Form E Divorce Guide

Form E is the standard financial disclosure document used in divorce proceedings in England and Wales. It is submitted to the Family Court and exchanged between both parties during financial remedy proceedings. Understanding what Form E requires — and preparing your information in advance — is one of the most practical things you can do before entering the legal process.

What Is Form E?

Form E is a 28-section court document that requires each party to disclose their full financial position. It covers property, savings, investments, pensions, business interests, income, debts, regular expenditure, and financial needs. Both parties must complete and exchange Form E simultaneously — meaning you both reveal your finances at the same time to prevent one side adjusting their position in response to the other.

Form E is required when financial remedy proceedings are issued in the Family Court. This happens when divorcing couples cannot agree on financial matters between themselves and need the court to make a financial order. Even when couples do reach agreement privately, many solicitors recommend preparing Form E data to ensure full disclosure before formalising any consent order.

When Is Form E Required?

Form E is formally required when a Form A application for a financial order has been filed with the Family Court. The court will set a timetable requiring both parties to exchange Form E on the same date — typically around 35 days before a First Appointment hearing. Failure to complete Form E properly, or deliberately concealing assets, can result in serious legal consequences including the court drawing adverse inferences.

In voluntary financial disclosure — where couples are negotiating outside court — a similar document may be used, sometimes called a financial statement. While not legally mandatory outside court proceedings, thorough voluntary disclosure is best practice and forms the basis of any valid consent order.

The Main Sections of Form E

• Section 1 — General information: Personal details, marriage dates, children
• Section 2 — Financial details: All assets, property, savings, pensions, business interests, liabilities
• Section 3 — Income: Employment, self-employment, benefits, rental income, dividends
• Section 4 — Financial requirements: Housing needs, income needs, outgoings
• Section 5 — Standard of living: Description of lifestyle during the marriage
• Section 6 — Conduct: Relevant conduct if applicable
• Section 7 — Other information: Any other relevant circumstances

Common Mistakes with Form E

The most common mistakes with Form E are undervaluing assets, forgetting pension values, not including all liabilities, and underestimating future financial needs. Solicitors typically charge between £500 and £2,000 to help prepare Form E, primarily because gathering and organising financial documents takes significant time. DivorceIQ pre-populates your Form E dataset as part of the assessment, giving you a documented starting point that saves you significant solicitor preparation time.

How to Prepare for Form E

Preparation is the key to a well-evidenced Form E. You will need recent bank statements (typically 12 months), mortgage statements, property valuations, pension statements including Cash Equivalent Transfer Values (CETVs), P60s and payslips, tax returns if self-employed, business accounts, investment and savings statements, and documentation of any outstanding debts.

DivorceIQ prompts you through all relevant financial information and stores your dataset securely. When you complete your assessment, you receive a pre-populated financial summary that mirrors the structure of Form E — ready to hand to your solicitor.

Legal disclaimer: DivorceIQ provides financial information and modelling only. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from a qualified solicitor. Divorce law outcomes depend on individual circumstances. DivorceIQ is designed for England and Wales only.