Clean break consent order service

The online clean break consent order is the flagship product of Family Law Service, a trading name of Family Legal Ltd. It is a drafting service, priced at £499 which the company states includes VAT: the company describes it as “A paralegal-drafted Clean Break Consent Order based on what you and your ex-partner have agreed”, supplied with Form A completed and a D81 statement of information prepared for both parties, and with a “Free re-draft guarantee if the court rejects the order because of a drafting mistake we have made”.[1] What a clean break order is, and how a court decides whether to approve one, are explained on Divorce Law Wiki; this page describes only the commercial product.

This product is unregulated. Family Law Service is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the drafting is done by paralegals, not solicitors; the company’s own statement is that “Family Legal Ltd t/as Family Law Service is not SRA-regulated. We do offer both SRA-regulated solicitor services (clearly marked) and unregulated legal information & document services that exclude reserved legal activities.”[1][2] The buyer is not a client of a regulated firm for this work, cannot take a complaint about it to the Legal Ombudsman, and files the order with the court personally.[3][1] The company sells a separate solicitor-drafted product at £2,499 and separate legal advice at £299, and its mediation brand Mediate UK sells a mediation-based package at £1,649 plus VAT per person; the three are compared below.[4][5][6]

Written by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy at Mediate UK and Associate Member of Resolution. Reviewed by Belinda Atkins, Managing Director of Mediate UK. Last reviewed 6 September 2026; last updated 6 September 2026; next scheduled review March 2027.

What the product is

The product is the drafting of a document, not a settlement service. It begins from terms the couple have already agreed between themselves; the company does not negotiate, advise on whether the terms are fair, or represent either person.[1] A consent order is the court order that makes a financial agreement on divorce binding, and a clean break order is the version that ends future financial claims between the parties. Until a court approves it, an agreement between separating spouses is not binding, which is the reason the document exists.

The same £499 product is also sold under the company’s ConsentOrder.org.uk brand, which states that it is “owned and operated by Family Legal Ltd” and is “part of a trusted family law group that includes Mediate UK” and Family Law Service; its costs page lists the clean break order at £499 including VAT and the premium order at £2,499 including VAT.[7][8] Neither site is independent of the other, and this wiki does not describe any Family Legal Ltd site as independent of the publisher.

Regulatory status of this product

This is unregulated legal work. Family Law Service is not a law firm; its footer statement reads: “Family Legal Ltd t/as Family Law Service is not SRA-regulated. We do offer both SRA-regulated solicitor services (clearly marked) and unregulated legal information & document services that exclude reserved legal activities.”[2][1] The product page names Lee Simons and Lucy Noord-Harper as the people who draft the order and describes them as experienced family law professionals; neither is described as a solicitor, and the company’s about page lists them as a law practitioner and a paralegal respectively, spelling the surname “Nord-Harper” there rather than “Noord-Harper” as on the product page.[1][2] Neither “paralegal” nor “law practitioner” is a protected title, and neither carries entry on a public register.

The position is lawful. Drafting a document that the client signs and files is not one of the six reserved legal activities in section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007, which are the exercise of a right of audience, the conduct of litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate activities, notarial activities and the administration of oaths.[9][10] The Competition and Markets Authority confirms that unregulated businesses may lawfully provide such services and must not lead consumers to believe “that their activities are regulated or approved by a regulator”.[11]

What the buyer does not have, compared with a solicitor-drafted order: the Legal Ombudsman, which states that it “can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”; the SRA Compensation Fund; and the compulsory professional indemnity insurance that an SRA-regulated firm must hold. No statement of professional indemnity insurance for this product was found on the pages consulted on 6 September 2026.[3][11][1][2] What the buyer does have is consumer law, the company’s own re-draft guarantee and its refund policy, which promises “a full refund” and “a free redraft” if the court rejects the order because of a drafting error by the company.[12]

What is included

Contents of the £499 online clean break consent order as described by the company, 6 September 2026
ItemCompany descriptionSource
The order“A paralegal-drafted Clean Break Consent Order based on what you and your ex-partner have agreed”[1]
Form ACompleted for submission to the court[1]
Form D81Statement of information prepared for both parties[1]
Re-draft guarantee“Free re-draft guarantee if the court rejects the order because of a drafting mistake we have made”[1]
Refund positionFull refund and a free re-draft where the court rejects the order for the company’s drafting error; full refund within 14 days if work has not started[12]
Price£499, the company stating that all prices include VAT[1][13]

Form A is the notice of intention to proceed with a financial application, which starts the financial remedy process even where the parties agree; Form D81 is the statement of information the court requires before approving a consent order, setting out each party’s capital, income, pensions and housing plans. The D81 asks each party whether they have received legal advice, and an order drafted under this product is filed without it unless advice is bought separately.[1][5]

What it excludes

The product page states that the price excludes legal advice, which “can be purchased separately”, submission of the application to the court, and “Any representation, negotiation or legal guidance beyond preparing the documents”.[1] It also sets case limits: the company states the product is “Only suitable if you have one property, no business and no pension share or spousal maintenance”.[1] Cases involving a pension sharing order, continuing spousal maintenance, a business interest or more than one property are directed to the premium product.[4]

