At First Law Solicitors, we draft and secure Financial Consent Orders that transform informal financial agreements into legally binding court orders. For clients with significant assets, companies or international holdings, this step is essential to ensure finality and future protection.
Based in Manchester and advising clients across England and Wales, we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID No: 665823). Our family law solicitors have over twenty years of post-qualification experience in complex financial settlements, asset protection and wealth division.
A Financial Consent Order is a formal court order that records the financial agreement reached between divorcing or separating spouses. Once sealed by the court, it becomes legally binding and prevents either party from reopening financial claims in the future.
Even where a divorce is amicable, a Consent Order remains vital. Without one, a former spouse may bring new claims for property, pensions or maintenance many years after the divorce, including against assets acquired long after separation.
At First Law Solicitors, we ensure your Consent Order provides both fairness and finality, locking in the terms of your settlement while protecting your future wealth.
The Family Court does not simply approve agreements automatically. Under section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, the judge must be satisfied that the terms are fair and reasonable.
We prepare comprehensive supporting documentation, including the Statement of Information (Form D81), to give the court a clear and accurate picture of each party’s financial position. This level of preparation reduces delays and supports smooth judicial approval.
A divorce alone ends the legal marriage but does not end the financial relationship. Without a Consent Order, either spouse may later make claims against property, income or inheritance. Private agreements may remain unenforceable, and a financial clean break may not be legally recognised.
We draft every Consent Order to close the door on future claims, ensuring your financial independence is secure and legally protected.
Our solicitors specialise in drafting sophisticated Consent Orders for high-value clients. We ensure that all assets, including real estate, business interests and pensions, are fully reflected and properly secured.
Where appropriate, we incorporate Pension Sharing Orders, Property Adjustment Orders and Lump Sum Payments within a single, coherent document. Each order is drafted in compliance with the Family Procedure Rules 2025 and the Digital Filing Standards requiring Qualified Electronic Signatures from 2026.
The process begins with reaching a financial agreement, which may be achieved through negotiation, mediation or Private Financial Dispute Resolution. Private FDR allows matters to conclude within weeks rather than the twelve-month delays commonly seen in public court proceedings.
Once agreement is reached, we draft a legally robust Consent Order covering every aspect of the financial settlement, including property, pensions, investments and company shares.
We then prepare the Form D81 Statement of Information, detailing assets, liabilities and income for both parties. Accuracy at this stage is critical, as incomplete disclosure can undermine the validity of the order.
The Consent Order is submitted electronically to the Family Court using Qualified Electronic Signatures in compliance with HM Land Registry requirements and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. Once sealed, it becomes enforceable in the same way as any other court judgment.
Most clients seek a Clean Break Consent Order, which brings all future financial obligations between spouses to an end once the settlement is implemented.
Where transitional support is required, we draft Deferred Clean Break Orders that provide temporary, tapering arrangements before full independence is achieved. This approach balances stability during transition with long-term finality.
We also prepare Capitalisation Orders that convert ongoing spousal maintenance into a single lump sum payment, creating certainty and avoiding future disputes.
Following Standish v Standish (2025), fairness remains the central benchmark for financial orders. However, inherited or non-matrimonial wealth is only included where both the contributor’s original intention and the subsequent treatment of the asset indicate shared use.
We apply this framework carefully to ensure Consent Orders protect legitimate separate wealth while remaining fair and judicially robust.
We use Predictive Settlement Modeling based on 2025–2026 Family Court data to anticipate how judges are likely to respond to proposed settlements. This allows us to reduce uncertainty, align expectations and negotiate with statistical precision before submission.
This data-driven approach ensures that Consent Orders are not only agreed but are also resilient to judicial scrutiny and future financial change.
Finality is achieved only when a settlement is enforceable and tax-efficient. We work with financial advisers and accountants to minimise Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty during asset transfers, adjust pensions without breaching Lifetime Allowance rules, and update trusts and wills to reflect new ownership structures.
We also plan for the April 2027 Inheritance Tax reform, under which unspent pensions will form part of the taxable estate, ensuring your Consent Order anticipates and mitigates this future exposure.
At First Law Solicitors, we combine technical precision with strategic foresight. Every Consent Order we draft is designed to protect assets and income from future claims. We integrate predictive analysis with detailed legal drafting to ensure enforceability and fairness. Our focus is on securing permanent financial independence and long-term peace of mind.
Our objective is not simply to conclude proceedings, but to design financial security that endures.
If you have reached a financial agreement or wish to formalise an existing arrangement, contact First Law Solicitors today. We ensure your settlement is properly documented, legally binding and future-proof.
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