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Court forms · Form E

Form E on divorce, and what to attach

Form E is the financial statement each of you completes when a financial order is applied for on divorce or dissolution[1][2]. The current edition is 01.23[3]. You file and exchange it at least 35 days before the first appointment, with documents such as 12 months of bank statements[5][4].

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Current edition[3]
Before the first appointment[5]
Of bank statements to attach[4]
Parts to the form[6]

01/ At a glance

Form E at a glance

Give the court and your ex-partner a full, frank and clear statement of your income, assets, debts, pensions and needs in an application for a financial order on divorce or dissolution.

Current edition
Form E (01.23)[3]
Download Form E (PDF, GOV.UK)

Always take the form from its GOV.UK page: an old edition can be returned.

02/ What it is

What Form E is

Form E is the financial statement for a financial order on divorce or dissolution, or for financial relief after an overseas divorce[3]. If either of you applies for a financial order, you each fill in a separate Form E[2]. The notes say its purpose is to give the court full details of your financial arrangements[2].

You also use Form E if you want to replace an existing maintenance order with a lump sum, property or pension sharing order, which is sometimes called "capitalisation"[2]. Other applications to vary a financial order use Form E2, and any other financial remedy uses Form E1[2].

Form E is not only for court: before proceedings start, the pre-application protocol expects voluntary disclosure using Form E as a guide[7], and the Family Justice Council calls it a useful template for couples who do not intend to go to court[8].

03/ Download

The 01.23 edition and its notes

The current form is the 01.23 edition, a 30-page PDF on the Form E page on GOV.UK, with Notes for guidance, a large print version and Welsh versions[3]. The GOV.UK page, updated on 22 September 2026, says to post the completed form and all supporting documents to HMCTS Financial Remedy, PO Box 12746, Harlow CM20 9QZ[3].

The notes explain unfamiliar terms and say court staff will help with procedure but cannot give legal advice[2]. Use the download button above, which goes straight to the GOV.UK file.

04/ Deadline

When Form E is due

Once a financial order application is issued, you both file and exchange Form E, verified by a statement of truth and with the documents it asks for, not less than 35 days before the first appointment[5]. The date of the first appointment is on Form C, which the court sends you[2]. The first appointment itself is fixed 12 to 16 weeks after the application is filed[9].

The court might order costs against you if you do not keep to the deadline for Form E[2]. At the first appointment it has particular regard to whether each of you sent the documents the form requires[5].

An application for maintenance only follows the fast-track procedure, where you exchange financial statements within 21 days of the application being issued[10].

05/ Full and frank

Your duty of full disclosure

Form E says you have a duty to the court to give a full, frank and clear disclosure of all your financial and other relevant circumstances[11]. A failure to do so may result in any order being set aside, deliberate untruths can lead to criminal proceedings for fraud, and a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth can lead to proceedings for contempt of court[11].

The duty continues until a final order, so you disclose material changes as they happen[7]. A financial order, including a consent order, can later be set aside for fraud or material non-disclosure[12]. More on financial disclosure in divorce.

06/ Part by part

What the five parts of Form E ask

Form E has five parts[6]. The form asks you to write "N/A" where a box does not apply[13].

Part 1 covers general information, including the children and any child maintenance[6]. It asks whether you live with, or intend within the next six months to live with, a new partner[13]. You give details of any child maintenance calculation, agreement or court order for the children, and of other court cases between you[13].

07/ Checklist

Documents to attach to Form E

Form E ends with a schedule of the documents you must attach where they apply to you[4][13]. Attach copies, not originals, and keep the originals available for inspection[2]. Tick them off as you gather them:

If you cannot attach a document, add a short note to Form E explaining why[2]. If you were unavoidably prevented from sending one, serve and file it as soon as you can with a written explanation[9].

Documents for Form E

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08/ Pensions

Pensions on Form E

You give details of all your pension rights, and attach a valuation from each scheme[2]. A valuation can only be used if it will not be more than a year old at the date of the first appointment; if you do not have one, write to the scheme for an up-to-date valuation and attach a copy of your letter[2].

