Once you have decided to proceed with divorce, and you have decided which reason ( or 'grounds') to use for the divorce then you can start to complete the Divorce Application form (also called the Divorce Petition). If you have dependent children then you need to include their details in the D8 - please note that the Statement of Arrangements (D8A) is no longer used.

Applicant sends the divorce application documents to the court.
	If you are posting the documents we recommend paying the extra for recorded delivery.
	Remember to include all these documents:
	Form D8	The application for divorce (also known as the Divorce Petition).
	Marriage Certificate	If your marriage certificate is not written in English then you must also include a professional translation.
	Court Fee	A cheque for £550 made out to HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

Instructions

You first need to complete Form D8 (the divorce petition) and, if you have children you should also complete Part 7 in the D8 - Details of the Children.
When you have completed the form make two photocopies so that you have 3 copies in total.
Keep one copy for yourself and send two copies to court, one is for the court and the other is for the court to send to your spouse.

Send the completed form to your regional Divorce Centre together with the marriage certificate and a cheque for the court fee.
The court fee for processing the divorce is £550. If you intend to use a cheque for payments to court they should be made out to HM Courts & Tribunals Service..

If your divorce is based on unreasonable behaviour then you might want to let your spouse see a copy of the divorce petition before you send it to court to give them a chance to review the unreasonable behaviour statements and make changes to them if there are any sentences that they find particularly upsetting.

Terminology

The spouse who initiates the divorce application becomes known as the petitioner.
The other spouse will be referred to in the legal documents as the respondent.

Forms

Form D8

The application for divorce (also known as the Divorce Petition).

Leaflets and Guidance Notes

	Form D184	I want to get a divorce leaflet.
	Form D8 Guidance Notes	Guidance notes for completion of the Divorce Petition.