Form D36: applying for the final order

Form D36 is the paper application for a final order, which legally ends your marriage or civil partnership. You can apply 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after your conditional order. There is no fee. If you applied jointly but want to apply alone at this stage, use form D36A. Online applicants apply through their account.

How do you fill in Form D36?

D36 is three pages. Most of the work is checking two dates: the date of your conditional order, and today’s date against the 43-day and 12-month limits.

Questions 1 and 2: has it been more than 12 months?

If more than 12 months have passed since the conditional order, explain why in question 2. Typical reasons are waiting for a financial order or reconciliation attempts. Be specific. The court will want to know nothing has changed, such as a new child or living together again.

Question 3 or 4: sole or joint

Sole applicants complete question 3, joint applicants question 4. Both ask for the date of the conditional order, which is on the conditional order certificate the court sent you. Copy it exactly.

Statement of truth

Sign and date. In a joint application both of you sign.

Form D36A: one joint applicant applying alone

If you applied jointly but your spouse won’t sign, use D36A instead. First you must give them 14 days’ notice that you intend to apply alone, then file a certificate of service showing you gave that notice. Question 3 of D36A asks you to confirm you’ve done this. You can’t use D36A until you have.

What are the common mistakes on Form D36?

• Applying before the 43 days are up. Count from the date of the conditional order, not from when you received it.
• Applying before your finances are sorted. GOV.UK says that if you want a legally binding financial arrangement you must apply for it before the final order, because ending the marriage can affect your rights, particularly to pensions.
• Copying the wrong conditional order date.
• Joint applicants using D36 with one signature. Use D36A and give 14 days notice first.
• Leaving question 2 blank when more than 12 months have passed.

What happens after you send Form D36?

The court checks the time limits and that there’s no other reason not to grant the divorce, then sends you both a copy of the final order. From that moment you are divorced and free to remarry. Keep the final order safe: you’ll need it to prove your status, for example if you remarry. If you lose it, you can ask the court for a copy.

If you applied alone and don’t apply for the final order, your spouse can apply themselves, but only after an extra 3 months on top of the 43 days.

Should you wait before applying for the final order?

Often, yes, if money is involved. A final order ends the marriage, and with it some rights that depend on being married, such as being treated as a spouse under your ex’s pension scheme if they die. That’s why GOV.UK says to apply for a legally binding financial arrangement before you apply for the final order, and why many solicitors advise waiting until a consent order or financial order has been made. If you’re the one who stands to lose out, you don’t have to apply as soon as the 43 days are up.

Our guides to pensions in divorce and consent orders explain what to sort out first.

Where do you get Form D36?

Use your online account if you applied online. For a paper case, download D36 or D36A from GOV.UK and send it to HMCTS Divorce and Dissolution service, PO Box 13226, Harlow CM20 9UG, or email it to [email protected].

Open Form D36 on GOV.UK

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When should you get help with Form D36?

Speak to a family solicitor before applying if there’s a pension involved and no financial order yet, if more than 12 months have passed and circumstances have changed, or if you’re the respondent and your spouse hasn’t applied.

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Common questions

Sources

1. GOV.UK, Apply to make a conditional order final: Form D36 (form versions D36 07.24, D36A 03.24)
2. GOV.UK, Get a divorce: finalise your divorce
3. GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate: if you agree

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This page is general information about court forms, not legal or financial advice. Forms, fees and rules change, so always download the current form from GOV.UK and speak to a qualified professional about your situation. Facts checked 20 October 2026.