over £500. For pensions, ask your provider for a Cash Equivalent Value (CEV), sometimes called a CETV. Pension providers are legally required to supply this once a year at no charge, as long as the pension is not already in payment.

One important point on pensions that many people miss: what you agree in your consent order does not come into effect until your Final Order. If you agree to transfer 50% of a pension fund but it takes twelve months to finalise the paperwork, you will still transfer 50% of whatever the fund is worth at that later point, including any contributions made in the interim. Every month of delay is money that could end up on the other side of the split.

Frequently Asked Questions