Form A: What It Is, When to Use It and What Happens Next

By Iblal IqbalPublished 17 September 2026Last reviewed 17 September 202612 mins read10 sections

Part of: Financial Settlement after Divorce

Form A is the court form you use to ask the family court in England and Wales to decide how your money, property and pensions are divided when a marriage or civil partnership ends. Filing it starts financial remedy proceedings under Part 9 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010. Most people only need it when talks have stalled, or when a former partner has stopped replying altogether. Our financial settlement specialists can help you work out whether a court application is the right next step.

If the money side of your separation feels stuck, you are not alone. This guide explains what the form covers, the step you must take before filing, the court fee and the timetable that follows. It covers England and Wales only.

Reviewed by: Garry Steedman, Family Law Consultant (Divorce, Children & TOLATA), Kabir Family Law

What is Form A in a divorce?

It is the standard court form for a financial order when a marriage or civil partnership ends. HMCTS calls it a notice of intention to proceed with a financial application. In plain terms, it tells the court and your former partner that you want a judge to deal with the finances. A Form A financial order application is therefore the formal step that moves a money dispute from negotiation into the court process.

People often call the whole case a Form A divorce, but the divorce and the money are separate. The divorce ends the marriage. The financial remedy proceedings decide who keeps what, and they can carry on after the divorce is final.

The form lists the orders you can ask for. They include a lump sum, a property adjustment order, regular maintenance, provision for the children and a pension sharing order. You can also ask for maintenance while the case is running if you need income now.

When do you need a Form A application?

You need a financial order application when you and your former partner cannot agree how to divide your finances, or when one of you will not engage at all. Once a divorce or dissolution application exists, either of you can apply. The form asks whether you already have a conditional order or a final order, and you attach a copy if you do.

Timing matters in two ways. First, if you remarry or enter a new civil partnership before you apply, you lose the right to seek most financial orders for yourself (section 28(3)). Second, GOV.UK warns that asking the court to approve a financial agreement after the final order may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions. So the safest course is to deal with the finances before the divorce is finalised, where you can.

Some money claims use a different form. For example, if you only want regular maintenance, or want to change or end an existing maintenance order, the form itself points you to Form A1 instead.

Do you need a MIAM before you apply?

Usually, yes. Before making most family applications you must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, known as a MIAM (section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014). An authorised family mediator explains mediation and other ways to settle out of court. If you still go ahead, the mediator signs the relevant section of your application.

You do not need a MIAM if you are only asking the court to approve an agreed order. You can also claim an exemption, for example where there is evidence of domestic abuse, where the matter is urgent, or where you attended a MIAM or another non-court process in the last four months. Some exemptions need evidence, and you must send it with your application. If the court decides the exemption was not validly claimed, it will direct you to attend a MIAM and can pause the case while you do (Family Procedure Rules 2010, rule 3.10).

What does the Form A court form ask for?

The application itself is short compared with what comes later. It asks for:

• both of your names, and an address where each of you can receive papers;
• whether you are applying by agreement or asking the court to decide;
• the orders you want, ticked from a list;
• the address of any property and the name of any mortgage lender, if you want a property adjustment order;
• details of your children, if the claim includes provision for them;
• whether your combined net assets, not counting pensions, are below £250,000, which decides whether some pilot courts can use a faster procedure;
• your MIAM attendance, or the exemption you rely on.

If you do not want your address shared with your former partner, leave it blank and give it to the court on the confidential contact details form C8 instead. You do not set out your full finances at this stage. That comes in the financial statement explained in our guide to Form E, which you both exchange before the first appointment.

How much does it cost to submit a Form A?

There is a court fee when you ask a judge to decide, and a lower fee when you only ask the court to approve an agreed order. The current family court fees list, EX50, shows £321 for a financial order application other than by consent, and £62 for an application by consent. HMCTS changes these fees from time to time, which is why the form sends you to EX50 rather than printing a figure, so check it before you pay. If you have a low income, receive certain benefits or have little in savings, you may qualify for help with court fees, which can reduce or remove the fee.

