How to Fill In Part 1 of Form E: The General Information Section, Field by Field (UK 2026)
Part 1 of Form E looks like simple admin — but the answers here quietly frame every financial section that follows. This is a calm, field-by-field walkthrough of the General Information section, with sample wording, common mistakes, and the smart order to complete it in. England and Wales, updated for 2026.
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Divvio Editorial Team
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Reviewed for consistency with Divvio's Form E product guidance and England & Wales financial remedy process content.
Last updated
Updated 13 May 2026
Reviewed and refreshed when the article or guide is materially updated.
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Part 1 of Form E looks deceptively simple. It is the first thing you fill in, it asks for facts you already know, and most of the boxes look small. But the answers here quietly frame everything that comes later — the date of separation, who counts as a child of the family, your occupation, any health issues, and where you actually live. Get Part 1 wrong, and every later section of your financial disclosure becomes harder to defend.
30m–2h
Typical time to complete Part 1
11
Topic areas covered
3
High-stakes boxes most miss
In short
Part 1 of Form E is the General Information section. It collects facts about you, your spouse, the marriage, the separation, your children, your health, your job, and where you live. Treat it as the context the court uses to read every financial section that follows — and fill it in in a sensible order, not strictly top to bottom. Most people need 30 minutes to two hours, once the marriage certificate and basic paperwork are in front of them.
Who this guide is for
Anyone in England or Wales completing Form E for financial remedy proceedings on divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership — whether you are doing it yourself, working with a solicitor in a limited-scope arrangement, or simply trying to understand what your spouse has filed. We use plain English. We avoid jargon where we can, and explain it where we cannot.
On this page
What Part 1 of Form E actually asks for
Part 1 sits at the very start of Form E. In one or two pages, it asks you to set out the factual backdrop to your financial life right now. Here is the full topic map — what each box is really getting at, in plain English.
Identity
Names, dates of birth, occupations
Yours and your spouse's. So the court can match every document to the right person.
Marriage
Date and place of marriage or civil partnership
When the partnership formally began. Taken straight from the certificate.
High stakes
Whether you are still living together — and the date of separation
One of the most consequential boxes on the whole form. It shapes pensions, contributions, and how the court reads the length of the marriage.
Relationships
New relationship or cohabitation
Including plans to cohabit within the next six months. Affects later budget and housing assumptions.
Divorce progress
Date of conditional order and final order
Only if the divorce has reached that stage. Leave blank or mark "not applicable" if not.
Wider context
Other ongoing court proceedings
For example Children Act applications, occupation orders, non-molestation orders.
High stakes
Children of the family
Wider than biological children — includes stepchildren, adopted children, and any child treated as a child of the family.
High stakes
Health issues with a financial impact
Earning capacity, housing needs, care costs — not a medical history.
Housing
Present and proposed future accommodation
Where you live, who pays, and what you realistically expect to do next.
Support
Other dependants
Anyone else who depends on you financially — a parent, an adult child, another family member.
The exact field numbering can vary slightly between Form E versions, but the topics are consistent. The official Form E Notes (01/23) set out the legal wording for each one.
Why Part 1 matters more than it looks
It is tempting to fly through Part 1 because it feels like an admin form. Three reasons to slow down:
It frames every financial section
The length of the marriage, the children you list, and your housing situation all shape how the court reads the figures later — particularly your reasonable needs.
It sets the tone of your credibility
If Part 1 looks careless — wrong dates, missing children, vague accommodation — the rest of Form E starts on a back foot.
It is the easiest part to get right
Most answers exist on documents you already have. An extra hour here saves disputes later.
⚠ Worth slowing down for
Three Part 1 fields cause more questionnaire follow-ups than the rest combined: the date of separation, the children of the family list, and health issues with a financial impact. If you remember nothing else, take an extra ten minutes on those three.
The smart order to fill in Part 1
Top to bottom is not the calmest order. This is the sequence that works best in practice — easy facts first, then the boxes that need a bit of judgement.
Start with the boxes you cannot get wrong
Name, date of birth, place and date of marriage. These give you momentum.
Settle the date of separation next
It influences how you read the rest of the form — and the pension and contribution arguments later on.
Move to children of the family and accommodation
Both are factual but contain nuance. Get them right before you touch anything subjective.
Slow down for health, dependants, and other proceedings
The wording matters more here than the speed. Frame health in financial terms, not medical ones.
Finish with cohabitation and any free-text boxes
These are easier once everything else is in place.
Calm next step
Think you can probably do this yourself?
Start with the guided Form E flow. You can save your progress, get clear prompts, and work out the documents you need without committing to full solicitor costs.
Field-by-field walkthrough of Part 1
Each field of Part 1, with what the box is really asking — and sample wording you can adapt.
Your name, date of birth, and your spouse's details
Plain and factual. Use the names that appear on the marriage certificate where they differ from the names you use day to day. If your spouse has changed name since the marriage, list both so the documents line up.
