Family Justice Council Guide to Sorting out Finances on Divorce

This guide provides detailed information about financial settlements for couples who are
getting divorced or ending a civil partnership.

Sorting out your finances when you get divorced (Advicenow)

Understand how to agree a financial settlement if you are getting divorced or ending a civil partnership. Understand what a judge might order in a case like yours to give you a better chance of making a fair agreement with your ex, without having to go to court. Understand clean break consent orders and maintenance, and how to work out what to do about the family home if you own or rent it.

Guide to applying for a financial order (Advicenow)

Understand how to go to court to divide your money and property as part of a divorce (also called a financial remedy order) if you can’t come to an agreement or ‘financial settlement’ between yourselves. This guide explains what you need to understand and do to take the issue to court if you cannot afford a lawyer. 

Living Together (Advicenow)

Understand what you need to think about and what the law says about your rights if you are separating from a partner you live with (but were not married or in a civil partnership with). This guide will be helpful if you are still living together after a break up or if one of you has moved out. It will help you to find ways of agreeing arrangements with your ex, remind you who you need to tell, and explain how to find the help you might need to plan for the future.

Divorce and separation (Money Helper)

Money Helper’s guidance can help when it comes to managing your finances during a relationship break-up.

It doesn’t matter what your situation is. You may be divorcing or separating; have children or not; own your home or rent; or live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. They have guides that will cover your specific situation.

Guide to completing Form E

You have to fill in a financial statement (Form E) if you are going to court in England or Wales to get a financial order after you’ve split up with your ex-husband, wife or civil partner. If you’re doing this without the help of a lawyer, it’s a very daunting prospect. So that’s why Advice Now made this film to help. 

Tax on sale of property (Gov.uk)

Information on tax on sale of property.

Find a Solicitor

The Law Society Find a Solicitor search

Find a Mediator

The Family Mediation Council Find your local mediator search

Benefit entitlement calculator (Turn2Us)

Use the free and confidential Benefits Calculator to find out what benefits you are entitled to claim. In the last year over 3 million calculations have been made by people, like you, looking for information they deserve and need

Bringing up a child (Turn2Us)

If you are bringing up or expecting a child, there may be benefits, grants or other financial support available to you. 

Help with housing costs (Turn2Us)

If you are struggling with housing costs, there may be benefits, grants or other financial support available to you.

Child Maintenance guidance (Gov.uk)

Child maintenance covers how your child’s living costs will be paid when one of the parents does not live with the child. It’s made when you’ve separated from the other parent or if you’ve never been in a relationship.

This is a financial arrangement between you and the other parent of your child. Making arrangements to see your child happens separately.

Pensions and divorce (Advicenow)

It is really important not to overlook pensions when you are facing the end of your marriage or civil partnership. Divorce is one of the most stressful and painful times people go through. Adding pensions into the mix can be daunting, but not dealing with pensions can be a huge mistake.

Advicenow can help you deal with any pensions effectively, and with as little stress as possible. Sometimes people talk about splitting pensions or pension sharing on divorce. Their guide will take you step-by-step through what you need to do to reach an agreement, sometimes called a financial ‘settlement’. It also tells you what other help is out there so you can plan for the future.  

Check your state pension forecast (Gov.uk)

You can check your state pension forecast to understand how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it, if you can increase it, and how you could increase it (for example, by paying to fill gaps).

Family Justice Council Guide to the Treatment of Pensions on Divorce

Report of the Pensions Advisory Group 2024.