Last updated: July 2026
Written by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy at Mediate UK, and reviewed by Belinda Atkins, Managing Director, Family Legal Ltd. Written in accordance with our editorial standards. This guide reflects the current Form D81 used for financial consent order applications in England and Wales.
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Get a printable copy of the current Form D81 from our dedicated download page, then come back here for the step by step.
Key Takeaways
- Form D81 is officially called the Statement of Information for a Consent Order in relation to a Financial Remedy.
- It gives the court a summary of each person’s current finances: income, assets, debts, pensions and outgoings.
- You complete it when you ask the court to approve a financial consent order.
- You cannot submit it until you have your conditional order (previously the decree nisi).
- Both people sign a statement of truth, so the figures must be honest and up to date, not the position at separation.
- The court fee for the consent order application is £62, and the court checks the agreement is fair before sealing it.
- Sections 10 and 11 show the effect of your proposed settlement, so the court can see the before and after at a glance.
FORM D81
Form D81 is the Statement of Information for a Consent Order in relation to a Financial Remedy. It is the court form that summarises both people’s finances when a divorcing or dissolving couple ask the family court in England and Wales to turn their agreed financial settlement into a legally binding consent order. It lets the court check the agreement is fair before approving it.
Form D81 Guidance Directory
If you have agreed how to split your finances on divorce, Form D81 is the document that lets the court check that agreement and make it binding. It is the Statement of Information for a Consent Order in relation to a Financial Remedy, and it trips a lot of people up, not because it is hard, but because the figures have to be current and the before and after tables are easy to get wrong.
This guide walks you through what the form is, when you complete it, and how to fill it in section by section. We also include a fully worked example with real numbers, so you can see exactly how one couple’s assets and income flow through Sections 8 to 11 before you fill in your own.
What is a Form D81?
Form D81 is a form used in family law proceedings in England and Wales. Its full name is the Statement of Information for a Consent Order in relation to a Financial Remedy.
Its job is to give the court a summary of both people’s finances when they divorce or dissolve a civil partnership. That includes income, property, savings, pensions, debts and outgoings. You use it once you have agreed how to divide everything and you want the court to formalise that agreement in a financial consent order.
Because the court relies on it to decide whether your financial settlement is fair, it has to be accurate and truthful. You can download the blank form from our Form D81 download page.
When do I need to complete Form D81?
You complete Form D81 when you submit a financial consent order to the court. The consent order sets out how your finances will be divided and any ongoing payments between you. Form D81 sits alongside it and shows the court your current financial position, then the effect of the split you have proposed. That is how the court checks the agreement is reasonable.
You cannot submit the form or ask for a financial consent order until you have received your conditional divorce order (previously called the decree nisi).
What information do I provide on a Form D81?
The form asks for a summary of your finances now, and the picture after your agreement takes effect. In practice, you provide:
- How you reached the agreement. There are 11 ways to reach a financial settlement, and the court wants to know which one you used.
- Your current assets, such as property, savings and shares.
- Your current income from all sources, including benefits.
- The effect of the consent order on your capital and your income.
- Any likely changes to your future income.
- An explanation of anything unusual in the settlement that the court may want to look at more closely.
- Your future living arrangements, and where any children will live.
- Any new relationship or plan to cohabit, since this can affect your reasonable living costs.
The figures give the court accurate, up to date information to make an informed decision, which is why they must be current rather than the position at the time you separated.
How do I fill in a Form D81 step by step?
Each of you completes your own column, so the court can see both sides. Work through it in order and take each figure from a real source: bank statements for balances, a formal valuation for the property, and up to date statements for pensions and debts. Here is the sequence most people follow.
- Step 1, the header details: add the court name, your case number, and the names of both parties, exactly as they appear on your divorce application.
- Step 2, how you reached agreement: state the method used, for example family mediation, solicitor negotiation, or agreement between yourselves.
- Step 3, Section 8, money and property: enter the current totals for the family home, other assets, liabilities and pensions. This is your position now, not at separation.
- Step 4, Section 9, net income: enter your current net income from all sources.
- Step 5, Sections 10 and 11, the effect: repeat the capital and income tables, this time showing the position after your proposed settlement takes effect.
- Step 6, the wider circumstances: confirm future living arrangements, any children’s arrangements, and any new relationship or plan to cohabit.
- Step 7, the statement of truth: read it carefully, then both of you sign and date. This is a legal declaration.
