Consent Order Template UK: What to Include & Why Free Templates Can Be Risky

Consent Order Template (UK) – Example Wording & Why I Don’t Recommend Relying on Free Templates

If you’re searching for a consent order template, you’re probably in one of these situations:

• You’re going through a divorce and you’ve agreed the outcome.
• You want a clean break and you’re looking for standard wording.
• You’ve found a “free” template and you want to know what should be included.

I understand why people search this. When you’ve already agreed everything, it can feel like the final step is “just paperwork”.

But a consent order is not just paperwork. It is a legally binding agreement between two parties that becomes a court order. If it’s drafted incorrectly, the court may reject it. Even worse, it may be approved in a way that leaves financial claims open.

What a Consent Order Actually Does

A consent order is the document that turns your financial agreement into an enforceable court order. In plain terms, it sets out how to work out splitting up money, property and possessions in a way the court can approve and enforce.

In most cases, the goal is to finalise your divorce financial settlement so that:

• assets are transferred or sold as agreed
• pensions are dealt with properly (if relevant)
• ongoing maintenance is set (or dismissed)
• you can achieve a full clean break

Financial settlement is the point in the divorce process where you convert your agreement into something legally final. Without a sealed consent order, financial claims can remain open.

What I Include in a Standard Consent Order

I don’t lift wording from a generic template. I draft to match the specific facts. But most orders include the sections below.

1) The Introductory Wording

This identifies the parties, the court, and confirms the order is by consent. It typically begins along the lines of:

Upon the application of the Applicant and by consent
And upon the court being satisfied that the terms of this order are fair
IT IS ORDERED THAT:

2) Property Clauses (Sale or Transfer)

Example: sale of the former matrimonial home

The property at [address] shall be placed on the open market for sale within 28 days.
Upon completion of sale, the net proceeds of sale shall be divided 50/50 between the parties.

Example: transfer of the property to one party

The Respondent shall transfer all their legal and beneficial interest in the property at [address] to the Applicant within 28 days.

In real cases, I also draft the practical details that templates often skip: mortgage responsibilities, deadlines, indemnities, what happens if the sale stalls, and how the proceeds are calculated.

3) Lump Sum Clauses

Example: lump sum payment

The Respondent shall pay to the Applicant the lump sum of £25,000 within 56 days of this order.

4) Spousal Maintenance Clauses (If Applicable)

Example: maintenance is payable

The Respondent shall pay spousal maintenance to the Applicant in the sum of £500 per calendar month until 1 January 2028.

Example: no spousal maintenance

There shall be no order for spousal maintenance.

This is an area where drafting matters. Sometimes the right outcome is a dismissal. In other cases, a time-limited arrangement is safer. Templates rarely help you decide which is correct.

5) Pension Clauses (Where Relevant)

If pensions are involved, the wording must be technically correct and matched to the disclosure. This is a common reason the court rejects DIY orders.

Example: pension sharing order

There shall be a pension sharing order in favour of the Applicant in respect of 40% of the Respondent’s pension scheme under section 24B of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

In some cases there may be a transfer of some income-generating assets (including pensions or investments). If that’s relevant, it must be drafted cleanly and in a way the court and any pension provider can implement.

6) The Clean Break Clause

This is often the most important clause for people searching for a clean break and a consent order template.

Upon compliance with the terms of this order, there shall be a clean break between the parties.
Neither party shall have any further claims against the other under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.

7) Dismissal of Future Claims

This is the part many templates get wrong. A proper consent order is an arrangement under which a couple’s assets and financial affairs are separated upon divorce. It must dismiss the right claims in the right way, covering capital, income, pensions, and often other categories depending on the case.

Why Free Consent Order Templates Often Fail

People often come to me after trying a free template because the court has queried or rejected the draft. In my experience, the main problems are:

1) The Court Compares Your Draft to Your D81

When you submit a consent order, the judge looks at the draft order alongside your Statement of Information (Form D81). If the proposed outcome does not appear fair, or the drafting is not court-ready, it can be rejected.

2) Templates Don’t Cover Your Specific Risks

An agreement between spouses on how to split their assets and liabilities needs to match the reality of your case: housing needs, income differences, pension values, debts, business interests, and how quickly assets can be implemented. A template can’t assess that.

3) Future Claims Can Stay Open

If the dismissal wording is incomplete, you may think you’ve finished your divorce financial settlement process, but your ex could still have claims later. That’s exactly what a properly drafted consent order is designed to prevent.

When a Template Might Be Low Risk

A DIY template is usually only low risk in very limited situations, for example:

• short marriage
• no property
• no pensions
• no children
• both parties financially independent

Even then, I recommend a solicitor checks it before you submit it, because the cost of getting it wrong is often far higher than the cost of doing it properly.

Why I Recommend a Solicitor-Drafted Consent Order (or Divorce-Online)

A template gives you words. A solicitor gives you protection.

Calculating a divorce settlement involves several key steps: understanding the asset picture, assessing fairness, deciding the correct structure (including pensions and maintenance), and then drafting an order the court will approve.

Using a solicitor-led service helps you:

• reduce the risk of rejection
• ensure correct legal dismissal wording
• protect against future claims
• deal properly with pensions and complex assets

Most importantly, it turns your agreement into a reliable court-approved outcome — not just a draft pulled from the internet.

Get a Solicitor-Drafted Consent Order

If you arrived here searching for a consent order template, the safest next step is to use a fixed-fee service so your order is drafted correctly and approved first time.

OLS Solicitors vs Divorce-Online: Which is right for you?

My Final View

Searching for a consent order template is completely understandable — you want to keep costs down.

But your consent order is meant to lock down your finances and bring the divorce financial settlement process to an end. If your aim is a full clean break, the drafting must be correct.

If you want to avoid mistakes and get it approved first time, a fixed-fee solicitor-drafted service is usually the safest route.