How to Fill Out Form D81: Statement of Information for a Consent Order

To fill out Form D81, the Statement of Information for a Consent Order, both you and your former spouse work through a single form together, listing your current assets, liabilities, pensions, and income in parallel columns, then showing what those figures will look like after the proposed consent order takes effect. The form is signed by both parties and filed alongside the draft consent order and Form A. Under Rule 9.26 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, the court cannot approve a consent order without a signed D81 attached.¹ The current version, updated in April 2025, is a downloadable PDF from GOV.UK.²

Gather Your Figures Before You Open the Form

The form is short. The work is in having accurate, current numbers to put into it. Every figure on the D81 needs to be something you could substantiate if the judge asks.

For each property either of you owns, alone or jointly, get a recent valuation and a current mortgage statement. Subtract one from the other for the equity figure. Valuations older than six months tend to draw queries, so use a recent estate agent valuation or, at a minimum, a current online estimate you can back up.

Pull current statements for all bank accounts, savings, ISAs, and investments. Business interests need a professional valuation. For pensions, request the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV), sometimes called the Cash Equivalent Value, from each scheme administrator.³ Allow several weeks for the provider to produce it.

You also need recent payslips or tax returns showing gross and net income for both parties, plus details of any benefits. On the liabilities side, gather statements for credit cards, personal loans, hire purchase agreements, and significant tax debts. Document any life insurance policies with a surrender value and any interests in trusts.

Working Through the Form Section by Section

The D81 uses a column layout: one column for the applicant, one for the respondent, and sometimes a third for children, so the judge can compare positions at a glance.⁴ You complete it together, not separately.

How the Agreement Was Reached

Early in the form, explain how you arrived at the proposed order: direct negotiation, solicitors, mediation, or some combination. If you attended mediation, say so. Consent order applications are generally exempt from the requirement to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before filing, since you have already agreed.

Current Financial Position (Sections 8 and 9)

Section 8 covers money and property. List the current value of all assets (properties, savings, investments, other holdings) alongside all liabilities, then list pension CETVs separately. If either of you has completed a Form E for contested proceedings, the totals carry across; otherwise, compile the figures from the statements you gathered.

Section 9 covers net income. Enter each party’s income from every source: employment, self-employment, rental income, dividends, state benefits. Use net monthly figures, after tax and National Insurance, so the judge sees what each of you actually has to live on.

Effect of the Proposed Order (Sections 10 and 11)

These sections mirror Sections 8 and 9 but show the picture after the consent order takes effect. If the family home transfers to one spouse, that spouse’s property column gains the equity while the other’s drops to zero. If a pension sharing order is part of the deal, put the adjusted CETV figures here. The judge is comparing “before” and “after” to decide whether the outcome is fair.

Future Arrangements and Needs

Say where each of you, and any children, will live after the settlement. Disclose whether either party is in a new relationship or intends to cohabit, because that affects reasonable living costs. Flag any expected change in income: pending redundancy, planned return to work, retirement. Judges look closely at this section when children are involved, since the welfare of any child under 18 is the court’s first consideration.⁵

Explanation of the Proposed Settlement

This is the section most people underuse. You have space to explain why the proposed division makes sense, especially anything that looks unusual. If one party keeps the house in exchange for the other taking a larger share of pensions, spell that out. If spousal maintenance is time-limited, explain why that period. A judge who can follow your reasoning is far more likely to approve the order without asking follow-up questions.

Statement of Truth

Both applicant and respondent must sign the Statement of Truth at the end, confirming the information is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge.⁴ Signing while knowingly providing false information can lead to contempt of court proceedings. The information should be correct at the time of signing, stated before the proposed order has been implemented.

How to Show Pensions on the Form

Pensions are frequently the second-largest matrimonial asset after the family home, and the D81 needs to reflect how you intend to handle them. Two main mechanisms exist.

A pension sharing order splits the pension at the point of divorce. A percentage of the CETV transfers into the other party’s name, creating two independent pots. Each person then controls their own fund, with no ongoing financial link between former spouses.

A pension attachment order (sometimes called earmarking) works differently. The pension stays in the original holder’s name, and when that person eventually draws benefits, a specified portion is redirected to the former spouse. The recipient loses this income on remarriage or new civil partnership, and the order terminates on death of either party. Because it maintains an ongoing financial connection, it does not achieve a clean break.

If your consent order includes a pension sharing order, Sections 10 and 11 should show the adjusted CETV figures for both parties after the share has been applied. If it includes an attachment order, note the arrangement clearly in the explanation section so the judge understands the ongoing obligation.

Filing the Completed Form

The D81 does not go to the court on its own. It is submitted alongside a draft consent order signed by both parties and a completed Form A, the application for a financial order.⁴ The court fee is £60.⁶

If either party has a solicitor, the application must go through the HMCTS online financial remedy consent order service via MyHMCTS.⁷ The solicitor uploads the draft consent order, the signed D81, and pays the fee electronically. This is mandatory for represented parties; you cannot choose to file by post instead.

If neither party has a solicitor, you file by post. For divorce cases, the address is:⁶

HMCTS Financial Remedy
PO Box 12746
Harlow
CM20 9QZ

For civil partnership dissolutions or legal separations, send the documents to the court already handling your case. Include the £60 fee by cheque payable to HMCTS, and keep copies of everything.

Mistakes That Get the Form Sent Back

Judges see the same problems again and again. Any of these can produce a letter of requisition, and the order cannot be sealed until the judge is satisfied.

Stale valuations. Property valuations and pension CETVs older than six months raise immediate questions. Get fresh figures before signing.
Mismatched numbers. The figures in the D81 must match the terms of the draft consent order exactly. If the order provides for a £50,000 lump sum, the “effect of proposed order” columns need to reflect that transfer.
A thin explanation section. Leaving it near-empty forces the judge to guess at your reasoning. Spell out why the proposed split works for both parties, especially if it is not a straightforward equal division.
Missing Form A. The D81 must be accompanied by a completed Form A. Submitting the D81 and draft order without it will get the application returned.
An unsigned Statement of Truth. Both parties must sign. A form with only one signature will not be processed.
Silence on future housing. If the form does not address where both parties and any children will live, the judge will query it. Adequate housing provision is one of the first things reviewed.
Omitting a new relationship. Failing to disclose that either party is cohabiting with a new partner is a common reason for queries, since it directly affects the court’s assessment of financial needs.

The form is not especially long. The difficulty lies in having accurate, recent figures and giving the judge enough explanation to approve the order without follow-up. Get that right, and the D81 does its job.

1
Legislation.gov.uk. The Family Procedure Rules 2010
2
GOV.UK. Provide Information About the Parties’ Financial Situation to Support Your Application for a Consent Order: Form D81
3
The Pensions Regulator. Transfer Values
4
HM Courts and Tribunals Service. D81 – Statement of Information for a Consent Order in Relation to a Financial Remedy
5
Legislation.gov.uk. Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 – Section 25
6
GOV.UK. Money and Property When You Divorce or Separate: If You Agree
7
LexisNexis. Form D81 Definition