Until 2018, the process was entirely paper-based, meaning
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mistakes were commonly made when completing lengthy, jargon-heavy forms
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delays caused by needing to return high numbers of applications due to errors
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slow notifications to the applicant or legal professional that an application had been received
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hours spent by our people opening post, creating paper case files, tracking down missing forms and taking payments over the telephone
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environmental impacts and cost to the taxpayer associated with printing, posting and transporting paper
The service needed modernisation to better serve both the public and legal professionals during what is often an emotionally challenging time.
Benefits of the digital service
Our modernised divorce service has revolutionised the application process, delivering significant improvements. Since 2019, over 511,000 applications have been made digitally by people getting divorced, meaning
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internal management information shows that calls from court users are being answered in less than a minute
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they’ve been better supported through being able to access information about help with fees during the application process
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improved clarity and assurance by being able to track and manage multiple processes in their case through one integrated service
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data and sensitive information is protected through more robust privacy protections
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reduced environmental impact by minimising paper usage
Our digital transformation
The transformation journey began in 2016 with comprehensive user research to understand the challenges faced by divorcing couples, legal professionals, and court staff.
Our transformed service offers
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24/7 access to applications
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the option to save and return, allowing people to take a break or find documents without losing progress on their application
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real-time application status tracking
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clear, step-by-step guidance to minimise mistakes
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the ability to make a joint application under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020
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integrated financial remedy process for legal professionals to help couples agree how to manage finances
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the ability to share work across teams for legal firms
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streamlined payment options
Our digital approach is working – we’ve seen digital uptake soar from 22% in 2020 to 94% in 2024.
Responding to new laws
Since the original online divorce service launched to the public in 2018 we’ve responded quickly to wider changes. We relaunched the service in 2022 following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act.
The service now enables joint applications for divorce, helping to reduce acrimony amongst separating couples. When planning these changes we worked with people using the service, listening to their feedback at every step to ensure the new service worked smoothly for the people that needed it.
Feedback from members of the public and legal professionals shows how the service has improved
Crispin, Service user
The overall experience was pretty smooth… everything worked as it should do. It felt like one of the more positive parts of the divorce.
Karen Dovaston, Solicitor
On the solicitor side, it’s efficiency. I can log in and see all my cases and see exactly what’s going on with them. It’s really efficient in terms of being able to update your clients as to what’s going on and where things are. You can download documents very easily, making your applications easily and quickly.
The knock-on effect for me and for my clients is I have a fixed fee for a divorce. I’m happy with it and it means that I can pass all those savings on to my client because I’m not then spending all the time that I would have been spending drafting paper documents, keying in information in paper documents, because the digital system just pulls it all through.
Arwel’s story
When Arwel and his wife Caroline decided to divorce, he wasn’t sure how to get the process underway and felt daunted. A colleague had been through the process and told him that it wasn’t as complicated as it used to be and that applying online was easy. Arwel did some research and decided to apply online. He wasn’t sure what to expect but with the online divorce service he was able to fit submitting and monitoring his application around his busy shift working pattern.
Arwel found using the online service surprisingly easy, there were links to useful guidance and when he needed to track down information he could save his application and return to it when he was ready. Because of his work rota Arwel found the option to check online much easier than calling a helpline. It meant he didn’t need to find somewhere private in his busy office and he could check at a time that suited him.
Overall, the digital divorce service gave Arwel peace of mind that his application was progressing. The law relating to divorce meant the process took a long time, but the service made it clear how far he’d progressed which allowed him to focus on the future.
Working Together
We’ve worked closely with
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our divorce stakeholder group, comprising of divorce professionals across England and Wales
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the judiciary
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our Courts and Tribunals Service Centre in Stoke to support our users
Getting Support
We’ve created a comprehensive support system to ensure no one is left behind. This includes
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a free digital support service through the We Are Group for applicants in England and Wales
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modernised paper forms with simplified language and clearer instructions
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dedicated support on the phone or by webchat through our Court and Tribunal Service Centre
Future Plans
We’re continuing to improve the service for all applicants and their advisers. In the future we’ll
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offer online applications for interim orders (to make a general application as part of a divorce, dissolution or separation)
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enable applicants to see where they are in the 20-week statutory waiting period
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further enhance our notification system
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introduce digital document upload capability
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streamline processing of complex cases
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continue to improve guidance for choosing the right application type, based on an applicant’s personal circumstances
