Documents you'll need

Essential documents for your application

Marriage certificate

This is the most important document. You need either:

• The original certificate you received when you married, or
• An official certified copy from the General Register Office

Photocopies are not accepted. If you’ve lost your certificate, you can order a replacement online for £11.

If you married abroad: You’ll need your foreign marriage certificate plus an official English translation if it’s not in English. The translation must be certified by a professional translator.

Your spouse’s details

You’ll need to provide:

• Their full current name
• Their current address
• Their email address (preferred – the court uses email as the default communication method)

If you don’t have their email address, the court will send papers by post. If you don’t know their current address at all, you’ll need to take additional steps (see below).

Payment for the court fee

The fee is £593, payable by:

• Debit or credit card (for online applications)
• Cheque made payable to “HM Courts and Tribunals Service” (for postal applications)

If you’re applying for help with fees (fee remission), you’ll need evidence of your income and any benefits you receive.

If you’ve lost your marriage certificate

Don’t worry – this is common. You can order a replacement:

Married in England or Wales: Order online from the General Register Office. It costs £11 and usually arrives within a few days.

Married in Scotland: Contact National Records of Scotland.

Married in Northern Ireland: Contact the General Register Office for Northern Ireland.

Married abroad: Contact the civil registration authority in the country where you married, or the British consulate if you married at a British consulate overseas.

If you don’t know where your spouse is

You must make reasonable efforts to find your spouse before asking the court to let you proceed without serving them. Document your attempts:

• Contact family members, friends, or their workplace
• Check social media
• Search online directories
• Write to their last known address

If you genuinely cannot locate them, you can apply to the court for permission to proceed without serving them (called an order for “deemed service” or “dispensing with service”). You’ll need to explain what you’ve tried and provide any evidence.

Additional documents for specific situations

If you’ve changed your name

You’ll need:

• Your deed poll or statutory declaration showing the name change, or
• Evidence of how you came to use your new name (such as a marriage certificate from a previous marriage)

If applying for fee remission

Gather evidence of your financial circumstances:

• Recent payslips or evidence of income
• Bank statements
• Confirmation of any benefits you receive
• Details of savings and investments

If there’s been domestic abuse

If you’re applying for legal aid based on domestic abuse, you may need evidence such as:

• Police reports or confirmation of charges
• Court orders (non-molestation orders, etc.)
• Letters from your GP or other medical professionals
• Letters from domestic abuse support organisations

Documents for later stages

While not needed for the initial application, you’ll want to gather these for sorting out finances:

Financial disclosure (Form E) requires:

• Bank statements (usually last 12 months)
• Mortgage statements
• Pension statements and valuations
• Pay slips or accounts if self-employed
• Tax returns
• Details of debts
• Valuations of any property
• Details of investments, shares, and other assets

Starting to gather these documents early can save time later. Financial disclosure is required before any financial settlement can be agreed.

Checklist before applying

Use this checklist to make sure you’re ready:

• Original or certified copy of marriage certificate (or replacement ordered)
• Spouse’s current address
• Spouse’s email address (if known)
• Payment method ready (card details or cheque)
• Evidence for fee remission (if applying)
• Name change documentation (if applicable)

Once you have everything, you can apply for divorce online – the process typically takes 10-20 minutes to complete.