Sample wording
"Jane Mary Smith (formerly Jane Mary Brown — see marriage certificate)."
Your occupation
What you actually do for a living — not the most prestigious-sounding version of it. "Self-employed plumber" is fine. "Director of a small consultancy" is fine. If you have recently been made redundant or changed roles, put your most recent occupation and explain the change in the income section later. Do not invent a tidier-sounding title to look better on paper.
Sample wording
"Self-employed graphic designer (sole trader, trading since 2019). Currently working approximately 25 hours per week."
Date and place of marriage or civil partnership
From the marriage certificate. There is no room for interpretation here. If you cannot find your certificate, you can order a copy through the UK government certificate service.
⚠ High-stakes field
Date of separation
This is the most consequential box in Part 1 by some distance. Use the date you and your spouse genuinely stopped living together as a married couple — not the date the divorce was filed, and not always the date someone moved out. You and your spouse may use different dates if you disagree, and that is fine: each of you fills in your own Form E with your own honest answer.
Because this single field can shape pension arguments, post-separation contributions, and how the court treats the length of the marriage, it is worth getting right. Divvio has a dedicated guide: Date of separation on Form E — how to decide, prove it, and why it matters.
Are you in another relationship or cohabiting?
Be honest. If you are living with a new partner — or you plan to within the next six months — disclose it. This box affects budget assumptions later in Form E, because household costs may be partly shared and your future housing picture changes. Hiding it almost never holds up; bank statements, mortgage applications, and household bills usually tell their own story.
Date of conditional order and final order
Only if applicable. If the divorce has not yet reached the conditional order stage, leave the boxes blank or write "not applicable" so it is clear you have not forgotten them.
Are there other ongoing court proceedings?
This is asking whether there are any other family-court matters between you and your spouse — for example, Children Act applications, occupation orders, non-molestation orders, or any other ongoing case. List them briefly, with case numbers if you have them. The court needs to see the wider picture, not just the financial remedy proceedings.
⚠ High-stakes field
Children of the family
This is wider than "biological children of both of you." It can include stepchildren, adopted children, or any child who has been treated as a child of the family — including a partner's child who has been part of the household for a long time. For each one, list the date of birth, current living arrangements, schooling, and any special educational or care needs.
Adult children who are still financially dependent — for example, a child in full-time university education — should usually still appear here. If in doubt, disclose and explain.
Sample wording
"Oliver Smith, born 14 March 2014, currently lives with me Monday–Thursday and with his father Friday–Sunday. Attends Greenfield Primary. No special educational needs."
⚠ High-stakes field
Health issues that affect financial position
The lens here is financial, not medical. If a health condition affects your earning capacity, your housing needs, your care costs, or the children's care, say so. If a condition has no financial impact, you do not need to share medical detail. Keep the language calm and factual: what the condition is, how it affects your ability to work or care for yourself, and what (if anything) it costs.
Sample wording
"I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2021. I am able to work part-time (24 hours per week) but not full-time. Medication and physiotherapy cost approximately £85 per month."
Present and proposed future accommodation
Where you live now, who pays the rent or mortgage, who else lives there, and what you expect to do next. Be realistic about future plans. "Looking for a two-bedroom flat in [area], budget around £X per month" is fine if that is what you are actually doing. Vague promises like "I will eventually find somewhere" tend to weaken the rest of your "needs" case later in Form E.
Sample wording
"I currently live at the former matrimonial home with our two children. Mortgage paid jointly with my spouse. I propose to move with the children to a three-bedroom rental in the same school catchment area, with an expected rent of £1,400–£1,600 per month."
Dependants (other than children)
Anyone else who depends on you financially — typically a parent you support, an adult child who is still being supported, or any other family member. This is one of the most commonly missed boxes, and it can matter in the needs assessment later. If in doubt, disclose and explain.
Common mistakes — and the better approach
Most Part 1 issues come down to the same handful of slips. Here is each one, paired with the better way to handle it.
✗ Common mistake
Treating the date of separation as a guess.
✓ Better approach
Pick the most honest date you can support — and use the same date in Form E, your statements, and any correspondence.
✗ Common mistake
Leaving stepchildren or adult dependants off the children list.
✓ Better approach
Treat "children of the family" as wider than biological — list them and add a short note on the relationship.
✗ Common mistake
Writing a medical history instead of a financial impact statement.
✓ Better approach
Name the condition, then say what it costs you in working hours, housing, care, or pounds per month.
✗ Common mistake
Hiding a new relationship or cohabitation.
✓ Better approach
Disclose if you cohabit now — or plan to within six months. Bank statements and housing applications will usually surface it anyway.
✗ Common mistake
Leaving accommodation plans vague.
✓ Better approach
Tie a real area, property type, and monthly budget to your housing plan. Vague plans weaken the rest of your "needs" case.
✗ Common mistake
Forgetting to mention other proceedings.
