How do I pay for a divorce in the UK?
Last updated: May 2026
by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy at Mediate UK
Information reflects current family law, court fees and mediation pricing as of 19 May 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The court fee for a divorce application in England and Wales is £628, with fee remission available for those on a low income or certain benefits.
- Fixed-fee mediation packages from Mediate UK start at £1,649 + VAT per person (Tier 1), with pay-as-you-go session pricing so you only commit to the full package when you reach agreement.
- The government £500 Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is available for parenting matters and is not means-tested.
- A simple clean break consent order can be drafted for £499 inc. VAT through Family Law Service if you have already reached your own agreement.
- Legal aid remains available for both family mediation based on your financial situation.
How to Pay for Your Divorce
How to pay for your divorce in the UK comes down to seven practical options: fixed-fee mediation packages, the £500 government mediation voucher, help with court fees, maintenance pending suit, cost-sharing through mediation, 0% interest credit cards, and legal aid. The cheapest route is almost always reaching agreement through mediation rather than going to court.
How to Pay for Your Divorce: The Question Almost Everyone Asks First
If you are worried about how to pay for your divorce, you are not alone. Money is one of the most common reasons people delay separating, and it is one of the first questions we get asked when someone calls Mediate UK. The good news is that there are several ways to manage divorce costs, from government schemes to fixed-fee packages that tell you exactly what you will pay before you commit.
Getting divorced in England and Wales does not have to drain your savings. This guide explains seven practical ways of paying for a divorce in 2026, plus the support and funding options many people miss.
Understanding Divorce Costs in the UK
Before working out how to pay for your divorce, it helps to understand what you are actually paying for. The basic court fee for a divorce application is £628, but that is only the start.
Your total divorce costs will depend on whether you and your spouse can reach agreement on the financial side. Sorting out the divorce paperwork is the cheap bit. It is the financial settlement and the consent order that drive cost. The more you can agree between yourselves, the less your divorce will cost, which is why family mediation often becomes the most affordable way forward.
1. Fixed-Fee Family Mediation Packages
1. Fixed-Fee Family Mediation PackagesFamily mediation is a more affordable alternative to court proceedings, and fixed-fee mediation packages give you complete clarity about cost from the beginning.
Unlike traditional solicitor billing, where costs can spiral unpredictably as letters and emails pile up, our fixed-fee packages tell you exactly what you will pay. At Mediate UK, you are not locked into a package on day one. You pay as you go for each appointment, and once you have reached an agreement, you choose the legal package that fits your circumstances and pay the balance.
Mediate UK Fixed-Fee Consent Order Package, 2026 Pricing
Our most popular route is the fixed-fee consent order package. Because you pay for your MIAM, mediation sessions, Memorandum of Understanding and Open Financial Statement as you go, those costs are deducted from the total package price. The balance is what is left to pay for your consent order to be drafted and handled all the way through to a legally binding outcome.
- Tier 1, Standard: £1,649 + VAT per person. Balance after deductions approximately £904 + VAT per person. Suitable for clean break orders, 1 to 4 properties for sale or transfer, lump sums, pension sharing (up to 2 orders), child maintenance and spousal maintenance arrangements.
- Tier 2, Complex: £1,799 + VAT per person. Balance after deductions approximately £1,054 + VAT per person. Suitable for 5 or 6 properties, rental or tenanted properties, 3 or 4 pension sharing orders, Mesher orders or Trusts of Land, and unusual assets such as royalties.
- Not included: HMCTS court fees (£31 per person), compulsory ID verification (£12 + VAT per person), and any independent legal advice.
Each tier includes a MIAM, full financial disclosure, an Open Financial Statement, up to four hours of joint mediation, your Memorandum of Understanding, the solicitor-drafted consent order, Form A and D81 completion, any pension sharing annex, and the order being filed with the court on your behalf. Read the full breakdown of our fixed-fee consent order package.
Most agreements reached through Mediate UK fall within Tier 1. If your case is particularly complex, for example more than six properties, more than four pension sharing orders or highly specialist assets, our solicitors will contact you directly with a personalised quote.
“We see the same pattern in nearly every call. Someone has been quoted £5,000 to £10,000 by a high street solicitor and assumed that is what divorce costs. When we explain that a full mediated settlement with a solicitor-drafted consent order is usually under £2,000 + VAT per person, with the cost spread across the process, the relief is immediate. The aim of our fixed-fee structure is simple: nobody should be priced out of a fair financial settlement.”
Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy, Mediate UK
2. The Government’s £500 Mediation Voucher Scheme
The UK government offers £500 towards joint family mediation sessions for children’s arrangements, available to everyone regardless of income. The voucher scheme is not means-tested, which makes it accessible to all separating couples.
The £500 covers up to two hours of joint mediation focused on parenting matters. It does not cover your MIAM, but it gives you a real opportunity to try mediation without taking on financial risk. This can be particularly useful for sorting out child arrangements without spending thousands on solicitors.
Mediate UK administers the scheme, so accessing the funding is straightforward, your mediator simply applies on your behalf once you have completed your MIAM.
Worried about the cost of starting?
A free 15-minute call with our team will tell you which funding options apply to your situation, and what a realistic total cost looks like before you commit to anything.
3. Help with Court Fees
You may qualify for help with court fees if you are on certain benefits or have a low income. Many people do not realise they are eligible.
You may qualify if any of the following apply:
- You receive benefits such as Income Support, Income-related JSA, Income-related ESA, or Universal Credit.
- Your disposable income is less than £733 per month after tax and certain living expenses.
- You have savings under £8,000 if you are 65 or under, excluding property being discussed in mediation.
- You are 66 or older with savings up to £16,000.
The application process is straightforward and takes less than five minutes. You receive a reference number instantly, which you quote when you submit your divorce application.
4. Maintenance Pending Suit (MPS)
Maintenance Pending Suit provides temporary financial support during divorce proceedings. It is only available if you were legally married, it does not apply to unmarried couples.
MPS allows one spouse to receive interim maintenance from the other until a final financial settlement is reached. This can help cover living expenses and legal costs while the process is ongoing.
This option typically applies when one party has significantly more income or access to assets than the other. You will need to file an application with the court, and it can be helpful to take legal advice from a solicitor before you do.
5. Negotiating Cost-Sharing Through Mediation
When there is a financial imbalance between spouses, mediation gives you a space to negotiate fair arrangements for managing divorce costs as part of the overall settlement.
Case Study: Sharing the Upfront Costs
We worked with a couple, Simon and Fiona, who were in exactly this position. Simon had a higher income and more savings, while Fiona had limited cash available. Through mediation, they agreed that Simon would cover all immediate legal and mediation costs upfront, including the mediation sessions, the solicitor fees for the consent order, and the court fees. As part of their financial settlement, they agreed that Fiona would repay half of these costs from her share when they sold the former matrimonial home. The outcome was that neither was blocked by lack of funds, both could move forward quickly, and the settlement was reached without either side feeling cornered.
6. 0% Interest Credit Cards
A 0% interest credit card can help you manage divorce costs by spreading payments over time without paying interest. Many card providers offer introductory periods of up to 18 months or more with no interest on purchases.
This option lets you cover immediate legal and mediation expenses while managing your cash flow. The key thing is making sure you can repay the balance within the interest-free period, otherwise the standard interest rate will kick in once the promotional period ends.
A few practical points to keep in mind:
- Build the repayment into your monthly budget: only borrow what you can realistically pay back.
- Borrow what you need, not more: it is tempting to take a larger limit than necessary.
- Check your credit rating first: a good rating is usually needed to qualify for the best 0% deals.
- Set a target date: clear the balance before the 0% period expires.
7. Legal Aid for Divorce and Mediation
Legal aid for a solicitor to manage your divorce is now only available in a limited number of cases, primarily where you can evidence that you are a victim of domestic abuse. However, legal aid is still available for family mediation and is means tested. You do not have to be a victim of domestic abuse to get legal aid for family mediation.
You may be eligible if:
- You receive Income Support, Income-related JSA, Income-related ESA, or Universal Credit.
- Your disposable income is less than £733 per month after tax and certain living expenses.
- You have savings under £8,000, excluding the value of any property being discussed in mediation.
- You are on a low income or receive contribution-based benefits.
If you have experienced domestic abuse, you may qualify for legal aid for legal representation. Your solicitor will assess whether you qualify and apply on your behalf. You can also check if you qualify for legal aid here.
Already Agreed Everything? A Cheaper Consent Order Option
Not everyone needs full mediation. If you and your former spouse have already agreed how to split your finances and only need the agreement turned into a legally binding order, there is a much cheaper option.
