Form A: applying for a financial order

Form A is the application that starts financial proceedings in a divorce or dissolution. It asks the court to decide how money, property and pensions are divided, or to approve a consent order you’ve agreed. The fee is £321 if you want the court to decide, or £62 for a consent order. You usually need to attend a MIAM first.

How do you fill in Form A?

Form A is long because it contains the mediation (MIAM) sections. If you’re applying for a consent order you skip those, because a MIAM isn’t required.

Page 1: is this the right form?

Check the list at the top. Form A covers most financial claims in a divorce or dissolution. If you’re only asking for periodical payments (maintenance), or to vary or end a maintenance order, use Form A1 instead. Financial relief after an overseas divorce has its own form. Give both full names and your Help with Fees reference if you have one.

The £250,000 question

The form asks whether your combined net assets, excluding pensions, are below £250,000. The note explains this is used in pilot court areas to decide whether the case can go into an express financial remedy procedure. Answer it as accurately as you can.

Nature and type of application

Say whether the application is connected with your divorce or dissolution, and whether you have the conditional or final order (attach copies). Then tick the orders you’re asking for: maintenance pending the outcome, lump sum, property adjustment, periodical payments, pension sharing and so on. If you’re applying by consent, tick yes and attach the draft order and form D81.

Section 1: further details

If you want a property adjustment order for land, give the property address and the name and address of every mortgage lender: they’ll need to be served. If you’re asking for maintenance for children, the form asks which situation applies, because the Child Maintenance Service usually deals with child maintenance and the court can only do so in limited cases. Then list each child.

Service details

Give your address for documents, or your solicitor’s. If you don’t want your address known, leave it blank and use form C8. Give your spouse’s address for service, or their solicitor’s.

Sections 2 to 4: the MIAM

Before a contested financial application you must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM), unless you’re exempt or applying by consent. If you attended, the mediator signs Section 4. If you’re claiming an exemption, tick it in Section 3: domestic abuse (with evidence from the list), urgency, a MIAM or other dispute resolution in the last 4 months, or another listed ground. Where evidence is needed you must send it with the application.

Sections 5 and 6: statement of truth and checklist

Sign the statement of truth and work through the checklist to confirm every section is complete. The guidance warns that missing answers delay the case.

What are the common mistakes on Form A?

• Applying without a MIAM or a valid exemption. The court can refuse to deal with it.
• Claiming an exemption that needs evidence, and not sending the evidence.
• Using Form A when you only want maintenance (Form A1) or the other way round.
• Leaving out the mortgage lender’s details when asking for a property order.
• Sending a consent order without the draft order, D81 and both signatures.

What happens after you send Form A?

For a contested application, the court sends you both a notice of the first appointment. GOV.UK says this is usually 12 to 14 weeks after you apply. Before it, you both complete Form E and exchange it at least 35 days before the hearing. The case then has three stages: the first appointment, a financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment to help you settle, and a final hearing if you still can’t agree.

For a consent order, a judge reviews the papers, usually without a hearing.

Where do you get Form A?

Download Form A from GOV.UK. For a contested application, GOV.UK says to send it to your local financial remedy court. For a consent order in a divorce, send it with the other documents and the £62 fee to HMCTS Financial Remedy, PO Box 12746, Harlow CM20 9QZ.

Open Form A on GOV.UK

We explain forms but never host them, so you always download the current version from GOV.UK.

When should you get help with Form A?

A contested financial case is where legal advice pays for itself most often. Speak to a family solicitor before filing Form A if there’s a business, a significant pension or property, or an imbalance in who knows about the money. If you think agreement is still possible, a mediator is usually the cheaper first step.

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Common questions

Sources

1. GOV.UK, Form A notice of intention to proceed with a financial application (form version 05.26)
2. GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate: get the court to decide
3. GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate: if you agree
4. GOV.UK, Family court fees (EX50), updated 13 July 2026

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Guides and tools

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.