How Much Does a Consent Order Cost in 2026?

If you've asked a solicitor how much a Consent Order costs, you probably experienced a mild form of shock. Quotes of £1,500 to £3,500 are standard — and that's for an uncontested order where both parties already agree.

But here's what most people don't realise: you're not paying for a complex legal opinion. In the vast majority of agreed cases, you're paying for someone to insert your financial figures into established legal clauses. The legal framework is standard — what varies dramatically is the price you pay to have it done.

Let's break down exactly what you're paying for, where the money goes, and how to cut costs without cutting corners.

The Three Costs Involved in Every Consent Order

Every Consent Order involves three separate costs. Understanding each one helps you see where savings are possible — and where they're not.

1. Document Preparation — the Big Variable

This is where the price range is widest. Someone needs to take your financial information and turn it into two court-ready documents: the Draft Consent Order and Form D81 (Statement of Information).

High Street Solicitor: £1,000 – £3,500 + VAT. You're paying for the solicitor's time (typically billed at £200–£400/hour), their office overheads, professional indemnity insurance, and the peace of mind that comes with a regulated professional reviewing your documents. Some firms — like Woolley & Co — charge from £1,000+VAT for a consent order alone, while Co-op Legal Services bills at £210/hour with no fixed consent order fee (estimated total: £720–£900).

Online Legal Service: £269 – £799. A solicitor-supervised service where you fill in forms online and a legal professional reviews the output. Cheaper than a full-service solicitor, but quality and turnaround vary significantly between providers.

Automated Document Assembly: from £199. Platforms like ConsentReady generate the documents automatically from your financial data, with built-in checks against common court rejection reasons. No solicitor in the loop for standard cases, which is why the price is significantly lower.

DIY (Free): You can technically draft the documents yourself using templates found online. However, DIY consent orders are rejected by courts more often than professionally drafted ones — typically due to missing recitals, incorrect property wording, or absent pension sharing annexes. A rejection means weeks of delay and potentially having to pay a professional to fix it anyway.

How UK Consent Order Services Compare (August 2026)

With so many providers quoting different prices for what sounds like the same service, it's worth seeing exactly what you get for your money. Here's how the major UK consent order services compare on price, features, and guarantees:

Provider	Consent Order Only	Divorce + Consent Order	Pension Sharing Included?	Court Approval Guarantee?
Divorce-Online	£269	£429	Not prominently offered	Yes (100%)
Easy Online Divorce	£399	£699	Available (£599–£799) but not visible on homepage	Yes (100% + refund)
Co-op Legal	£210/hour (est. £720–£900 total)	Not bundled	Likely (billed hourly)	No
Woolley & Co	From £1,000 + VAT	Not bundled	Yes (at premium rate)	No
ConsentReady	From £199	—	Yes — included in standard packages	Yes

Prices verified August 2026. All providers also require the standard £62 HMCTS court fee. Solicitor prices shown exclude VAT unless stated otherwise.

A few things stand out from this comparison. First, there's a significant gap between the cheapest online services and traditional solicitors — you could pay 4–5 times more for substantially the same legal outcome. Second, pension sharing is the key differentiator: several budget services either exclude it entirely or bury it on secondary pages, which means couples with pensions (the majority of divorcing couples over 40) may need to pay extra or look elsewhere. Third, "100% court approval guarantees" sound reassuring but are reactive — they promise to fix rejections after they happen, not prevent them.

Court Fees: What HMCTS Charges (Updated July 2026)

Court fees are set by the Ministry of Justice and apply regardless of how your documents are prepared. As of 13 July 2026, the current fees are:

Application	Fee (from 13 July 2026)	Previous Fee
Consent Order (by consent)	£62	£60
Divorce Application	£628	£612
Financial Remedy Order (contested, Form A)	£321	£313

Note: Some provider websites still display the previous fees (£60/£612). The figures above reflect the current HMCTS schedule following The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026.

If you're on a low income or receiving certain benefits, you may qualify for Help with Fees (HWF), which can reduce or eliminate the court fee entirely. You can check your eligibility at gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees.

Additional Costs You May Need to Budget For

Depending on your financial situation, there are a few extra costs that may apply:

Item	Cost	When You Need It
Pension CETV Request	Free	Always — your pension provider must provide this at no charge. Allow 3–6 weeks.
Property Valuation	Free – £300	Online estimates (Zoopla, Rightmove) are free. Formal RICS valuations: £150–£300. Rarely needed for consent orders.
PODE Report (Pension on Divorce Expert)	£1,500 – £3,000	Recommended where combined pensions exceed £100,000, especially for defined benefit schemes (NHS, teachers', civil service). Can identify significant hidden value.
Pension Provider Implementation Fee	£0 – £3,500	Only applies if you have a Pension Sharing Order. Defined contribution schemes often charge nothing; defined benefit schemes can charge £2,000–£3,500.

