Form A Service - Information for Clients

Form A Court Application Package

A 60-minute online appointment with an FMC-registered family mediator, a properly completed Form A, and clear next steps to court.

Please read below for more information on this service

We know that applying to the family court can feel daunting. Our role is to make it as straightforward as possible.

We sit with you, walk through every section of the form, and make sure your paperwork is accurate before it goes to court. You will never be left guessing what comes next. This guide is in three parts: what Form A is, what we help with before you apply, and what happens once the court has your application.

Before you apply

  • Form A is the official court form used to ask the family court to make a financial order after a divorce, dissolution, or separation. It tells the court that you would like help deciding how money, property, pensions, and other assets should be divided. It is not used for arrangements about children. Those are made on a different form (the C100).

  • You may need to apply on Form A if:

    • You and your former partner cannot agree on how to divide finances, or

    • You have tried mediation but have not been able to reach a full agreement, or

    • You want the court to turn an agreement you have already reached into a legally binding consent order.

  • Before most people can apply to the family court, the law requires you to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (a MIAM) with an authorised family mediator. A MIAM is a short, confidential conversation where your mediator explains your options and checks whether mediation is suitable for your situation.

    We provide MIAMs at Access Family Mediation. If your MIAM was with us, we can sign the mediator section of Form A on your behalf.

    Some people are exempt from the MIAM requirement (for example, where there is evidence of domestic abuse, or the application is urgent). Your mediator will tell you if an exemption applies to you.

  • The package is £99. It covers:

    • A 60 minute one-to-one appointment (online) to complete Form A with you

    • A plain-English walk-through of every section

    • Checking the form for errors before it goes to court

    • Clear written guidance on submitting the form and serving your former partner

    The court fee is paid separately to HMCTS when the application is submitted.

Form A application process

  • We book a one-to-one appointment at a time that suits you, either in person or online. We go through the form section by section and make notes together. You do not need to be an expert; we will explain everything in plain English.

  • We check every answer before you sign. This is the most important part. A small mistake can delay your application by weeks, so we take our time over accuracy.

  • Where your MIAM was with us and we are satisfied that mediation is not suitable or has not resolved matters, we sign the mediator’s part of the form on your behalf. If a MIAM exemption applies (for example, evidence of domestic abuse), we help you record it correctly.

  • You sign to confirm the information you have given is true. We explain what this means and why it matters before you sign.

    • If you’ve reached agreement and want to make it legally binding:

    If the application is made by consent (agreement reached in mediation or otherwise) and is associated with existing divorce proceedings, and you have not already started proceedings for Financial Remedy send the application to:

    HMCTS Financial Remedy
    PO Box 12746
    Harlow
    CM20 9QZ

    • In all other cases:

    Send the completed application to the financial remedy court most local to the Applicant.

    If you need to send any more documents after submitting your financial order application form (Form A), post them to:

    HMCTS Financial Remedy
    PO Box 12746
    Harlow
    CM20 9QZ

  • Keep a copy of the form for yourself.

    If posting - always keep proof of postage.

After you apply

  • Once Form A is issued, the court sets a timetable. For most financial remedy applications the usual steps are:

    • Both of you complete Form E. This is full financial disclosure: income, outgoings, savings, pensions, debts, and property. We offer support sessions for financial disclosure should you need help with this.

    • First Directions Appointment (FDA). This is a short court hearing, usually 12 to 16 weeks after your application is issued. It is a planning hearing; the judge decides what information is still needed and what the next steps are.

    • Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) appointment. This is a “without prejudice” hearing where a judge gives a steer on what a fair outcome might look like. Many cases settle here.

    • Final hearing. Only if the case has not settled, a judge hears the evidence and decides.

  • Most financial remedy cases take around 9 to 12 months from issue to conclusion. Simpler cases can be quicker, particularly where both of you reach an agreement along the way.

  • The court actively encourages you to keep trying to settle between hearings, including through mediation. Many couples reach an agreement after they have seen each other’s Form E. Your mediator can help you get there.

  • Some lower-value financial remedy cases may qualify for the Express Financial Remedy Procedure, a shorter timetable that has been piloted in selected courts. Ask us whether this may apply to you.

  • For the fixed fee of £99, you receive:

    • An hour long confidential online session with a mediator to discuss and complete your form

    • Key information on the court process and what to expect

    • Your proof-read and ready-to-submit form emailed to you as a pdf within 2 working days of the appointment

    • Assurance that there will be no costly delays from avoidable administrative errors

    To request your appointment, kindly fill out the form below.
    We will then reach out to arrange your session and help you prepare.

if you have any questions, please get in touch