A D81 form is the financial statement of information that you and your ex file with the family court in England and Wales when you’ve agreed how to divide your finances after a divorce, civil partnership dissolution, or judicial separation. The court uses it to check that the deal is fair before sealing it as a legally binding consent order. Without a properly completed D81, the court won’t approve your agreement, however reasonable it looks on paper.
What the Court Uses the D81 For
The form’s official title on GOV.UK is a “statement of information” supporting an application for a consent order in relation to a financial remedy.1GOV.UK. Provide Information About the Parties’ Financial Situation to Support Your Application for a Consent Order: Form D81 It gives the judge a snapshot of both parties’ finances so they can test the proposed settlement against the factors in section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Those factors include each person’s income, earning capacity, property, financial needs, standard of living during the marriage, age, length of the marriage, and contributions each person made to the family’s welfare.2Legislation.gov.uk. Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, Section 25
The judge isn’t rubber-stamping your agreement. They’re independently checking whether the deal leaves both parties, and any children, in a reasonable position. The D81 gives them enough financial context to do that without needing a hearing.
When You Need a D81
You need a D81 whenever you apply for a consent order for financial remedies. Under Family Procedure Rule 9.26, each party must file a statement of information alongside two copies of the draft consent order, one of which the respondent has signed to confirm they agree.3Ministry of Justice. Family Procedure Rules Part 9 – Applications for a Financial Remedy The requirement applies whether you’re divorcing, dissolving a civil partnership, or pursuing judicial separation.
If you want a financial agreement with your ex to become legally enforceable, the consent order route is the only way to get there. A private written agreement, however detailed, doesn’t carry the same weight as a court order. The D81 is the gateway document that turns your deal into something the court will enforce.
One narrow exception: if both parties attend the hearing in person, the judge can waive the D81 and gather the financial information in whatever way they see fit.3Ministry of Justice. Family Procedure Rules Part 9 – Applications for a Financial Remedy In practice nearly all consent order applications are dealt with on paper, so expect to complete the form.
What Information Goes on the Form
The categories on the D81 mirror the section 25 factors. You’ll need to set out:
- Income from employment or self-employment, benefits, and any other regular sources, for both parties.
- Property, including the family home and any other real estate, with current values and outstanding mortgages.
- Savings and investments: bank accounts, ISAs, stocks, and other financial holdings.
- Pensions, which are often one of the largest marital assets, with current valuations.
- Debts: mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, and other liabilities.
- How each party’s financial position will change once the proposed settlement takes effect.
The last category is the one many people rush. Judges pay close attention to it, because a settlement that looks balanced on paper can still leave one person unable to rehouse themselves or cover day-to-day costs.
How the D81 Differs From Form E
If you’ve been through contested financial proceedings you’ll know Form E, the long financial statement that requires supporting documents for every figure. The D81 is a shorter summary designed for couples who’ve already agreed terms.
Form E is used while parties are still negotiating and need to exchange detailed financial information with each other. The D81 is directed at the court. It assumes you’ve already done your homework on each other’s finances and reached a deal, and its job is to give the judge enough information to check fairness.
Plenty of couples complete voluntary Form E disclosure between themselves before negotiating a settlement, then file the D81 as the court summary. Skipping the disclosure stage and going straight to a D81 carries real risk. If it later turns out your ex hid assets, undoing the consent order is an uphill fight.
How to Complete and Submit It
You can download the D81 from GOV.UK.1GOV.UK. Provide Information About the Parties’ Financial Situation to Support Your Application for a Consent Order: Form D81 You and your ex can either complete a single joint form or file separate forms. If you use a joint form, both of you sign it to confirm you’ve read the other’s figures. If you file separate forms, each person signs the other’s form for the same reason.3Ministry of Justice. Family Procedure Rules Part 9 – Applications for a Financial Remedy
Both parties sign a statement of truth confirming the information is accurate and complete. That isn’t a formality. A false statement of truth in court proceedings is treated as contempt of court and can carry fines or imprisonment.
The completed D81 is filed with the draft consent order. You can submit it online through the MyHMCTS portal by uploading the D81 as a PDF.4GOV.UK. Lodging an Application – Consent A court fee applies when you lodge the consent order application.
What Happens After You Submit
A judge reviews the D81 and the draft order on paper, usually without a hearing. Neither party needs to attend court unless the judge directs otherwise.3Ministry of Justice. Family Procedure Rules Part 9 – Applications for a Financial Remedy The review typically takes a few weeks, depending on the court’s workload and the complexity of your case.
If the judge is satisfied the agreement is fair under the section 25 factors, they approve it as a consent order. Once sealed, it is a legally binding court order that can be enforced like any other. If one party later fails to transfer property or pay a lump sum as agreed, the other can apply to the court for enforcement.
If the Court Rejects Your Consent Order
Judges don’t always approve consent orders, and when they don’t, the reason often traces back to the D81. The judge may flag that information is incomplete, that the settlement looks one-sided given the disclosed figures, or that the arrangement doesn’t adequately provide for the children.
When that happens the papers come back with an explanation of the judge’s concerns. You and your ex then have the chance to revise the terms and resubmit. The judge won’t rewrite the order for you. Common reasons for rejection include unbalanced financial terms, vague wording in the draft order, and missing pension valuations. In many cases the fix is straightforward and doesn’t require a hearing.
If you can’t resolve the judge’s concerns by agreement, you may need to pursue a contested financial remedy application instead, which involves full Form E disclosure and potentially a final hearing. That route is significantly more expensive and slower, which is why getting the D81 right the first time matters.
Honesty and the Risk of Later Challenge
The duty of full and frank financial disclosure doesn’t disappear because you and your ex have agreed terms. Every figure on the D81 needs to be honest and complete. If it later emerges that one party hid assets or understated their income, the other can apply to have the consent order set aside.
The legal test is whether the concealed information would have led to a significantly different order, or would have caused a reasonable person to withdraw their consent. The non-disclosure has to be material, not a minor oversight. Where real value has been hidden, courts have reopened settlements years after they were originally approved.
Beyond the risk of the order being reopened, a party who gives false information on a D81 faces potential contempt proceedings for the false statement of truth. The practical point: if you suspect your ex hasn’t been straight about their finances, raising it before the order is sealed is far cheaper than trying to unpick it afterwards.
Do You Need a Solicitor
There’s no legal requirement to use a solicitor for a D81 or a consent order application. Plenty of couples handle it themselves, especially where the finances are straightforward. The form isn’t complicated if you have a clear picture of both parties’ positions.
The risk in self-representation sits in the underlying settlement, not the form. The D81 only reports the deal you’ve made. If the deal itself overlooks something important, like pension sharing or capital gains tax on a property transfer, the D81 won’t fix it. Where significant pensions, business interests, or complex property equity are in play, a one-off review from a family solicitor before you file is usually worth the cost. A rejected consent order means delay, and a poorly structured one can lock you into terms that don’t work.