Real-World Cost Comparison: What Would You Actually Pay?

Here's what an average couple with one jointly-owned property, two workplace pensions, and no children would pay through each route:

Traditional Solicitor (e.g. Woolley & Co):
Document preparation: £1,000–£2,000 + VAT
Court fee: £62
Total: £1,262 – £2,462

Online Legal Service (e.g. Easy Online Divorce):
Consent order with pension sharing: £599
Court fee: £62
Total: £661

ConsentReady (Property & Pension Package):
Document preparation: £349
Court fee: £62
Total: £411

For a simple Clean Break with no property or pensions to divide, the difference is even starker — from £199 + £62 with ConsentReady to £1,000+ with a traditional solicitor.

When Is a Solicitor Worth the Money?

Despite the cost difference, there are situations where paying for a solicitor makes sense — and where cutting costs would be a false economy:

Contested finances. If you and your ex-spouse can't agree on how to divide assets, you need professional legal advice and potentially court representation. Automated tools and fixed-fee services are designed for agreed settlements only.

Complex financial structures. Multiple businesses, overseas assets, trusts, or high-value estates may require specialist legal and tax advice that goes beyond document generation.

Domestic abuse situations. If there's a history of coercive control or financial abuse, a solicitor can ensure the settlement is genuinely fair and that you're not being pressured into an unfavourable agreement.

High-value pensions requiring expert analysis. If either party has a defined benefit pension with a CETV over £100,000, a Pension on Divorce Expert (PODE) report is strongly recommended — and a solicitor experienced in pension sharing can help interpret the findings and negotiate the right split.

You want a human review for reassurance. Some people feel more comfortable knowing a qualified professional has personally reviewed everything. That peace of mind has value, even if the documents would have been identical.

When Can You Safely Save Money?

For the majority of divorcing couples in England and Wales — those who have reached a mutual agreement on finances — the Consent Order process is straightforward and largely administrative. If you and your ex agree on who gets what, the document preparation is a matter of inserting the right figures into established legal clauses.

This is the exact scenario that automated platforms are designed for: agreed terms, standard financial structures, and a clear path to a sealed court order.

The key question isn't whether to get a Consent Order — you should, because without one your ex-spouse can make financial claims against you years or even decades after the divorce. The question is how much you need to pay to get one that's court-ready, legally sound, and properly addresses your assets, pensions, and debts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do solicitors charge so much for a Consent Order?

Solicitors set their fees to cover professional time, office overheads, regulatory compliance, and professional indemnity insurance. Most bill hourly (£200–£400/hour), and a consent order typically requires several hours of work including consultation, drafting, and revisions. For complex cases, this is justifiable. For straightforward agreed settlements, much of this work can be automated.

Is the cheapest option always the best value?

Not necessarily. The cheapest services may exclude pension sharing, offer limited support if the court rejects your order, or have slow turnaround times. The best value comes from a service that includes everything you need — including pension provisions if applicable — at a transparent, fixed price, with built-in checks to minimise the risk of court rejection.

Can I use a free template instead?

You can, but courts reject DIY consent orders at a higher rate than professionally prepared ones. Common reasons include missing recitals, incorrect legal phrasing, and failure to address pension claims properly. If your order is rejected, you'll likely need to pay a professional to fix it — potentially costing more than using a proper service from the start.

Do I still need to pay the court fee if I use an automated service?

Yes. The £62 HMCTS court fee applies regardless of how your documents are prepared. It's paid directly to the court when you submit your consent order application. This fee increased from £60 to £62 on 13 July 2026.

What if my consent order is rejected?

If a court rejects your consent order, you'll need to correct the issues and resubmit — which typically adds 4–8 weeks to the process. Some services offer a "100% court approval guarantee," meaning they'll fix and resubmit at no extra cost. However, the better approach is to use a service that checks your order against common rejection criteria before submission, reducing the risk of rejection in the first place.

---

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. ConsentReady is an automated legal document generation platform, not a regulated law firm. Prices quoted for third-party services were verified in August 2026 and may change. Court fees are correct as of 13 July 2026 following The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026. For advice specific to your situation, consider consulting a family solicitor.