What is a consent order in divorce?
The short answer
A consent order is the court document that makes your divorce financial agreement legally binding. A judge approves the deal you and your ex have already reached, and once it is sealed neither of you can come back for more money later.
If you broadly agree on the split, you do not need to spend £1,000 or more on bespoke solicitor drafting. The routes below run from the court fee alone up to £3,500+ + VAT, and what separates them is not the typing. It is whether anyone qualified tells you the deal is fair before it becomes permanent.
General guidance, not legal advice. This guide explains consent orders in plain English so you can understand your options. It is not advice on your individual circumstances. If your finances are complicated, take proper advice before you file anything.
Do I need a solicitor for a consent order?
Not always, and this question is where most of the cost sits. No rule says a solicitor must draft your consent order. If you both agree on the money and your finances are simple, you can prepare one yourselves.
But a judge only seals an order that is properly drafted and broadly fair, and badly drafted DIY orders do get sent back. The honest position: the more your finances hold, the more a solicitor earns their fee.
DIY is realistic when
- You both agree, in writing, on every asset including the pensions
- Your finances are simple: no business, no overseas assets, similar pension pots
- You are comfortable completing Form D81 and a draft order with a proper method
Pay for advice when
- A pension is worth more than the house. Common, and the thing DIY orders miss most
- One of you gave up earnings for childcare, or the split is far from equal
- Anything feels unresolved. A sealed order is final, and regret has no appeal route
How much does a consent order cost?
Four routes, and a 4.5× spread between the cheapest drafting service and a fixed-fee solicitor. Prices below were checked on 19 July 2026 against each provider's own public pricing page.
£62HMCTS court fee, every route. Checked on GOV.UK 17 August 2026.
| Route | Typical cost | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| Online drafting service | £159 – £279 | A drafted document. consent-orders-online.co.uk £159, divorce-online.co.uk £269, expressdivorce.co.uk £279. Their "fully managed" tiers add roughly £100. Most of these firms are not solicitors, and say so in their small print. |
| Fixed-fee solicitor package | £500 – £1,000 + VAT | Drafting, plus advice on whether the deal is actually fair before it becomes permanent. Advertised fixed-fee packages from regulated solicitors. |
| Bespoke solicitor drafting | £1,000 – £3,500+ + VAT | Quoted after a consultation. Rises with pension sharing, a business, or any real disagreement between you. |
| Court fee (every route) | £62 | Paid to HMCTS when you apply, on top of any drafting help. Set by HMCTS and checked on GOV.UK on 17 August 2026. Court fees change, so confirm it before you apply. |
The gap between £159 and £1,000 is the real story. At the bottom you are paying someone to type the document. At the top you are paying a qualified person to tell you whether the deal is fair.
What do you actually get at each price?
| What you get | DIY (court fee only) | Drafting service £159–£279 | Fixed-fee solicitor £500–£1,000+ VAT | Bespoke solicitor £1,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order drafted for you | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drafted or checked by a qualified solicitor | — | Usually not | Yes | Yes |
| Advice on whether your deal is fair | No | No | Limited | Yes |
| Pension sharing handled properly | Down to you | Template wording | Yes | Yes |
| Help if the judge raises questions | No | Sometimes costs extra | Usually included | Yes |
Can I write my own consent order?
Yes. You agree the terms with your ex, complete Form D81 (the statement of information that tells the judge where the money is), draft the order itself, and send both to the court with the fee once your conditional order has been granted.
The catch is the drafting. A consent order is technical legal wording, not a letter. Vague terms, pensions left dangling, or no explanation of why the split is fair are exactly what gets DIY orders sent back. Doable, but do it with a method rather than a blank page.
The mistake that costs the most: treating the pension as an afterthought. A pension is often worth more than the house, and it is the asset DIY orders handle worst. If either of you has a substantial pension, this is the point at which paid advice stops being optional.
How quickly can I get a consent order?
A judge can only approve the order once your conditional order of divorce has been granted. From agreement to sealed order, the path looks like this.
-
Agree the split
Full financial disclosure both ways: property, pensions, savings, debts. An agreement built on partial information can be reopened later.
-
Complete Form D81
The statement of information for a consent order. You both sign it, and the judge reads it to decide whether the deal is fair.
-
Draft the order
The legal document itself, including pension sharing annexes where they apply. This is the step where wording precision decides approval.
-
Apply to the court
File after your conditional order is granted and pay the court fee of £62 (GOV.UK, checked 17 August 2026).
-
A judge reviews it on paper
GOV.UK states there is usually no court hearing: a judge approves the order on paper if they think it is fair (checked 17 August 2026). It takes longer if the court comes back with questions. We are not quoting a turnaround time here because HMCTS does not publish one for consent orders.
Common questions
Why would a judge reject a consent order?
Because they think it is unfair, or cannot tell either way. A judge must be satisfied the deal is broadly fair to both of you. The usual triggers are vague wording, pensions ignored or handled badly, and a D81 that does not explain why one side takes more. Rejection means delay while you redraft.
How much do solicitors charge for a consent order?
Fixed-fee packages from regulated solicitors sit between £500 and £1,000 + VAT (checked 19 July 2026). Bespoke drafting starts around £1,000 and climbs past £3,500 where pensions or a business complicate things. The £159 to £279 online services are cheaper because most are drafting businesses, not solicitors.
Is a clean break order worth it?
For most couples with no ongoing maintenance, yes. A clean break ends future financial claims in both directions, so a windfall or inheritance years later stays yours. It usually adds little to the drafting cost. It is not right where one of you needs ongoing maintenance, so take advice if that is you. Our guide to how a clean break sits inside a consent order covers what it dismisses and when it is not achievable.
What happens if we never get a consent order?
Your financial claims against each other stay open, even after the final divorce order. Either of you can come back for more money years later. A consent order, usually with a clean break clause, is the only way to close that door for good.
Sources
Everything above leans on these. Primary sources where they exist.
- GOV.UK — Apply for a consent order — the official process, the current court fee of £62, and where to send your application. Re-checked 17 August 2026.
- GOV.UK — Form D81: statement of information for a consent order — what the judge reads alongside your draft order. Checked 19 July 2026.
- Provider pricing pages for consent-orders-online.co.uk, divorce-online.co.uk and expressdivorce.co.uk — the £159 to £279 range. Checked 19 July 2026.