Form D84 is one of the paper forms which you would need to complete if you are going through the divorce process and you have decided to deal with the divorce process via post, rather than the online service via the government website.
To understand what the Form D84 is, and when to use it, we’ll take you through the divorce process in more detail, and then explain where the Form D84 slots into that process.
Most divorce applications are now started online; the government website is relatively simple and straightforward to use. However, some people may still prefer to apply for a divorce via the post and using the paper forms.
When you apply for a divorce, there is a court fee of £593 payable (as of January 2025). You complete the first stage which is the divorce application (which can be a joint or a sole application), your spouse receives a copy of it and they are asked to acknowledge the same.
Once they acknowledge the application, you then need to wait for a period of twenty weeks (due to the law changing and ‘no fault’ divorce) in order to apply for the Conditional Order (formerly called the Decree Nisi, prior to the law changing).
The Conditional Order is the second stage of the divorce and this is where the Form D84 comes in. The Form D84 is the paper version of the application for Conditional Order.
The Form D84 is relatively straightforward; you can complete this whether it be a sole application for divorce or a joint application. You are asked to confirm whether you wish to add or alter any statements made in the original application for divorce and you are asked to confirm that everything in the application for divorce is true.
You are then required to sign and send the form to the Family Court.
Once submitted, a Judge sitting at the Family Court will then consider your application for the Conditional Order and, once that is granted by the Court, you would then need to wait a period of six weeks before applying for your Final Order of Divorce, and this is the third and final stage of the divorce.
Before the final stage, it is extremely important that you do not apply for the Final Order of Divorce until you take legal advice and consider resolving your matrimonial finances, prior to applying for the Final Order of Divorce. This is because you can lose important benefits under pensions etc., if you are divorced but you have not resolved your matrimonial finances.
If you are in the process of getting a divorce, having capable divorce solicitors behind you can be an immense support. As one of the leading divorce solicitors in Kent, Whitehead Monckton has the necessary expertise and understanding to ensure that legal matters relating to your divorce or separation are dealt with as sensitively and professionally as possible.