The court fee is rarely the largest cost, though. Valuations, pension reports and professional help can cost more. A case that runs to a final hearing also costs far more than one that settles early.

What happens after Form A is submitted?

Once the court issues your application, a fixed timetable starts. These are the standard steps under Part 9 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010. Use them to plan ahead, and take advice at each stage, because each one has its own deadlines and documents.

1. The court issues the application. The court normally sends a copy to your former partner within 4 days of filing, with notice of the first appointment, unless you tell the court you want to serve it yourself (rule 9.12). If you pay the fee by card, the form’s notes say the court will contact you within 28 days.
2. A first appointment is fixed. The date is set for 12 to 16 weeks after the application was filed (rule 9.12).
3. Financial statements are exchanged. You both file and exchange a full financial statement at least 35 days before the first appointment (rule 9.14).
4. Questions and issues are set out. At least 14 days before the first appointment, each of you files a statement of the issues, a chronology and a questionnaire (rule 9.14).
5. First appointment. A judge decides what further information, valuations or expert evidence the case needs.
6. Financial Dispute Resolution appointment. A judge helps you both look for a settlement. If you agree, the judge can turn that agreement into an order.
7. Final hearing. If you still cannot agree, a judge decides, applying the factors in section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

How long this takes depends on the court and on how far apart you are. A case that settles early can finish within months. A case that goes all the way to a final hearing takes much longer, so the weeks before the first appointment are the time to get organised.

Should you go to court or try to agree first?

A contested case is not the only route. The table shows the main options side by side, so you can see where your situation fits before you commit to one.

If you have already agreed, a financial consent order makes the agreement legally binding without a contest. Even in a contested case, you can still settle at any point, and the court will then turn your agreement into an order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fill in the form myself?

Yes. You can download the Form A court form from GOV.UK, and guidance notes for completing it are printed at the back. Filling in the boxes is the easier part. The harder part is choosing the right orders and preparing for what follows. So it helps to take advice before you file, in case you miss a pension or ask for the wrong thing.

Do both of us have to sign the form?

Not for a contested case. The person applying signs the statement of truth in section 5, and if you attended a MIAM, the mediator signs section 4. Where the application is for an agreed order, however, the form’s notes say you must both sign the draft consent order that goes with it.

How long do financial remedy proceedings take?

The rules set the first appointment for 12 to 16 weeks after filing. After that, the timetable depends on how much evidence is needed and whether you settle at the dispute resolution stage. Cases that settle early can finish within months, while cases that go to a final hearing take much longer.

Does the application need my full financial details?

No. It gives the court an outline: who you are, what orders you want, and whether you have attended a MIAM. Your full finances go in the financial statement you exchange later. Both of you must be complete and honest there, because the judge relies on that disclosure.

Is a financial remedy order the same as a financial order?

They overlap. Financial remedy is the wider term in the court rules. It covers the financial orders made on divorce or dissolution, and also some other money claims. In everyday use, both describe the order a judge makes about money, property and pensions.

What is the difference between Form A and Form A1?

Form A is the standard form for a financial order on divorce or dissolution. Form A1 is for narrower claims, such as an application for regular maintenance payments only, or to vary or end an existing maintenance order. The first page of the form lists which claims belong on Form A1.

Can I still apply after my divorce is final?

Often, yes. The form asks whether a final order has been granted, and you attach it if so. But if you have remarried or formed a new civil partnership, you lose the right to apply for most orders for yourself. Waiting can also affect pension rights, so take advice early.

Talks about money stuck? Get advice before you file Form A

If your former partner will not agree, or will not reply, you do not have to work out the next step alone. A contested application commits you to a timetable with firm deadlines, so it helps to be clear about what you are asking for before you start. Book a free initial consultation, where one of our specialists gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances. You can also read more about financial settlement after divorce.

Expert Tip

The mistake we see most often is ticking too few boxes. People ask for a lump sum and forget the pension, or leave out maintenance because they hope not to need it. Adding an order later can slow the whole case down. So before you file, list every asset and debt, including pensions, and check that the orders you tick could deal with each one.

Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist