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Money and property when a relationship ends
If you cannot agree
You can ask a court to make a ‘financial order’ if you cannot reach an agreement. This used to be called an ‘ancillary relief order’. This means the court will decide how assets will be split.
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 have not 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.