How Can I Find My Divorce Records For Free In the UK?

How Can I Find My Divorce Records For Free In the UK?

It is not possible to get a copy of your divorce certificate for free in the UK, but it is possible to do so for a small fee of £11. You may be able to use third-party websites such as Ancestry.com to find and view your divorce records, for example, by using a free trial, but you will need to pay for a copy of your divorce Final Order document (or Decree Absolute as it was known before April 2022).

How To Get A Replacement Divorce Final Order (aka Decree Absolute)

You can request a replacement decree absolute or Final Order through the court or Divorce Service Centre that handled your divorce. The process you need to follow will depend on whether you know the court in which your divorce was finalised and your case number. If you have this information, the process of requesting a copy of your divorce records and getting a replacement decree absolute will be much easier and faster.

Requesting a Final Order if you know the court and case number

Where you apply will depend on your case number. If your case number is 16 digits, you will need to apply to the Divorce Service Centre. If your case number is not 16 digits, you will need to apply to the court that handled your divorce. Your application can be made in writing or by email. With your request, you will need to provide the following:

• Your name and address
• Your divorce case number
• Confirmation of how you want to pay

The cost for this service is currently £11 (as of April 2025). If you choose to pay by cheque or postal order, it should be made payable to ‘HM Courts & Tribunals Service’ and sent to the service centre or court. If you choose to pay by credit or debit card, you will be sent instructions on how to pay once your application has been received by the Divorce Service Centre or court.

Assuming that the court can locate your divorce records, you can expect to receive your replacement decree absolute​ within a week of when you make your payment.

Requesting a Final Order if you don’t know the court and case number

If you do not have the necessary information to request a copy of your Final Order, you can still request a search to find your records. If you are unsure which court or Divorce Service Centre handled your divorce, you will need to apply to the Central Family Court to search for a copy of the final order or decree absolute. This process costs more than the standard service above due to the administrative time taken to locate your record. For the cost of £65, the Central Family Court will carry out up to 10 searches to locate your divorce records. To apply for a search through the Central Family Court, you can submit a search online. As a minimum, you will be asked for:

• Your name and contact details
• The address you need the copy of the final order or decree absolute to be sent to
• The name of the person who applied for divorce, annulment or dissolution
• The name of the person who responded to the application, and
• The search start and end dates

If you have any of the following information, your search will be faster.

• The date of the marriage
• The date the divorce, annulment or dissolution application was filed
• The date and the court in which the conditional order or decree nisi was granted
• The date the final order or decree absolute was granted 

Alternatively, you can request a search through the Central Family Court by completing and submitting form D440 by post.

If you know the court that handled your divorce but not the case number, you can request a copy of your Final Order through the Divorce Service Centre or court. If your divorce Final Order was made online after January 2019, apply to the Divorce Service Centre. Again, if it was issued by post after April 2022, apply to the Divorce Service Centre. Or if it was issued at any other time, you will need to apply to the court that handled your divorce.

With your Final Order or Decree Absolute copy request, you should include:

• Your name and address
• Confirmation of how you want to pay
• The service centre or court on the date you think your case happened.

On receipt of your request, the Divorce Service Centre or court will search 5 years of records on either side of the dates you provide