The D81 statement of information
Key facts
- The D81 is the statement of information you file with a financial consent order.
- It summarises both people’s finances so the judge can assess whether the agreement is fair.
- It covers income, property, savings, pensions, debts and future needs.
- You can file a joint D81, or each of you can file your own version.
- An accurate D81 helps the judge approve the order without asking further questions.
When you apply for a financial consent order, one document does the quiet but important work of showing the judge your agreement is fair. That document is the D81, the statement of information. It is short, but it matters, because it is what allows a judge to approve your order without a hearing. This guide explains what the D81 is and what it covers.
The D81 is filed alongside the consent order itself, which turns the agreement recorded in your memorandum of understanding into a binding order. This is general information, not legal advice. For how the whole application fits together, see our guide to consent orders.
What is the D81?
The D81 is a court form called a statement of information for a consent order. When two people have agreed how to divide their finances and want a judge to approve that agreement as a consent order, the D81 gives the judge a summary of both of their financial positions. It is the evidence base the judge uses to decide whether the agreement is broadly fair.
Without the D81, a judge could not sensibly approve a consent order, because they would be signing off an agreement without knowing anything about the finances behind it. The form fills that gap in a standard, concise way. It sits alongside Form A, the notice that starts the application, and the draft order itself.
What information does the D81 cover?
The D81 asks for a summary of each person’s financial position, both now and looking ahead. It is not a full disclosure exercise in itself; it draws together the picture you built during mediation.
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Income | Earnings and any other income for each person |
| Property | The value of the family home and any other property, and any mortgage |
| Capital | Savings, investments and other assets |
| Pensions | The value of each person’s pensions |
| Debts | Liabilities each person owes |
| Future position | Where each person will be after the agreement takes effect, including housing and needs |
The figures come from the financial information you exchanged in mediation. If you want to be sure you have gathered everything needed, our guides to financial disclosure and our disclosure checklist walk through what to collect.
How to complete the D81, section by section
The D81 is more straightforward than it first looks, because it mostly repeats figures you already worked out in mediation. Taking it a section at a time keeps it manageable.
| Part | What you enter | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| About you and the family | Length of the marriage, ages, children, and whether either of you plans to remarry or move in with someone | These details help the judge apply the fairness factors |
| Assets before the order | Property, savings, investments and pensions for each of you now | Use agreed values; note the date each value was taken |
| Assets after the order | How those assets will look once the agreement takes effect | This shows the judge the result of the deal, not just the starting point |
| Income and needs | Each person’s income now and after the order, and future housing and income needs | Explain how each of you will house yourselves |
| Statement of truth | A signed confirmation that the information is true | Both of you sign; giving false information is a serious matter |
If a solicitor is drafting your consent order, they will usually complete the D81 with you, because the two documents share the same figures. If you are doing it yourselves, work from the open financial statement your mediator prepared.
Do we file one D81 or two?
You have a choice. You can complete a single joint D81 together, which is common where you agree on the figures, or each of you can file your own separate version. A joint form is simpler and shows the judge you are on the same page. Separate forms may suit couples who prefer to set out their own position independently, or where you do not agree on every value.
Accuracy helps everyone
The judge relies on the D81 to check fairness. If it is incomplete or inconsistent, they may send it back with questions, which delays approval. Taking care over the figures, and making sure both of you recognise them, is the quickest way to get the order sealed.
What the judge looks for on the D81
The judge is not auditing your finances to the penny. They are checking that the agreement in the order is within the range of what a court would consider fair, using the picture the D81 gives them. In particular they look at:
- Whether both of you can house yourselves after the order
- Whether each person has enough income, or a fair reason why not
- How the assets built up during the marriage are shared
- Whether any children’s needs are provided for
- Whether a clean break is appropriate, and if not, why maintenance continues
- Whether anything looks so one-sided that it needs an explanation
A D81 that answers these points clearly usually leads to the order being sealed without further questions. This is why a complete, honest form is in both of your interests.
How is the D81 different from Form E?
People sometimes mix up the D81 with Form E. They are not the same. Form E is the long, detailed financial statement used when a couple cannot agree and the court has to work through the finances in financial remedy proceedings. The D81 is far shorter and is used when you have already agreed and simply need the judge to check the deal is fair.
| D81 | Form E | |
|---|---|---|
| Used when | You have agreed and want a consent order | You have not agreed and the court is deciding |
| Length | Short summary | Long, detailed disclosure |
| Evidence attached | Usually none | Bank statements, valuations and more |
| Who relies on it | The judge approving the order | Both parties and the court in a contested case |
If your case settled in mediation, you will normally only ever need the D81. Our guide comparing Form E and mediation explains the difference in more detail.
