You can divorce someone you can't find. Apply as normal using their last known email or postal address. If the papers don't reach them, you can ask the court to let you serve them another way, to search government records for their address, or to go ahead without serving them at all. Each of these applications costs £62.
It takes longer and needs more paperwork than a standard divorce, but a missing spouse can't stop you ending your marriage. This guide explains each step, what evidence the court wants and what it costs, for divorces in England and Wales.
Can I get divorced if I don't know where my spouse is?
Yes. GOV.UK confirms you can divorce if you don't know where your husband or wife is, although finding a current address may make it quicker (GOV.UK). The court has to be satisfied that your spouse has been told about the divorce, or that you've done everything reasonable to tell them. That is what the rest of this guide is about.
The legal waiting periods are the same as any divorce. You can apply for your conditional order 20 weeks after the court issues your application (GOV.UK), but the court won't grant it until service has been dealt with. Our divorce timeline calculator shows the earliest dates from the day you apply, and our guide to how long a divorce takes covers the realistic timescales.
How do I find my spouse's address?
Start with the people and organisations most likely to know. GOV.UK suggests asking relatives (including your children), friends, their last known employer and any trade union or professional body they belong to (GOV.UK). Other places worth trying include mutual friends on social media and the last place they rented.
Keep a dated note of every step: who you asked, when, and what they said. If you later ask the court to go ahead without serving your spouse, you'll need to show you made all reasonable attempts and enquiries to find them (HMCTS). A record you kept as you went is far more convincing than one pieced together later.
If you're avoiding your spouse for your safety, you don't have to reveal your address or contact details to anyone except the court. Tell the court you want them kept confidential (Family Procedure Rules, rule 29.1). The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free on 0808 2000 247, and in an emergency call 999. Our safeguarding page lists more help.
What address do I put on the divorce application?
You give the court an email address and a postal address for your spouse, if you have them (GOV.UK). If you have an email address they use, the court can send the papers by email, with a notice sent to their postal address as well. If you don't know where they live now, use their usual or last known address (Family Procedure Rules, rules 6.7A and 6.13).
If you have reason to believe they've moved or no longer use that email address, the rules say you must take reasonable steps to find their current details first. If you know another way to reach them, you should ask the court's permission to use it rather than sending papers somewhere they won't arrive (rule 6.13).
What happens if my spouse doesn't respond?
Your spouse has 14 days to respond to the court's acknowledgement of service. If they don't, the court will contact you and tell you what you can do (GOV.UK). There are four main routes, depending on what you know.
They received the papers but ignored them: deemed service
If you can show your spouse received the application, for example a text or email from them mentioning it, you can ask the court to treat them as served. This is called deemed service. You apply on form D11, and the court must be satisfied that they actually received the application (rule 6.16; HMCTS).
You know where they are: bailiff or process server
The papers can be handed to your spouse in person, but you can't do it yourself (rule 6.5). You can ask a court bailiff to do it for £47 (GOV.UK), or pay a private process server, who will give you a signed statement confirming service.
You can reach them another way: alternative service
If you can't serve by post or email but you know another way to reach your spouse, such as a text number, WhatsApp or a social media account, you can ask the court to approve it. This is called alternative service, and the court needs a good reason to allow it (rule 6.19). You apply on form D11. HMCTS guidance says you must show your spouse actively uses that method, or explain when they last used it. The court itself can't send papers by text or social media, so you would do it and file proof (HMCTS).
You can't find them at all: dispensing with service
If every reasonable attempt has failed, you can ask the court to let the divorce go ahead without serving your spouse. The court can do this where serving the application is impracticable (rule 6.20). You apply on form D13B and explain everything you've done to find them (GOV.UK). This is where your record of enquiries counts.
What the court wants to see is a genuine effort to find your spouse, written down as you went.
Can the court search government records for their address?
Yes. You can apply on form D11 asking the court to request your spouse's address from a government department. The departments most often searched are the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) (HMCTS).
The court needs as much of this information as you can give: their full name, date of birth, last known address with dates, any other addresses, and their National Insurance number if you know it (Practice Direction 6C). You also need to explain why you think the search will work, for example because they are likely to be working or claiming benefits. If you aren't also asking the court to decide your finances, apply for a search only after you've tried everything else (HMCTS). HMRC will only act on an order made in the High Court (Practice Direction 6C), so a search of HMRC records can take longer.
How much does it cost to divorce someone you can't find?
