Online divorce in England and Wales means submitting your divorce application through the government’s online portal, rather than using a paper process or attending court in person. The application deals solely with ending the legal marriage – it does not resolve finances or arrangements for children, which are separate issues that need to be dealt with separately.
You can apply online as either a sole or joint applicant, and the process follows the same legal timetable as any other divorce in England and Wales, including the mandatory waiting periods before the final order can be made.
Delivered by a trusted partner, if you choose to have an online divorce, the service gives you access to support throughout the process, making sure everything is handled correctly and that you feel clear on each step. As the UK’s largest specialist family law firm, Stowe Family Law is ranked as a Leading Firm by both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners 2026 and rated Excellent on Trustpilot, we’re trusted by families across England and Wales to provide honest, practical support at every stage.
What is online divorce?
You can apply for your divorce online by completing Form D8 and submitting it via the government website. However, it is important to seek advice from a family lawyer as the forms can be legally complex and have far-reaching consequences on your finances.
How much does an online divorce cost?
There is currently a fixed court fee of £628+VAT to process the online divorce application. However, this does not cover the costs of settling your finances or making legal arrangements for your children. These will incur additional costs. A Stowe family lawyer will be able to give you an estimate of what to expect based on your personal situation.
Am I eligible for an online divorce?
All initial divorce applications are submitted online, whether by an individual or a law firm. However, this only covers the administrative process of ending your marriage. To settle finances or child arrangements, it is highly advisable to seek legal advice.
This is the legal process of ending a marriage or civil partnership. While you can do this with online divorce, you will need the full services of a divorce solicitor if there are any contested aspects of the marriage. This is because it does not legally sever the financial ties of a spouse, nor does it address any child arrangements. If you have tied finances or any children together, get in touch with one of our expert solicitors today.
Divorce solicitors
We offer a fixed fee service for uncontested divorces, where we can legally end your marriage or civil partnership for a set price. This will be handled by one of our expert solicitors instead of being done online through a self-serve form. We offer a competitively priced service, where applicants pay £750+VAT and the respondent pays £612+VAT. You are informed of the prices at the beginning of the process, so you have complete transparency over how much this will cost you.
Fixed fee divorce solicitors
If you have joint finances in your marriage or civil partnership, you will need a financial settlement order as well as a divorce. The process of divorce doesn’t affect any financial issues. Our solicitors help guide you through the process of dividing your assets and getting a Consent Order to legally sever your financial ties and protect you from any future claims.
Divorce financial settlement solicitors
Child arrangement orders are a legal order that dictates where a child lives after divorce and how much time they will spend with each parent. Divorce does not affect this so you will need to seek help from a child arrangement order solicitor if you have had any children during the course of your marriage. Our expert child law solicitors will provide you with easy-to-understand advice, draft any documentation for you and represent you in any court proceedings.
Child arrangement order solicitors
Divorce proceedings in England and Wales are now submitted through the government’s online portal. This applies whether you instruct a solicitor or complete the process yourself.
Our online service is available to sole and joint applicants and is particularly suited to uncontested divorces – situations where both parties have agreed on the breakdown of the marriage and, ideally, have a clear position on financial matters.
It’s worth knowing that the divorce application itself deals only with ending the legal marriage. Financial arrangements and child matters are separate proceedings, and both typically require independent legal advice. Our solicitors can help you understand which of these applies to your situation from the outset.
It is possible to start divorce proceedings yourself online, and our experienced divorce solicitors at Stowe Family Law can offer support and advice throughout the entire process.
You can divorce your partner if:
For more information, read our guide on how to apply for a divorce online.
Use the calculator
Legally, our online divorce service is the same as traditional divorce services, as it results in the dissolution of marriage and needs to be approved by a judge in a court of law. The process begins with an online application such as the D8 Divorce Petition Form, giving you the opportunity to provide key details before starting proceedings and potentially save on legal fees.
Any other issues and arrangements such as money and your financial ties, arrangements for your children, property and the distribution of assets will be handled separately from your online divorce application.
Online divorce is well-suited to certain circumstances, but it is not the right route for everyone. Before proceeding, it’s worth reflecting on a few key questions:
If any of these points give you pause, speaking to a lawyer before you submit anything is a sensible first step. A free initial callback with us costs you nothing and could save you considerable difficulty later.
Get expert advice and support tailored to your situation from our experienced legal team.
In England and Wales, the average time for divorce, whether you hire a divorce lawyer or apply for a divorce online, takes around six months.
Within the whole process, there are two waiting periods. The 20-week cooling-off period applies after the court has issued the application and before the conditional order can be granted. There is then a six-week waiting period until you can apply for a legally binding court order.
To ensure your divorce progresses smoothly, you should complete the necessary forms as accurately as possible, respond to the courts quickly and ensure that your ex-partner knows you’re filing for divorce.
Accessing our online divorce services has never been easier. Contact our specialist team to begin legal procedures and file for divorce in England or Wales. We’ll take you through every step of the proceedings, ensuring that you understand every aspect of the divorce and are confident in your decisions.
Start your divorce online with our family law solicitors today by submitting your details to request a free, no-obligation, callback. Alternatively, you can contact the team on 0330 191 5765.
Find out more about how to apply for divorce online
Before you apply for a divorce online, you will need these details:
Your divorce form will be sent to your spouse via post or online if you provide their email address to the courts.