The company’s own guide on clean break orders lists circumstances in which it says a clean break is not appropriate, among them a need for continuing spousal maintenance, a long marriage with a significant difference in income or assets, primary care of children, health affecting earning capacity, and a pension gap.[14] Whether a clean break is right in a given case is a question about the settlement rather than about the drafting, and the product does not include an opinion on it.[1]

The court fee and the court’s decision

The court fee is separate and is paid to HM Courts and Tribunals Service. On the EX50 fee schedule updated 13 July 2026, an application by consent for a financial order (fee 5.1) is £62.[15] The company states the same figure in its guide, and ConsentOrder.org.uk lists “£62 court fee (since July 2026)” alongside its prices.[16][8] Help with Fees may reduce or remove the fee for a person on a low income.

Approval is a judicial decision, not an administrative one, and it does not depend on who drafted the order. A judge considers the D81 information and may reject the order or ask questions if the proposed division appears to fall outside what is fair; the court’s scrutiny is described on Consent order. A re-draft guarantee covers a rejection caused by the drafting; it cannot cover a rejection caused by the terms the couple agreed.[1]

Comparison with a solicitor-drafted order

The difference between this product and an order drafted by a solicitor is not the document but the relationship. A solicitor is an authorised person under the Legal Services Act 2007, owes professional duties, works within a firm that must hold professional indemnity insurance to the SRA’s minimum terms, and is answerable to the SRA and, for service complaints, to the Legal Ombudsman.[9][3][11] A solicitor instructed on a financial settlement will normally advise on whether the terms meet the parties’ needs before drafting; the £499 product does not include that step.[1]

On price, the company’s own guide estimates typical market costs of £400 to £900 for online legal technology services, £750 to £1,500 and above for a high street solicitor and £1,500 to £3,000 and above for complex cases with specialists; those ranges are the company’s figures and no source is given for them on the page.[16] The Legal Services Board found that unregulated providers were associated with “more transparent (and potentially more affordable) pricing”, and also with detriments including “higher than expected costs, unreasonable delays, and poor advice”; its research does not measure any individual provider.[17] Any solicitor or firm can be checked on the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor directory and on the Solicitors Register.[18][19]

Comparison with the Mediate UK package

Mediate UK, the family mediation brand of the same company, sells a consent order package at £1,649 plus VAT per person, with a second tier for more complex cases at £1,799 plus VAT per person.[6] The two products are not like for like. The Mediate UK package is a route to reaching an agreement and then having it drafted by a solicitor and filed; the Family Law Service product is drafting only, for people who have already agreed. The package includes a MIAM and a one-hour individual consultation, up to four hours of joint mediation, a memorandum of understanding, drafting of the order by a family lawyer, Form A and D81, a pension sharing annex where required and filing of the order with the court.[6]

The two consent order routes sold by Family Legal Ltd, September 2026. The packages differ in content, so the prices are not directly comparable.
Family Law Service: online clean break consent orderMediate UK: consent order package
Price£499, company states prices include VAT, per case[1]£1,649 plus VAT per person, tier 1; £1,799 plus VAT per person, tier 2[6]
Who draftsParalegal[1]“A family lawyer”; the package is described as solicitor-drafted[6]
Mediation includedNone[1]MIAM, a one-hour individual consultation and up to four hours of joint mediation[6]
DocumentsOrder, Form A, D81 for both parties[1]Memorandum of understanding, order, Form A, D81, pension sharing annex if required[6]
Filed with the courtNo; the client submits it[1]Yes, filed on the parties’ behalf[6]
Pensions, business, second propertyExcluded[1]Pension sharing annex included where required; tier 2 for more complex cases[6]
Legal adviceNot included; £299 separately[1][5]Not included; from £250 plus VAT separately[6][20]
Court fee£62, paid separately[15]Not included; the page states HMCTS fees separately[6][15]
Regulatory statusUnregulated[2]Mediation by FMC-registered mediators; drafting by a solicitor[6][21]

A person who has already agreed terms and needs only a document is buying different work from a person who needs help reaching agreement first. On a two-person basis the Mediate UK package is £3,298 plus VAT for a couple before court fees and identity verification, against £499 for the drafting-only product; the difference buys mediation, the outcome documents, solicitor drafting and court submission.[6][1] Mediation is also available from any mediator on the Family Mediation Council register, and the same drafting work is available from any solicitor.[21][18] The relationship between the two brands is described on Mediate UK.

The premium consent order

The company’s premium consent order is £2,499, stated to include VAT. It is delivered by Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland, solicitors of DFA Law LLP, and includes an initial review of the agreement and the information supplied, a 90-minute facilitated meeting with a mediator described by the company as independent, a memorandum of understanding, a full financial statement, drafting of the order with Form A and D81, submission of the application to the court, responses to the court’s enquiries and a free re-draft and re-submission guarantee.[4] It excludes representation at contested hearings, which a consent order application does not require, and legal advice beyond the scope of preparing and submitting the order unless bought separately.[4]

This is the regulated half of the catalogue: the work is done by solicitors of a firm licensed by the SRA since 1 April 2021 under number 484839.[19][4] The mediator in the 90-minute meeting is supplied by the same company that sells the product; the description “independent” is the company’s own.[4] The regulated products are described on Legal advice packages.