MoneyHelper says a cash equivalent transfer value can take up to 3 months to arrive[14]. The Family Justice Council says you are entitled to one free each year from each provider unless the pension is already being paid, and that pensions can sometimes be the most valuable asset in a case[15]. So ask early.

09/ If you agree

If you have already agreed

If you and your ex-partner have agreed about the financial matters, neither of you needs to fill in Form E: you hand your agreement to the court instead[2]. For a consent order you each complete a statement of information, Form D81, which sets out your capital and income now and after the proposed order[16]. See the Form D81 guide.

In mediation, the mediator tells you what disclosure is needed, but does not verify it, and the financial information you give is on an open basis so it can be referred to in court[17]. See divorce mediation.

10/ After Form E

What happens after you exchange

Not less than 14 days before the first appointment, you each file a concise statement of the issues, a chronology and a questionnaire asking the other for any further information and documents[5]. At the first appointment the court decides which of those questions must be answered and which documents produced[5]. More on the steps in the Form A guide and on how the court decides a financial settlement in divorce.

If your ex-partner will not give disclosure, the Family Justice Council says you may have to apply to the court[8]. When deciding costs, the court takes into account whether and when each party gave proper disclosure[18]. Miam can help you pull your figures and documents together before a MIAM or mediation.

11/ Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is a Form E in a divorce?

It is the financial statement you each complete when a financial order is applied for on divorce or dissolution, setting out your income, assets, debts, pensions and needs[1][6].

When does Form E have to be filed?

Not less than 35 days before the first appointment, exchanged with your ex-partner at the same time[5]. The first appointment date is on Form C[2].

Do we both have to fill in Form E?

Yes. If either of you applies for a financial order, you each fill in a separate Form E[2].

Can I use Form E if we are not going to court?

Yes. The pre-application protocol suggests using Form E as a guide for voluntary disclosure, and the Family Justice Council calls it a useful template for couples not going to court[7][8].

How many months of bank statements does Form E need?

Statements covering the last 12 months for each account held in that time[4].

What happens if I leave something off Form E?

Failing to give full disclosure may lead to an order being set aside, and deliberate untruths can lead to proceedings for fraud or contempt of court[11].

What is the difference between Form E, E1 and E2?

Form E is for a financial order on divorce or dissolution; Form E2 is for most applications to vary a financial order; Form E1 is for any other financial remedy[2].

12/ Sources

Sources we checked

  1. Form E: financial statement for a financial order — HMCTS, GOV.UK · Form E (01.23), PDF — HMCTS
  2. Form E Notes for guidance (01.23), PDF — HMCTS
  3. Form E: financial statement for a financial order — HMCTS, GOV.UK · Form E (01.23), PDF — HMCTS
  4. Form E (01.23): schedule of documents, PDF — HMCTS
  5. Family Procedure Rules, Part 9, rules 9.14–9.15 — justice.gov.uk
  6. Form E (01.23): contents, PDF — HMCTS
  7. Practice Direction 9A and pre-application protocol — justice.gov.uk
  8. Sorting out Finances on Divorce: being honest about what you have (March 2024) — Family Justice Council
  9. Family Procedure Rules, Part 9, rules 9.12–9.17 — justice.gov.uk
  10. Family Procedure Rules, Part 9, rules 9.7, 9.9B, 9.18 and 9.19 — justice.gov.uk
  11. Form E (01.23), PDF — HMCTS · Form E: financial statement for a financial order — GOV.UK
  12. Practice Direction 9A, paras 13.5–13.8 — justice.gov.uk · Family Procedure Rules, Part 9, rule 9.9A — justice.gov.uk
  13. Form E (01.23): sections 1–5 and schedule of documents, PDF — HMCTS
  14. How to split pensions in a divorce or dissolution — MoneyHelper
  15. Sorting out Finances on Divorce: dealing with pensions (March 2024) — Family Justice Council
  16. Form D81 (04.25), PDF — HMCTS · Form D81: statement of information for a consent order — GOV.UK
  17. Code of Practice for Family Mediators, v1.5 (August 2025) — Family Mediation Council
  18. Practice Direction 9A, paras 3.3–3.4 and protocol para 25 — justice.gov.uk

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