Download our guide to divorce
At Stowe Family Law, we pride ourselves on our expertise in all aspects of divorce, including the online divorce process, court fees, reaching a financial settlement, making arrangements for children, the division of assets and more.
Our specialist solicitors can help to ensure your divorce is as quick and affordable as possible. We handle all divorce cases with a unique combination of care, support and professional service and advice. Most cases we assist with are settled out of court
For more information on applying for a divorce online, contact Stowe Family Law, the largest specialist team of family lawyers in England and Wales, to begin the divorce at your own pace. We work with other regulated professionals and service providers to give you the best possible outcome for your case. For more information, refer to our privacy policy.
No fault divorce means you no longer have to place blame or wait for a period of time to file for divorce, if you are unsure where to start, speaking with a solicitor will help you understand the process and to make a decision on how you wish to proceed.
As the only national law firm fully dedicated to family matters, our expert team offers professional advice so you can make a fully informed decision about your divorce.
We are proud to be rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot. Check out our reviews to see what our previous clients have said about our service.
We feature in The Legal 500 rankings and are fully authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
We keep you informed. Take a look at our support section, which features a range of helpful guides, focusing on important topics including finances and mediation.
Census data shows that there were 113,505 divorces in England and Wales in 2021, a 9.6% increase compared with 2020.
Some of the most common grounds for divorce in this dataset included:
A Law Society report found that between April and June 2022, there were 33,234 divorce applications, which is the highest rate in a decade.
Divorce is rarely straightforward and stress-free. However, if you hope to divorce quickly, you must be prepared with all the necessary information. Our simple service and online access to divorce lawyers mean you can begin the proceedings the same day as you apply .
An uncontested divorce is quicker than a contested divorce, although this is often out of your control. Uncontested divorces are more likely to be processed as online divorces, as they tend to be more straightforward with less demand for legal input.
When you choose Stowe Family Law to support you in your divorce, making a court appearance is unlikely to be necessary. This is especially the case if you have pursued an online divorce involving an amicable separation. Our unique, collaborative and holistic approach, coupled with our professional service, means that over 80% of our divorce cases settle out of court.
The key to avoiding court is cooperation and clear negotiation between the two parties via our experienced lawyers, arbitration or collaborative law
At Stowe Family Law, we offer free expert legal advice to help you choose the best way to navigate your divorce, whether online or otherwise. We’ll aim to take some of the stress out of the divorce proceedings wherever possible. We’re happy to discuss our service, legal fees and your next steps.
Contact our experienced team online on 0330 191 5067 or request a free callback.
There are two main types of divorce, dictated by how events unfold when reaching agreements.
Online divorces tend to be the route chosen by those entering a civil and mutual divorce. However, many still seek legal advice to address potential complications involving financial settlements and child arrangements. There may also be religious sensitivities that need to be considered, which is where a specialist legal team can step in.
If you would like to contest a divorce, there are steps you can take.
In England and Wales, the most cost-effective way to divorce is to avoid the legal fees of expensive solicitors. Consider starting proceedings yourself with affordable, efficient online divorce service.
Our efforts to make your divorce affordable won’t compromise the quality of the service we provide. With over 80 specialist online divorce solicitors on hand, you can tap into our extensive knowledge while paying a fair price.
It is best practice to stay organised when entering a divorce – and it can make the process significantly cheaper too. Disorganised, complex divorces require more time spent on the case, which only adds to the cost of your divorce.
Get in touch with Stowe Family Law today and we’ll show you how to get a cheap divorce online with our expert team of UK family lawyers.
Whether you use a lawyer or do it yourself, online divorce follows the same process. This is because the divorce still needs court approval, as well as all documents and divorce papers to be legally binding. To begin with, you’ll need the D8 Divorce Petition form which can be completed and submitted to the divorce court or through the UK government online system.
We offer a reliable service that allows you to begin the process of divorce online. When you choose Stowe Family Law, you’ll have the largest team of divorce lawyers in England by your side. Need a little more reassurance? Feel free to read reviews for our online divorce service to help put your mind at rest. We’re rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot, with hundreds of five-star reviews to our name.
Is online divorce a good idea? When compared to other high street solicitors, we’ve got over 40 years of experience and specialist support teams, including a dedicated children’s department, an adoption team, an international family law department, surrogacy law specialists, trained mediators and leading UK divorce lawyers.
Applying for a divorce online is legal and involves the same process as any other type of divorce, including managed divorce services and other legal divorce services support. The first of the divorce papers you’ll need to complete and submit is a D8 Divorce Petition form which can be done by post or online.
Reaching a financial settlement or agreement is an essential part of divorce as it regulates how the money and assets will be divided post-separation.
The financial settlement can be reached at any time of the divorce. However, the court only has the power to approve a final order (financial remedy consent order) when the conditional order or divorce has been pronounced.
Our blog covers many areas of the divorce process, including online divorces. Here are some examples:
Jurisdiction rules can be more complex in this situation. Typically, at least one party must be habitually resident or domiciled in England or Wales. A solicitor can advise you on whether you meet the eligibility requirements before you apply.
If your spouse does not respond within the required period, it may still be possible to proceed as a sole applicant in certain circumstances. This is one of the situations where professional legal advice is particularly valuable – your lawyer can advise on the options available to you.
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