Alternatives

A consent order can be drafted by any solicitor, by another fixed-fee provider, or by the parties themselves; the court does not require that a lawyer prepared it. People who have not yet agreed terms can mediate with any mediator on the Family Mediation Council register, and the MIAM is the first step in that process.[21] People who cannot pay for help may qualify for free assistance from Advocate or Support Through Court, and Citizens Advice publishes free guidance on sorting out money on separation.[22][23][24] Where the couple are not married, the equivalent document is usually a separation agreement rather than a consent order.

See also

References

  1. Online clean break consent order. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £499 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; paralegal-drafted; Form A and D81 included; free re-draft guarantee; states it is suitable only where there is one property, no business and no pension share or spousal maintenance. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  2. About us. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Regulatory statement; SRA number 484839 shown for the solicitors providing legal advice; names the team, including the paralegal as Lucy Nord-Harper. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  3. Complaints we can help with. Legal Ombudsman. States “We can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  4. Premium consent order. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £2,499 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; drafted by the named solicitors; 90-minute facilitated meeting with a mediator, memorandum of understanding, court submission and a re-draft guarantee. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  5. Legal advice: finances, 1 hour. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £299 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; 20-minute telephone consultation with a family solicitor plus a written report; solicitors named as Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland; SRA number 484839 shown. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  6. Consent order package. Mediate UK (Family Legal Ltd). £1,649 plus VAT per person (tier 1) and £1,799 plus VAT per person (tier 2); includes a MIAM, up to four hours of joint mediation, a memorandum of understanding, solicitor drafting, Form A and D81, a pension sharing annex if required and filing; excludes court fees, identity verification and independent legal advice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  7. About ConsentOrder.org.uk. ConsentOrder.org.uk (Family Legal Ltd). States it is “owned and operated by Family Legal Ltd” and “part of a trusted family law group that includes Mediate UK” and Family Law Service. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  8. Costs. ConsentOrder.org.uk (Family Legal Ltd). £499 clean break consent order and £2,499 premium order, both including VAT; £62 court fee stated separately as applying since July 2026; AI Barrister Review £9.50. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  9. Legal Services Act 2007, section 12: meaning of reserved legal activity. legislation.gov.uk. Six reserved legal activities: right of audience; conduct of litigation; reserved instrument activities; probate activities; notarial activities; administration of oaths. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  10. Legal Services Act 2007, Schedule 2: the reserved legal activities. legislation.gov.uk. Paragraph 3 (right of audience) and paragraph 4 (conduct of litigation). Accessed 5 September 2026.
  11. Unregulated legal services: consumer protection law guidance. Competition and Markets Authority. updated 30 January 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  12. Refund policy. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Fourteen-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations; AI Barrister Review non-refundable once purchased except where the report contains significant errors; 50 per cent refund for a McKenzie Friend meeting cancelled in advance. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  13. Fixed fee family law and divorce help. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company home page read 6 September 2026; footer regulatory statement; telephone 0333 339 5505; “All prices include VAT; any mandatory third-party fees, such as court fees, are shown clearly before you buy”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  14. Clean break consent order. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company guide; lists circumstances in which the company says a clean break is not appropriate. 14 January 2026, updated 24 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  15. Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Fee 5.1, application by consent for a financial order, £62; Children Act 1989 application £270; divorce application (fee 1.2) £628. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  16. How much does a consent order cost?. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company guide; states the £62 court fee and gives the company’s estimates of market prices for drafting. 16 March 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  17. Mapping unregulated legal services. Legal Services Board. Identifies thirteen broad areas of law, family law among them, in which unregulated providers operate. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  18. Find a solicitor. The Law Society of England and Wales. Free directory searchable by legal issue, location, language, legal aid and accredited specialism. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  19. Solicitors Register: DFA Law LLP, SRA number 484839. Solicitors Regulation Authority. Licensed body since 1 April 2021, authorised for all legal services; head office 2 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD; no published decisions. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  20. Legal advice packages. Mediate UK (Family Legal Ltd). One Hour Legal £250 plus VAT; Two Hour Legal £335 plus VAT; Memorandum Legal Advice £250 plus VAT; states the first “can be purchased online through our sister company, Family Law Service”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  21. Family Mediation Council. Family Mediation Council. Describes itself as “The home of regulated family mediation”; holds the register of family mediators for England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  22. Advocate: free legal help from volunteer barristers. Advocate. Charity operating since 1996 with about 5,000 volunteer barristers, placing cases across England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  23. Support Through Court. Support Through Court. Charity whose volunteers help people facing court without a lawyer, including completing court forms; does not give legal advice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  24. Family: advice on separation, children and money. Citizens Advice. Free guidance on separating, arrangements for children, money and housing on separation. Accessed 5 September 2026.

This article is part of Family Law Service Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd, the company that trades as Family Law Service. It is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.