Family courts in England and Wales took a median of 28 weeks from divorce application to conditional order, and 40 weeks to final order, in April to June 2026. Children cases between family members took a median of about 25 weeks. Financial cases reached a first order in an average of about 20 weeks.
This tracker is updated every quarter from the Ministry of Justice’s Family Court Statistics Quarterly, the official record of how long family cases take. The latest figures cover April to June 2026, published on 24 September 2026. The next release, for July to September 2026, is due on 17 December 2026.
How long are divorces taking?
Divorces are taking a little less time than a year ago. The median time from application to final order was 40.1 weeks in April to June 2026, down from 42.9 weeks in the same quarter of 2025. The legal minimum is 26 weeks and 1 day, so the typical divorce now takes around 14 weeks longer than the law requires.
Median weeks from divorce application to final order
| Quarter | Median to conditional order | Mean to conditional order | Median to final order | Mean to final order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2025 | 32.6 | 42.1 | 45.0 | 74.4 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 30.4 | 41.0 | 42.9 | 68.7 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 28.3 | 40.4 | 41.9 | 67.4 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 28.0 | 39.8 | 38.3 | 64.8 |
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 27.3 | 38.9 | 39.3 | 67.3 |
| Apr to Jun 2026 | 27.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 68.1 |
Weeks from application to the order made in each quarter. Source: Ministry of Justice, Table 12. The Ministry of Justice says the mean is pushed up by a shrinking number of old cases started before the law changed in April 2022, so the median is the better guide to how long a divorce takes now. It also says a planned reduction in conditional order listings from November 2024 made divorces slower in early 2025.
Sole and joint applications
Joint applications are quicker. Looking only at cases under the current law, the median from application to final order in April to June 2026 was 41.1 weeks for sole applications and 35.1 weeks for joint ones. To conditional order, the medians were 28.1 and 26.1 weeks (Table 12b, which includes civil partnership dissolutions). Use our divorce timeline calculator to turn these into dates for your own case.
How long are children cases taking?
Private law cases, where parents or relatives ask the court to decide arrangements for children, took a median of 24.7 weeks from application to final order in April to June 2026. The mean was 33.5 weeks, and 52% of cases finished within 26 weeks. All three measures have improved over the past year.
Median weeks for a private law children case
| Quarter | Median | Mean | Finished within 26 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2025 | 28.6 | 39.1 | 46% |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 26.4 | 36.8 | 49% |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 25.4 | 35.8 | 51% |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 25.1 | 34.9 | 52% |
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 24.9 | 34.6 | 52% |
| Apr to Jun 2026 | 24.7 | 33.5 | 52% |
More cases are coming in than are being finished. There were 41,637 open private law cases at the end of June 2026, up 14% on a year earlier, and new cases rose 11%. GOV.UK tells parents that getting a court order usually takes around 10 months. If you’re thinking of applying, our guide to a child arrangements order without a solicitor explains the process.
Children cases: waiting times by region
Where you live makes a big difference. In April to June 2026, the median children case took 11.0 weeks in Wales and 38.8 weeks in London. The Ministry of Justice publishes these figures by HM Courts and Tribunals Service region in the data files that come with each release.
Median weeks for a private law children case, by region, April to June 2026
| Region | Median weeks | A year earlier | Mean weeks | Within 26 weeks | Cases finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 38.8 | 45.1 | 52.7 | 34% | 1,460 |
| South East | 32.9 | 32.1 | 41.8 | 41% | 1,984 |
| North West | 31.6 | 30.1 | 38.4 | 39% | 1,764 |
| South West | 25.1 | 27.1 | 33.7 | 51% | 1,412 |
| Midlands | 19.9 | 25.0 | 25.9 | 60% | 2,704 |
| North East | 19.6 | 21.9 | 24.3 | 63% | 1,790 |
| Wales | 11.0 | 10.0 | 14.5 | 89% | 891 |
| England and Wales | 24.7 | 26.4 | 33.5 | 52% | 12,005 |
Private law cases finished in April to June 2026, by HM Courts and Tribunals Service region. “A year earlier” is the median for April to June 2025. Divorce applications are handled centrally rather than by local courts, so the Ministry of Justice doesn’t publish divorce waiting times by region.
How long are financial cases taking?
Financial remedy cases, where the court makes orders about money and property after a divorce, took an average (mean) of 19.6 weeks from application to the first order in April to June 2026. That figure includes agreed consent orders, which are usually quick, as well as contested cases, which take much longer. The Ministry of Justice doesn’t publish a median, or a separate figure for contested cases.
Mean weeks from financial remedy application to first order
For a contested case, the court rules set the first appointment 12 to 16 weeks after you apply (Family Procedure Rules, rule 9.12), and GOV.UK warns there can be several months between later appointments. In April to June 2026 there were 12,369 financial remedy applications, and 72% were uncontested. The Ministry of Justice says it is doing further quality work on financial remedy data, so these figures may be revised.
What these waiting times mean for you
- Plan for 40 weeks, not 26, for a straightforward divorce. Applying jointly tends to be quicker.
- Start on the money early. Many people wait for their consent order before applying for the final order, so a slow financial agreement can hold up the whole divorce.
- If you can agree about the children without going to court, it will almost always be faster. Mediation is the usual first step, and a voucher can pay up to £500 towards it.
How to cite this page
divorcd, “Family court waiting times tracker”, https://divorcd.com/divorce-waiting-times, figures correct at 20 October 2026.
Source: Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2026 (24 September 2026). You’re welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page.
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How long are family courts taking in 2026?
In April to June 2026, divorces took a median of 40 weeks from application to final order. Children cases between parents took a median of 24.7 weeks, and financial cases reached a first order in an average of 19.6 weeks.
How long does it take to get a final order?
The legal minimum is 26 weeks and 1 day from the date the application is issued. In April to June 2026 the median was 40 weeks from application: 41 weeks for sole applications and 35 weeks for joint ones, looking at cases under the current law.
How long does a child arrangements case take?
The median private law case took 24.7 weeks from application to final order in April to June 2026, and 52% finished within 26 weeks. It varies a lot by region, from a median of 11.0 weeks in Wales to 38.8 weeks in London.
How long does a financial order take?
An agreed consent order is usually quicker than a contested case. Across all financial remedy cases, the average time to a first order was 19.6 weeks in April to June 2026. In a contested case, the court rules set the first appointment 12 to 16 weeks after applying.
How often are family court waiting times published?
Every quarter, by the Ministry of Justice. The next release, covering July to September 2026, is due on 17 December 2026. We update this tracker when each release comes out.
Sources
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026)
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2026, tables and data files (Tables 9, 10, 12, 12b and the Children Act 26 Weeks file)
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly collection and release calendar
- GOV.UK, Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate
- GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 1
Keep reading
This page is general information about divorce, not legal or financial advice. Official figures are revised from time to time, so check the sources above and speak to a qualified professional about your situation. Facts checked 20 October 2026.