How the D81 fits into the application
The D81 does not travel alone. It is one part of a small bundle of documents you send to the court to make your agreement binding.
| Document | Role |
|---|---|
| Form A | The notice of intention to proceed with an application for a financial order |
| Consent order | The order itself, setting out what you have agreed |
| D81 | The statement of information showing the finances behind it |
| Court fee | The £62 fee to apply for the order |
Once these are submitted, a judge reviews them together. If the D81 shows the agreement is within the range of what is fair, the judge seals the order. The court fee is £62 as of 13 July 2026. Our guide on making a mediation agreement legally binding sets out the full sequence.
The D81 is the statement of information required when the court is asked to make a financial order by consent. Under section 33A of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, the court can make an order in the agreed terms on the basis of the information provided by the parties, which is exactly what the D81 supplies. The form is published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and is filed with Form A and the draft consent order.
Who completes and signs the D81?
If a solicitor is drafting your consent order, they will usually help you complete the D81 at the same time, because the two documents go together. If you are dealing with the application yourselves, you fill it in from the financial figures you agreed in mediation. Either way, both of you need to check the figures and confirm they are accurate before the form is signed and filed. The D81 ends with a statement of truth, so signing it is a confirmation that the information is honest and complete.
Do you need to attach evidence?
The D81 is a summary, so you do not usually attach bank statements, valuations or payslips to it in the way you would with a full Form E. The judge relies on the figures you both confirm as true. That said, the figures should be genuine and based on the disclosure you did in mediation, because the order can be challenged later if it turns out the information was wrong or hidden. Honest, up-to-date values protect the order you are trying to secure.
When should you complete the D81?
Timing matters, because the figures on the D81 need to reflect your finances as they stand when the judge looks at them. In practice the D81 is completed at the same time as the consent order, once mediation has finished and you are ready to apply. Because a financial order cannot be sealed until the conditional order of divorce has been made, there is sometimes a gap between agreeing terms and the order being approved.
If that gap is long, it is worth checking that key values, such as the equity in the family home or the value of a pension, are still broadly accurate. Large moves in those figures can matter to the fairness the judge is assessing. Where values have shifted a lot, updating them on the D81 keeps the picture honest and reduces the chance of the order being questioned later. For most couples who apply promptly after mediation, the figures from the open financial statement are still current and can be used as they are.
Common mistakes on the D81
- Figures that do not match the consent order, which prompts the judge to query it.
- Using out-of-date property or pension values, so the picture no longer reflects reality.
- Leaving a section blank rather than putting nil or not applicable.
- Forgetting to show the position after the order, so the judge cannot see the result of the deal.
- One person signing without the other checking the figures they are confirming.
Grace and Adam had agreed everything in mediation and were ready to apply for their consent order. Their solicitor asked them to complete a joint D81. At first it felt like extra paperwork, but as they filled it in they realised it was simply the financial summary from their mediation, set out in the court’s format. They submitted it with Form A, the order and the £62 fee. Because the figures were clear and matched, the judge approved the order first time, with no further questions.
Frequently asked questions
What is a D81 form?
The D81 is the statement of information you file with a financial consent order. It summarises both people’s finances so the judge can check the agreement is broadly fair before approving it.
Do we need to complete a D81 for a consent order?
Yes. A judge cannot approve a financial consent order without the financial information the D81 provides. It is a required part of the application, filed with Form A and the draft order.
Can we file a joint D81?
Yes. You can complete a single joint D81 together, or each of you can file your own separate version. A joint form is common where you agree on the figures.
Where do the figures on the D81 come from?
They come from the financial information you exchanged during mediation, covering income, property, savings, pensions and debts. There is no need to start disclosure again.
What happens if the D81 is incomplete?
The judge may send the application back with questions, which delays approval. Accurate, complete figures that both of you recognise are the quickest way to get the order sealed.
Is the D81 the same as Form E?
No. Form E is the long, detailed financial statement used when a couple cannot agree and the court has to decide. The D81 is a short summary used when you have agreed and just need the judge to check the deal is fair.
Do I need to attach evidence to the D81?
Usually not. The D81 is a summary, so you do not normally attach statements or valuations. The figures should still be genuine and based on your mediation disclosure, because an order can be challenged if the information was wrong or hidden.
Who signs the D81?
Both of you sign it, confirming through a statement of truth that the information is accurate. That is why it is important that each of you checks the figures before it is filed.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Form D81: statement of information for a consent order, gov.uk. Accessed 9 July 2026.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, section 33A, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 9 July 2026.
- GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate: apply for a consent order, gov.uk. Accessed 9 July 2026.
- GOV.UK, Family court fees (EX50), gov.uk. Accessed 9 July 2026.