Money and property when a relationship ends

4. If you can't agree

You can ask a court to make a ‘financial order’ if you can’t reach an agreement. This used to be called an ‘ancillary relief order’.

You must attend a meeting about mediation first - except in certain cases (there’s been domestic abuse, for example).

Deadlines for applying

You can ask the court to make a financial order if both of the following apply:

• you’ve started the paperwork to divorce or end your civil partnership
• you haven’t yet applied for the final legal document to end the relationship

The final legal document is the:

• decree absolute if you’re divorcing
• final order if you’re ending a civil partnership

How to apply

You can apply for a financial order to get things like:

• a lump sum payment
• ownership of a property
• regular maintenance payments to help with children or living expenses
• a share of your partner’s pension payments

Applying costs £255.

You’ll need to send 2 copies of the form to the court dealing with your paperwork to divorce or end your civil partnership. Keep a copy for yourself.

You may have to attend a court appointment and go to a number of court hearings. How long it takes varies, but it could be 6 to 12 months.

Print entire guide