Applying for a divorce online — walking through the gov.uk divorce service

Who this is for. If you have decided (with your spouse, or on your own) to end your marriage and want to handle the paperwork yourself without a solicitor, this guide walks you through the gov.uk online divorce service step by step — what to have ready, who can apply, how your spouse responds through the same portal, paying the court fee (and getting help with it), uploading documents, and how to keep track of your case as it progresses. It is written in plain English, is for people representing themselves, and does not take sides.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-29

Before you apply — the basic rules

You can only apply for a divorce in England and Wales through the online service if:

You have been married for at least one year. (There are exceptional-hardship exceptions, rarely used.)
Your marriage has permanently broken down. Under the current no-fault system you do not need to blame anyone or cite anyone's behaviour — the only reason stated is that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
You and your spouse have been living apart (how long you have been apart affects which statement you make, but you do not need to prove any period of separation to satisfy the ground).
The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction (originally because you or your spouse live here or are habitually resident / domiciled here), and at least one of you is habitually resident.

Always confirm the current criteria and fee on gov.uk before applying — the details do change.

You do not need your spouse's agreement to divorce. One spouse can apply alone, or you can apply jointly (both of you applying together).

Who files the application

Sole application — one spouse (the "applicant") applies alone. The other spouse is the "respondent". This works even if your spouse does not want the divorce.
Joint application — both of you apply together. This is typically smoother because your spouse is already part of the process rather than responding later.

In either case, the applicant (or both spouses jointly) is responsible for submitting the form, paying the fee and uploading the marriage certificate. Later, whoever applied needs to apply for the conditional order and the final order to bring the divorce to an end.

What you will need before you start

Have these to hand so the form does not stall halfway:

Your and your spouse's full names and addresses (if your spouse lives abroad, you need their last known address in England and Wales if you have one).
The date you married and your marriage certificate — you will upload a scan or readable photo of it (PDF or JPG). If you cannot get the original, you can order an official copy from the General Register Office or the register office where you married.
The date you separated (or that you have not separated) and the country where you married.
Details of any previous or ongoing family court cases involving you and your spouse.
A way to pay the fee (debit/credit card), or your Help with Fees (EX160) reference number if you are applying for a fee reduction.
A way to receive email updates.

You will be asked to make a statement of irretrievable breakdown and confirm you understand the legal effect of the application.

The step-by-step journey

1. Start the application on gov.uk

Search gov.uk for "Apply for a divorce" (the service is the "divorce/dissolution" digital portal). You create an application online and are given a case reference number. A joint application must be started by one spouse and then the other joins in to add their part.

2. Complete the details and make your statement

You answer the series of questions described above, upload your marriage certificate, and confirm your statement that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. For most people this is a straightforward online form.

3. Pay the court fee

The court fee for a divorce is payable online at the end of the application (the current figure is around £593, but always check the live amount on gov.uk).

If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask the court to waive or reduce it through the Help with Fees scheme. You complete the online EX160 form, which works out what you pay from your income, savings and assets. You get a reference number to quote in the divorce application — you do not pay the full fee if your application for help is approved. Apply for help with fees before you submit the divorce application.

4. The court issues your application

Once submitted and paid, the court issues the application and sends a copy of the papers to your spouse with the case reference number. If you applied jointly, both of you progress together from here.

Your spouse's response — the acknowledgment through the portal

After the application is issued, the respondent is notified (by email or letter) and must respond online at the same gov.uk service using the reference and access details provided. This is the modern version of "acknowledging service":

The respondent logs into the portal and confirms receipt of the application.
They state whether they intend to defend the divorce. Because divorce is now no-fault, objecting to the divorce itself is very difficult — there is no behaviour to contest, so in the vast majority of cases the respondent simply confirms they do not intend to defend and the marriage has broken down.
If the respondent does not respond at all, the applicant can later ask the court to dispose of the case without their response (this takes longer).

If your spouse does not want the divorce, they should still be aware that under no-fault law their lack of consent does not block it — the applicant can continue regardless.

Uploading documents

Throughout the process you may be asked to upload documents to the portal, usually your marriage certificate. Uploads are typically as PDF or a clear JPG/photo. Follow the file type and size limits shown on screen. If they ask for a certified or official copy, order one from the General Register Office rather than uploading an unclear snapshot.

Tracking progress — conditional order and final order

The portal is how you follow your case. Check back in, and you will see the stage your application has reached:

Application issued → Respondent's response received (or the period to respond expires).
Apply for a conditional order — this is the first court order that the divorce can proceed. Once the court confirms the grounds are made out, you apply for the conditional order (nisi).
You then wait the statutory period (at least 6 weeks from the conditional order, now 20 weeks in many cases) before you can ask for the final order.
Apply for the final order (absolute) — the final step that legally ends the marriage. You can usually apply online through the same portal (a hard-copy application now only applies in limited cases).

The portal also handles the notice of proceedings and lets you see whether your spouse has responded. Check it regularly and complete each next step promptly — the process only moves forward when you actively apply for the conditional and final orders.

Getting help

If anything in the portal is unclear, gov.uk's divorce guidance is the authoritative source, and Citizens Advice offers free, impartial help with the process. If there are complicating factors (difficulties with your spouse, vulnerability, financial matters), speaking to a family solicitor before you start is wise — but the standard paper-free divorce itself is designed so that you can complete it on your own.