Form 8, section 8, "financial order", consent-order

[peanutbutterkid]

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

H & I have decided to split, joint applicants on Form 8. We may be in good place to stay amicable so trying to proceed with minimal solicitor involvement. We have one year10 DC at home.

I understand that Form 8 is the first thing to file, filling this in on govt website. I don't understand section 8 (screenshot).

Is "financial order" the same as "consent order" ? Should we tick yes to needing a financial order on form 8 , because that is how to get a consent order later?

Is the cheapest way to create a consent order, that we need to use a consent-order template that we get from a DIY-divorce-website? Because of the legal language involved, no free-template exists or would be suitable, and the website has a solicitor who will sign off the consent order being suitable?

tick yes on both

Thanks Milly. Tick yes because "financial order" = or includes "consent order" ?

Yes click that you're including a financial order. A financial consent order is the same thing, it just means you will come to an agreement between you instead of a court enforcing arrangements on you because you can't agree. It's a financial order, by the consent of you both. I've just had my solicitor submit ours to the court last week. Waiting to hear something now!

Actually I may have figured this out, thanks to MN for the box with links to 'similar' threads. www.mumsnet.com/talk/divorce_separation/4688039-advice-financial-consent-order

Tick the yes. I found this confusing too
a consent order is one of the types of financial orders. It still needs the court to review it, ensure it meets the 10 or so criteria for “fair settlement” and is, if everything is ok, sealed by court roughly at same time as decree final ( or whatever it is now called). Ticking the box means the court will do this at same time.
if you don’t tick, you have to put in a completely separate request later.

Op, if you are amicable and trying to do this with minimum solicitor help, I very very strongly recommend you spend £20-60 on downloading the ADVICE NOW guides on diy processes from their website. You can share with you STBex to both get on same page. The link is now on the top banner of the divorce talk board as MNhave now put it there. They’ll explain all the forms, what you don’t need solicitors for, what you might, and what you should. They even link to a group of solicitors that offer to do just the specific tasks you want at good/fair rates. Absolutely with the £20 a pop for each type of guide given a solicitor charges £200+ for an hour.

ex and I divorced in 2021 using these guides. We ended up with a quick, cheap, and relatively painless process .

Should say advice now are a voluntary organisation run by England/wales legal experts, with aim to make the law as transparent as possible for public and help people avoid raking up huge legal bills and lengthy court processes
I assume there’s a similar group for Scotland

Super helpful Newlife, thanks.

Just to update... I was only confused when I was using the paper form system. The entirely-online file system explains much better the different types of financial order.