Accuracy is your best protection against the form being rejected or questioned. If a number looks odd, add a short note explaining it rather than leaving the court to guess.
Example of a completed D81 form
Seeing a worked example of a completed D81 form makes the before and after tables far easier to understand. Below is a simple, illustrative case. The figures are made up to show how the tables connect, so please do not treat them as advice on your own settlement.
Illustrative example only. Sarah and Tom are divorcing. They jointly own their home, both have some savings and a pension, and each has a small debt. They have agreed a clean break: Sarah keeps the house, and a pension sharing order moves part of Tom’s pension to Sarah.
Section 8, money and property now (before the settlement)
| Item | Sarah | Tom | Joint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family home, net equity (value £320,000 less £120,000 mortgage) | – | – | £200,000 |
| Savings and other assets | £8,000 | £5,000 | – |
| Liabilities (Sarah credit card £2,000, Tom car loan £4,000) | (£2,000) | (£4,000) | – |
| Pensions (cash equivalent value) | £45,000 | £110,000 | – |
| Total net assets (including joint) | £362,000 | ||
Section 9, net income now
| Item | Sarah | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| Net monthly income from all sources | £2,100 | £3,200 |
Sections 10 and 11, the effect of the agreed settlement (after)
Sarah keeps the family home and takes over the mortgage. A pension sharing order moves £27,500 (25 percent) of Tom’s pension to Sarah. It is a clean break, so neither pays the other spousal maintenance. Any child support is handled separately through the Child Maintenance Service, not in the consent order.
| Item after settlement | Sarah | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| Family home, net equity | £200,000 | £0 |
| Savings and other assets | £8,000 | £5,000 |
| Liabilities | (£2,000) | (£4,000) |
| Pensions after the pension sharing order | £72,500 | £82,500 |
| Total net assets each | £278,500 | £83,500 |
| Net monthly income (clean break, unchanged) | £2,100 | £3,200 |
The example shows the point of Sections 10 and 11. On paper Sarah receives more of the capital, but she takes on the housing and the mortgage while Tom keeps more of his pension and more disposable income. Setting it out this way lets the court see the whole picture and judge whether the split meets both people’s needs. Where a settlement looks uneven, a short explanation in the form is what helps it through.
“The mistake we see most often is people copying figures across from an old Form E, or from the day they separated. The court wants today’s numbers. We always ask clients to pull fresh balances and an up to date pension value before they sign, because a D81 that does not match reality is what leads to questions and delay, and in the worst cases to an order being set aside later.”
Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy, Mediate UK
A closer look at Sections 8 to 11
These four sections are the heart of the form. Here is what each one is asking for.
Section 8, money and property
Section 8 of Form D81 records your current financial summary across property, assets, liabilities and pensions.
This is your current financial summary, and you sign to confirm it. It is not the position at separation, even if that was years ago. If you have completed a Form E or other financial disclosure, you add up the totals for each category here:
- Properties
- All other assets
- Liabilities
- Pensions
Section 9, net income
This is your current net income. As with Section 8, you sign to confirm it, so it needs to be accurate and current.
Sections 10 and 11, the effect of the settlement
These repeat the capital and income tables, but show the effect of your proposed settlement. This addition was made in March 2022, so the court can quickly check the viability and fairness of the agreement. The worked example above shows how the before and after figures compare in practice.
Who sees the Form D81?
The information on Form D81 is confidential. It is only seen by the two of you, your legal representatives, and the court.
Is a Form D81 compulsory?
Yes, if you are asking the court to seal a financial consent order. Without it, the court cannot approve your agreement. If you are not applying for a consent order, you do not need one. Some couples complete one voluntarily as part of open disclosure, but because it is only a summary, we usually recommend a full financial disclosure instead.
Not sure your agreement will pass the court’s fairness check?
Mediate UK can help you reach a fair, workable agreement and, through our legal team, turn it into a sealed consent order with the D81 completed for you. Book a free call to talk it through.
What happens after I submit a Form D81?
You, or your solicitor, file the D81 with your consent order and Form A. There is a court fee for the consent order application, currently £62 (GOV.UK family court fees, as of July 2026). The court does not simply rubber stamp your agreement. A judge has a duty to scrutinise it and check it is fair and meets both people’s needs. If they have concerns, they will ask questions about the agreement. They will not impose a different order at this stage.
Do I need a solicitor to complete a Form D81?
Not necessarily. You can complete the form yourselves. You would usually need a solicitor, or someone with legal experience, to draft the actual consent order. If you choose our Consent Order Package, the solicitor completes both D81s with your input as part of the service.
How does Form D81 work with family mediation?
Form D81 is usually completed after family mediation has taken place and you have reached an agreement. In mediation or facilitation, we ask clients to complete a full financial disclosure first. That protects both people from a future challenge to the agreement.
Family Law Service
Want a solicitor to draft your consent order and complete your D81s?
Our sister company, Family Law Service, offers a fixed-fee online clean break consent order. A solicitor drafts the order, completes both D81 statements with your input, and gets it ready to file. No hourly rate surprises.
Do I need to do a Form E and a Form D81?
A Form E is used when you disclose your finances. It is one method of financial disclosure. Couples sometimes complete it to help reach an agreement, and it is required if you cannot agree and have to apply to court for a financial order.
The Form D81 comes later, once you have an agreement and want the court to make it legally binding. You may use both forms during your divorce, but at different stages. The figures on your D81 may differ from your Form E, because the D81 must be current and things can change between the two.
Can my ex lie on a Form D81?
In theory they could, but having signed the statement of truth, they could be held in contempt of court. Any consent order could then be set aside and the whole process repeated, and the court may consider the question of costs. Honest, full disclosure protects you both.
Summary
- Form D81 is used when you ask the court to make your financial agreement legally binding.
- You cannot get a financial clean break without completing one.
- Be honest and accurate, and show both the current position and the effect of your proposals.
- Sections 10 and 11 are the before and after check, so the court can see the settlement is fair.
- If the court agrees, it seals your consent order. If not, it will usually ask questions rather than impose its own order.
Frequently asked questions about Form D81
What is a Form D81 in simple terms?
Form D81 is the Statement of Information for a Consent Order in relation to a Financial Remedy. It is a court form that summarises both people’s finances so the court can check that an agreed financial settlement is fair before approving it as a consent order. It is used in divorce and civil partnership dissolution in England and Wales.
Is a Form D81 compulsory?
Yes, if you are asking the court to seal a financial consent order. The court will not approve your agreement without it. If you are not applying for a consent order, you do not need to complete one, although some couples do so voluntarily as part of open financial disclosure.
How much is the fee for a Form D81 consent order?
There is no separate fee for the D81 itself. The court fee for the financial consent order application it supports is £62, as of July 2026. That fee is much lower than the fee for a contested financial order. You may qualify for help with court fees if you are on a low income or certain benefits.
When can I submit my Form D81?
You can submit it once you have your conditional order (previously the decree nisi) and you have agreed your financial settlement. You cannot apply for a financial consent order before the conditional order is granted.
Do the figures on my D81 have to be current?
Yes. The D81 must show your financial position now, not at the point you separated, even if that was years ago. Both people sign a statement of truth, so use current bank balances, an up to date property valuation, and current pension cash equivalent values.
What is the difference between a Form E and a Form D81?
A Form E is a full financial disclosure document, used to exchange detailed financial information or as part of contested court proceedings. A Form D81 is a shorter summary used once you have agreed a settlement and want the court to approve it. You may complete both during a divorce, but at different stages, and the D81 figures must be current.
You might also find helpful
| The Ultimate Guide to a Financial Consent Order Read the guide |
The Ultimate Guide to Financial Settlement on Divorce View the guide |
| What is a Form E and Do I Need to Complete It? Find out more |
Download the Blank Form D81 Download now |
Ready to sort your finances the fair way?
Mediate UK helps couples across England and Wales reach a fair financial agreement, then turn it into a sealed consent order with the paperwork completed for you. Get started below, or book a free call to talk it through first.
About the Author and Our Legal Partnerships
This guide was written by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy at Mediate UK, and reviewed by Belinda Atkins, Managing Director, Family Legal Ltd. Jess has helped hundreds of families reach agreements and complete the court paperwork that follows, including consent orders and the Form D81.
Mediate UK is one of the UK’s largest and top-rated family mediation services, accredited by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), with an online service across England and Wales. We work alongside our trusted legal partners, including DFA Law LLP, St Ives Chambers, and The Family Law Consultant. DFA Law is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.
Contact Mediate UK: Phone 0330 999 0959 | Email admin@mediateuk.co.uk | Website www.mediateuk.co.uk
