Form A – Financial remedy application

What is Form A?

Form A is the application to start financial remedy proceedings – the formal court process for resolving financial matters in divorce. You use this form when:

• You can’t agree on how to divide assets
• Mediation hasn’t worked
• Your spouse won’t engage in negotiations
• You need the court to decide financial matters

Financial remedy can cover:

• Division of property
• Division of savings, investments, and other assets
• Pension sharing
• Maintenance (ongoing payments)
• Lump sum payments

Download Form A

Before you apply: MIAM requirement

Before applying for a financial remedy, you must usually attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM). At the MIAM, a mediator will:

• Explain how mediation works
• Assess whether mediation could help
• Discuss other options

MIAM exemptions include:

• Domestic abuse (with evidence)
• Urgency
• The other party is in prison or overseas
• You’ve attended a MIAM in the last 4 months

You must confirm MIAM attendance (or exemption) on Form A.

Court fee

The fee for Form A is £313.

If you can’t afford this, you may qualify for Help with Fees (Form EX160).

Completing Form A

Section 1: Case details

Provide:

• The court dealing with your divorce
• Your divorce case number
• Names of both parties
• Date of marriage

Section 2: What you’re applying for

Tick the financial orders you’re seeking:

• Periodical payments (maintenance)
• Lump sum
• Property adjustment order (transfer or sale of property)
• Pension sharing order or pension attachment order
• Order for sale

You can tick multiple boxes – this keeps your options open.

Section 3: Children

Provide details of any children of the family, including:

• Names and dates of birth
• Who they live with
• Whether child maintenance is sought

Note: Child maintenance is usually dealt with through the Child Maintenance Service, not the court.

Section 4: MIAM

Confirm that you have:

• Attended a MIAM, or
• Are exempt from attending

If exempt, you must explain which exemption applies.

Section 5: Previous applications

State whether you’ve previously applied for financial orders in this case.

Section 6: Statement of truth

Sign and date the form, confirming the information is true.

Where to send Form A

Send Form A to the court dealing with your divorce.

If you have a solicitor, they may submit it electronically via MyHMCTS.

Include:

• Completed Form A
• Court fee (£313) or Help with Fees reference
• MIAM certificate (form FM1) if applicable
• Evidence of MIAM exemption if applicable

What happens next

After you submit Form A:

1. Application issued – the court sends copies to both parties
2. Timetable set – the court sets dates for:
   • Exchange of Form E (financial statements)
   • First Directions Appointment (FDA)
3. Form E completed – both parties complete full financial disclosure
4. FDA hearing – case management hearing
5. FDR hearing – settlement hearing where the judge gives an indication
6. Final Hearing – if no settlement, the judge decides

The whole process typically takes 12-18 months.

Form E follows Form A

After Form A is issued, both parties must complete Form E – a detailed financial statement. Form E is exchanged simultaneously before the First Directions Appointment.

See our Form E guide for details.

Contested vs consent

Form A is for contested cases – where you need the court to decide.

If you’ve already agreed, you don’t need Form A. Instead, apply for a consent order using Form D81 (much simpler and costs only £60).

Related forms

Costs of financial remedy proceedings

Be aware that contested financial remedy proceedings are expensive:

These are costs per person, and complex cases can cost much more.