Family Law
Cheap Divorce: How to Divorce from £628
Updated July 2026. If you agree, a divorce can cost little more than the £628 court fee, and even that can be reduced if money is tight. Here are the low-cost routes ranked, plus the one thing you should never skip to save money.
The low-cost divorce routes, ranked
| Route | Cost | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| DIY online (gov.uk service) | £628 | You both agree and can handle the simple online form yourselves |
| With Help with Fees | £0-£628 | Low income or certain benefits and limited savings; the court fee is reduced or waived |
| Fixed-fee online provider | £150-£400 + £628 | You want the form handled and checked but not full legal advice |
| Solicitor, uncontested | £500-£1,500 + £628 | You want a named solicitor to manage it, still agreed between you |
The £628 fee is not fixed for everyone. Under the Help with Fees scheme, if you are on a low income or certain benefits and have savings below the threshold, the fee can be reduced or waived entirely. Apply for Help with Fees before you pay, using reference form EX160 through the online service. It is the most overlooked saving in a cheap divorce.
The trap: cheap on the divorce, exposed on the finances
Almost every budget online divorce package covers only the divorce, not the money. That matters because ending the marriage does not end your financial claims on each other. Without a court-approved financial consent order, your ex can come back years later, sometimes even after remarriage, and make a claim against your income, savings, pension, or a future windfall. The famous case of Wyatt v Vince saw a claim succeed decades after the divorce because no financial order was ever made.
A solicitor-drafted financial consent order costs £500 to £1,500 plus VAT plus a court fee, and makes your financial agreement legally binding and final. On a cheap divorce this is the most valuable spend you can make. If you disagree on the finances, mediation is the low-cost way to reach agreement before the consent order is drafted.
For the full picture of divorce costs by route, see the divorce cost breakdown. If you would rather a local solicitor handle an uncontested divorce at a fixed fee, find one via divorce solicitors by city.