How to Check Your Divorce Application Status and What It Means

By Garry SteedmanPublished 17 September 2026Last reviewed 17 September 202612 mins read10 sections

Part of: Divorce Specialists

You can check your divorce application status by signing in to the GOV.UK divorce service you used to apply, or by contacting the court if your case is on paper. If you keep opening that page and nothing seems to change, it can feel as if your whole life is on hold. Usually, though, the status simply shows where your case sits in a timetable the law sets. Knowing that stage tells you what comes next, and what you should not rush. Our divorce specialists assist and advise people at every stage of a divorce.

This guide explains what each stage means, why a case can stall, and the money step to settle before the marriage ends. It covers England and Wales only.

Reviewed by: Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist, Kabir Family Law

What does your divorce application status mean at each stage?

Every divorce application started on or after 6 April 2022 follows the no fault divorce rules. Your divorce application status will sit at one of these points, even if the wording differs.

1. The court checks and issues your application. If it is correct, you get a notice that it has been issued, a stamped copy and a case number (GOV.UK). You need that number whenever you contact the court.
2. The court sends it to your husband or wife. In a sole application, they must respond to the acknowledgement of service within 14 days. If they do not, the court contacts you about your options.
3. The 20-week wait begins. Nobody can confirm they want to carry on until 20 weeks after the case starts, so a still status here is normal. See our guide to the 20-week divorce period.
4. You apply, and a judge reviews the case. After the 20 weeks you apply for the conditional order, and the review may take several weeks. If the judge agrees, you both get a certificate giving its date and time. You are still married at this point.
5. The 43-day wait follows. You must wait at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after the conditional order before applying to end the marriage.
6. The final order ends the marriage. Only once the court makes it are you divorced and free to marry again (GOV.UK).

The last step is the easiest to rush. When your divorce application status lets you apply to finish, it can feel like the moment to finish. However, GOV.UK warns that leaving money until after the final order can have financial consequences, particularly for pensions.

Where can you check your divorce application status online?

If you applied online, sign in to the same GOV.UK divorce service you used to apply. It is the official place to check your divorce application status online, and it is where you are told how to apply for each next step. Some people call it the divorce portal.

If your husband or wife applied and you replied online, you follow the case through your own account. You set it up with the access code on your notice of proceedings (GOV.UK). The official service guides you through signing in, so this page does not repeat those steps.

You may also see HMCTS mention MyHMCTS. That is a separate account for legal professionals, so it is not where you sign in to your own case (GOV.UK).

How often you look matters far less than whether you read every message the court sends. A request that sits unanswered can stall your divorce application until you reply, while the status on screen gives no sign of urgency.

How do you check your divorce status if you applied by post?

Paper cases work differently. For anyone who replied by post, GOV.UK says to get in touch with the court to check progress. It points to the Divorce Service Centre on the official court finder, which lists the current contact details. The same page warns that scammers copy genuine HMCTS phone numbers and email addresses and may demand payment, so if in doubt, do not pay. There is also an official online form for questions about a divorce application. If you are the one who received the papers, read what to do when you receive divorce papers.

Have your case number ready before you get in touch, and note who you spoke to and when. If you applied jointly, you must both use the same method, so you follow the case the same way (GOV.UK).

A call can confirm where your divorce application status stands. It cannot tell you whether the next step is right for you, because that depends on what you have agreed about children, money and property.

Why has your divorce status not changed for weeks?

Most long pauses have an ordinary cause. Still, some need you to act, and the screen will not always say so. Here are the usual reasons.

The last row catches people out. If you apply to finish more than 12 months after the conditional order, you must explain the delay in writing (Family Procedure Rules, r.7.19(5)). Also, in a sole case, your husband or wife can apply to finish the divorce themselves once an extra 3 months have passed (GOV.UK). That could happen before your finances are settled.

What happens if the court queries your divorce application?

A message from the court asking questions can be frightening, especially when you thought everything was on track. On its own, it is not the end of your case. It means a judge needs something before the case can move on.

When the court is not satisfied, the rules let it direct either of you to give further information or take other steps. Alternatively, it can list the case for a case management hearing. It can also ask you to confirm your answer with a statement of truth (Family Procedure Rules, r.7.10).

That is why the reply matters. A rushed or incomplete answer can lead to more questions, or to a hearing you might otherwise have avoided. Meanwhile, your divorce application status stays exactly where it is.

If the court has asked you something and you are unsure how to answer, book a free initial consultation before you reply. One of our specialists will give you initial advice on what the court is asking for.

Why should the money be settled before the last step?

Ending the marriage does not settle the money. If you want a legally binding arrangement for money and property, GOV.UK says you must apply to the court for it before you apply for the final order (GOV.UK).

• An agreement on its own is not legally binding. Until a court approves it as a consent order, a court cannot enforce it if problems arise later.
• Timing affects pensions. GOV.UK warns that applying after the final order can have financial consequences, particularly for pensions.
• Remarriage closes doors. If you remarry after the divorce, you cannot then apply for most financial orders in your own favour (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, s.28(3)).
• A respondent can ask the court to look at money first. In a sole case, the respondent can ask the court to consider their finances before the divorce is made final. The court then weighs how they would manage if the applicant died first (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, s.10).

Our guide to the decree absolute and the final order explains why that timing matters. By the time the final order is made, protection that only applies before it, such as the respondent’s right under section 10, has already gone.

Divorce application status checklist: are you on track?

Use these signals to see whether your case is where you think it is. Tick only what is already true for you.

Frequently asked questions

Expert Tip

People often watch the online status and wait for it to change. A more useful habit is to read every notice from the court in full, write down each date it gives, and answer any question promptly. Many of the delays families bring to us started with a missed message or an unclear reply. Before you apply to end the marriage, make sure the arrangements for money and pensions are in a court order, not just agreed.

Garry Steedman, Family Law Consultant (Divorce, Children & TOLATA)