Our sister service, Family Law Service, offers a paralegal-drafted clean break consent order for £499 inc. VAT. This is suitable where there are no pensions to share, no maintenance to be paid, and you simply want to dismiss future financial claims between you. It is not a regulated solicitor service, but for straightforward clean break cases it is a genuinely affordable way to protect your financial position.
Family Law Service
Already Agreed? Get a Clean Break Order for £499
If you have reached your own agreement and just need it made legally binding, Family Law Service offers a paralegal-drafted clean break consent order at a fixed fee. No mediation needed.
Additional Support and Resources
Beyond the seven main options above, several organisations can help with the cost of separating.
Court Fee Remission
The Help with Fees scheme can reduce or eliminate court fees for those on a low income or certain benefits. This is separate from legal aid and covers court filing fees only. Apply for help with court fees.
Child Law Advice
Provides low-cost legal advice and information on family law to parents, carers, and young people. Visit Child Law Advice.
Citizens Advice
Free, confidential advice on a wide range of issues, including legal matters related to divorce and separation. They can help you understand your options and complete fee remission applications. Find your local Citizens Advice.
LawWorks
Connects individuals with volunteer lawyers who provide free legal advice and representation through clinics across the country. Find free legal advice through LawWorks.
Turn2us
A national charity that helps people in financial hardship access welfare benefits, grants, and support services. Their benefits calculator is particularly useful when you are working out your new financial picture post-separation. Use the Turn2us benefits calculator.
Other Ways to Fund Your Divorce
Beyond the seven main methods, there are additional ways people sometimes fund a divorce:
- Legal fee loans: specialist lenders offer loans designed for legal costs, with repayment deferred until your divorce settlement is finalised. These loans are based on the strength of your case rather than your credit rating.
- Borrowing from family: often the cheapest way to borrow, but make sure you have a formal written loan agreement. Without proper documentation, the court might treat the loan as a gift when dividing assets.
- Sears Tooth agreements: some solicitors will defer payment until your settlement is finalised, paying their fees from your financial award.
Summary
There is no single answer to how to pay for your divorce, but there is almost always a workable option. Most people who think they cannot afford to separate are surprised when they see how a fixed-fee mediation package or a simple clean break consent order actually compares to the court route.
The single biggest driver of cost is conflict. The more you and your former partner can agree between yourselves, the less your divorce will cost. Mediation, fee remission schemes, the £500 government voucher, and fixed-fee legal packages all exist to make that route more accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get divorced in the UK?
The minimum cost is the £628 court fee, which can be waived if you qualify for fee remission. Total costs vary widely depending on whether you use mediation (typically from £1,649 to £1,799 + VAT per person for a full fixed-fee package) or solicitors for a contested divorce (which can run from £5,000 to £30,000 or more per person).
Can I get my spouse to pay for my divorce?
In some circumstances, yes. Courts can issue Legal Services Orders requiring one spouse to pay the other’s legal fees, particularly where there is a significant financial imbalance. You will usually need to show you have explored every other funding option first.
Do I have to pay solicitor fees upfront?
Not always. Options include fixed-fee packages where you pay as you go, Sears Tooth agreements where payment is deferred until settlement, and legal fee loans that cover costs upfront with repayment from your final award.
Is mediation cheaper than using solicitors?
Yes, usually by a significant margin. A full mediated financial settlement with a solicitor-drafted consent order typically costs £1,649 to £1,799 + VAT per person, while contested court proceedings can easily reach £15,000 to £30,000 or more per person.
What if I have no money for a divorce?
Start by checking whether you qualify for help with court fees and legal aid. Consider the government’s £500 mediation voucher for parenting matters. You can also negotiate with your spouse for them to cover upfront costs, to be reimbursed from the settlement, which is something we see work successfully in mediation.
Can I do my own divorce without a solicitor?
You can complete the divorce process online without legal assistance, but it can be helpful to get independent legal advice on any financial settlement to make sure your rights are protected. A consent order is strongly recommended to dismiss future financial claims between you.
What is the cheapest way to pay for a divorce?
A less expensive route is the £628 divorce application (with fee remission if eligible), plus a clean break consent order through Family Law Service at £499 inc. VAT, if you have already agreed the financial side. If you still need to reach agreement, full mediation with a fixed-fee consent order package from £1,649 + VAT per person remains far cheaper than the court route.
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Worried About How to Pay for Your Divorce?
Talk to our team for free. We will explain exactly which funding options apply to your situation, what a fixed-fee package would cost you, and how to move forward without putting yourself under financial strain.