On top of the £628 divorce fee, expect to pay £62 for each application you make without a hearing. Most service applications fall into that category.
| Step | Form | Court fee |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce application | Online or D8 | £628 |
| Deemed service, alternative service or address search, without a hearing | D11 | £62 each |
| Asking the court to dispense with service | D13B | £62 |
| Any of the above if a hearing is needed | D11 | £195 |
| Service by a court bailiff | Request to the court | £47 |
Fees correct at 20 October 2026, from the GOV.UK family court fees list (EX50). Applications without notice or by consent are charged at £62 and those on notice at £195. Private process servers set their own prices. If you're on a low income or certain benefits, Help with Fees can cover some or all of these fees, and our guide to Help with Fees for divorce takes you through it. Every current fee is listed on our divorce court fees page.
What if my spouse lives abroad?
You can still divorce in England and Wales if the courts here have jurisdiction. That's the case if, for example, you have been habitually resident here for at least a year before you apply, or six months if you're also domiciled here (Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973, section 5).
Papers can be served outside the UK without the court's permission, but court staff won't serve a respondent who is outside the jurisdiction, so you arrange it (rules 6.5 and 6.41). You can use a method allowed under the law of that country, and your spouse gets longer to respond: 21 days in Scotland, Northern Ireland or a European country that has signed the Hague Service Convention, and 31 days in a Hague Convention country outside Europe (rules 6.42 and 6.43). HMCTS guidance gives a spouse living abroad as an example of when the court may approve another method, such as email (HMCTS).
What about the finances?
The divorce ends the marriage but doesn't end financial claims between you. If your spouse reappears years later, they could still make a claim unless a court order deals with your finances. If there are assets or pensions involved, speak to a family solicitor about applying for a financial order even though your spouse can't be found. Our guide to how money and property are split explains what the court looks at, and consent orders and clean break orders covers how financial claims are closed off.
If you believe your spouse may have died, there is a separate process to ask the court to presume their death and end the marriage (GOV.UK). A solicitor can tell you what evidence you'd need.
Service applications are where a short piece of legal advice can save months. Find a family solicitor who handles missing-spouse divorces, or get matched with two or three near you.
For the full process from application to final order, see our step-by-step guide to divorce.
Want help with service applications?
Tell us what's going on and we'll introduce you to two or three family solicitors near you. The introduction is free, and they'll tell you their fees before you agree to anything.
Get matchedCommon questions
Can I get divorced without my husband's or wife's address?
Yes. Apply using their last known email or postal address. If the papers don't reach them, you can ask the court for alternative service, a search of government records for their address, or permission to go ahead without serving them.
Can divorce papers be served by WhatsApp, text or social media?
Only with the court's permission. You apply for alternative service on form D11 and show that your spouse actively uses that method. The court can't send papers by text or social media itself, so you would serve them and send the court proof.
What is deemed service in a divorce?
Deemed service is when the court treats your spouse as having been served because you can show they received the divorce application, even though they haven't responded. You apply on form D11, and the fee is £62 if no hearing is needed.
What does it cost to dispense with service?
The court fee for an application to dispense with service on form D13B is £62, on top of the £628 divorce application fee. Help with Fees can reduce or cover it if you're on a low income or certain benefits.
How long does it take to divorce someone you can't find?
The legal minimum is the same as any divorce: 20 weeks from the court issuing your application to applying for a conditional order, then 6 weeks and 1 day to the final order. Each service application adds time, so expect it to take longer than an ordinary divorce.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Divorce or end a civil partnership if your partner is missing
- Ministry of Justice, Family Procedure Rules Part 6 (service)
- HMCTS, General applications, alternative service and deemed and dispensed (updated 13 July 2026)
- Ministry of Justice, Practice Direction 6C: disclosure of addresses by government departments
- GOV.UK, Family court fees (EX50), updated 13 July 2026
- GOV.UK, Get a divorce: what happens after you apply
- GOV.UK, Get a divorce: how to apply
- GOV.UK, Form D11: application notice
- GOV.UK, Form D13B: ask the court to dispense with service
- legislation.gov.uk, Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973, section 5
- Ministry of Justice, Family Procedure Rules Part 29, rule 29.1 (personal details)
- GOV.UK, Get help paying court and tribunal fees
Keep reading
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws, fees and figures change, so check the sources above and speak to a qualified professional about your situation. Facts checked 20 October 2026.