✓ Better approach
Flag Children Act, occupation orders, non-molestation orders and any other family case — briefly, with case numbers if you have them.
✗ Common mistake
Not lining up Part 1 with the documents.
✓ Better approach
Cross-check that mortgage statements, payslips, and bank statements agree with the names, addresses, and occupations you have listed.
Before you move on to Part 2 — quick checklist
Run a short check before you leave Part 1. If you can tick all eight, you are ready for the financial sections.
- ✓I have used the same date of separation everywhere — Form E, statements, and correspondence.
- ✓I have listed every child the court might treat as a child of the family.
- ✓I have framed health issues in financial terms, not medical ones.
- ✓My occupation is accurate as of today — not what I would prefer it to be.
- ✓I have been honest about any new relationship or cohabitation.
- ✓I have mentioned every other ongoing court proceeding between us.
- ✓My accommodation plan is realistic, with a rough budget attached.
- ✓The names and addresses match the documents I am about to attach.
The next sensible step is to gather the supporting paperwork — the Form E documents checklist sets out exactly what to collect for each later section.
Make this easier
Prefer structure instead of guessing?
Use Divvio to work through Form E in order, save your answers, and spot the key documents early so the process feels manageable from the start.
Key takeaways
★ Takeaway 1
Part 1 is the factual backdrop the court uses to read every financial answer later. Treat it as serious context, not paperwork.
★ Takeaway 2
Three boxes cause most follow-up: date of separation, children of the family, and health with financial impact.
★ Takeaway 3
Fill it in in a smart order: easy facts, separation date, children, accommodation, then health and dependants.
★ Takeaway 4
The health box is about money, not medicine: explain the financial impact, not the diagnosis.
★ Takeaway 5
"Children of the family" is wider than biological children — stepchildren and adult dependants often belong on the list.
★ Takeaway 6
Line up names, addresses, and occupations in Part 1 with the documents you are about to attach.
Frequently asked questions about Form E Part 1
What does Part 1 of Form E cover?
Part 1 is the General Information section. It collects facts about you and your spouse, the marriage, any separation, children of the family, health, your job, accommodation, and anyone else who depends on you financially. It is the context the court uses to read the financial sections that follow.
How long should Part 1 of Form E take to complete?
For most people, between 30 minutes and two hours — but only after you have gathered the marriage certificate, separation evidence, and a clear view of your children and accommodation. The longest single box, by some distance, is the date of separation if it is contested.
What order should I fill in Part 1 of Form E?
Top to bottom is not the calmest order. Start with the boxes you cannot get wrong (name, date of birth, marriage date), settle the date of separation next, then move to children and accommodation. Slow down for health, dependants, and other proceedings. Finish with cohabitation and free-text boxes.
Do I need to fill in Part 1 the same way as my spouse?
No. Each of you completes your own Form E with your own honest answers. The date of separation can even differ. Where the answers diverge materially, the court resolves it using the contemporaneous evidence.
What if I do not know my spouse's exact date of birth or occupation?
Put your best honest answer and note that it is approximate. You do not need to chase your spouse for trivia. The court is far more interested in your figures and your wider context.
Do stepchildren count as "children of the family" on Form E?
They can. "Children of the family" is wider than biological children of both spouses — it can include stepchildren, adopted children, or any child treated as a child of the family during the marriage. If in doubt, disclose and explain.
Do I have to disclose a new partner on Form E?
If you are living with a new partner, or plan to within the next six months, the honest answer is yes. Cohabitation affects household costs and future housing assumptions, which feed into the financial sections.
How should I write about a health condition on Form E?
The lens is financial, not medical. Explain how the condition affects earning capacity, housing needs, care costs, or the children's care. If a condition has no financial impact, you do not need to share medical detail.
What if my circumstances change after I file Form E?
You have an ongoing duty of full and frank disclosure. If something material changes — a new job, a new partner moving in, a child moving out — update the other party and the court rather than letting the change emerge by accident.
What to read next
Part 1 sets the scene. The financial sections that follow — assets, debts, income, and budget — are where the real numbers come together. Three adjacent reads worth the time:
Deep dive
Date of separation on Form E →
How to decide it, prove it, and why it shapes pensions and contributions.
Checklist
Form E documents checklist →
Exactly what to gather before you start typing figures into Parts 2 to 5.
Honest take
Can I complete Form E myself? →
Where DIY is realistic and where targeted legal advice usually pays for itself.
The full Divvio guide to Form E walks through every part in the same calm order, with a checklist for the documents you will need before you start typing figures into the form.
Related Form E section guides
If you are working through Form E in order, use the main Form E divorce guidance, then move into the section guides for Part 2 financial details, bank statements, pensions, income, liabilities and debts, budget and income needs, other information, and orders sought.
Free checklist
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Every document you need to gather before starting Form E — bank statements, pension CETVs, valuations, income evidence — in one email you can work through.
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