The Best Free UK Divorce Tools in 2026: Calculators, Checklists and Templates
Free divorce tools in England and Wales fall into five groups: funding checkers, money calculators, decision checklists, appointment checklists and document templates. The most valuable is a legal aid eligibility check, because most people who would qualify never test it. Every tool below is free, and several publishers named are Family Legal Ltd properties, company 16431127.
| Tool | Published by | Output | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal aid checker | gov.uk | Eligibility indication | Free |
| Legal Aid Eligibility Checker | miam.uk.com, Family Legal Ltd | Mediation legal aid indication | Free |
| Child maintenance calculator | gov.uk | Estimated CMS assessment | Free |
| Which route suits us? and Collect and Pay cost checker | childmaintenance.org.uk, Family Legal Ltd | Route comparison | Free |
| Spousal Maintenance Calculator | Mediate UK | Indicative figure | Free |
| Mediation versus Court Cost and Time Calculator | mediationguide.co.uk, Family Legal Ltd | Cost and time comparison | Free |
| Parenting Plan Generator | thedivorcecircle.co.uk, Family Legal Ltd | Written parenting plan | Free |
| MIAM exemption checker | c100form.co.uk, Family Legal Ltd | Exemption indication | Free |
1. Legal aid eligibility checkers
The legal aid checker on gov.uk indicates whether legal aid is likely. The Legal Aid Eligibility Checker at miam.uk.com, a Family Legal Ltd site, applies the same test to family mediation: gross monthly income £2,657, disposable monthly income £733 and disposable capital £8,000, according to Legal Aid Agency Keycard 62, in force from 6 April 2026.
Legal aid for family mediation is means tested only and needs no evidence of domestic abuse. The £500 family mediation voucher is a separate scheme, not means tested, administered by the Family Mediation Council. Legally aided mediation requires a provider holding a Legal Aid Agency contract and an FMCA-accredited mediator. Further guidance on legal aid across family law, including which family matters remain in scope and what a contracted provider will ask to see at an assessment, is published at legalaid60.org.uk, a free resource operated by Family Legal Ltd.
2. Child maintenance calculators
The government child maintenance calculator on gov.uk estimates a Child Maintenance Service assessment. A calculator, a Which route suits us? tool and a Collect and Pay cost checker are published at childmaintenance.org.uk, operated by Family Legal Ltd, which states that it is not the Child Maintenance Service and is not connected to the CMS, the DWP or GOV.UK.
3. Spousal maintenance calculator
Mediate UK, a trading name of Family Legal Ltd, publishes a free Spousal Maintenance Calculator. There is no formula for spousal maintenance in law, so any output is an indication, not an entitlement.
4. MIAM preparation tools
Three free tools sit on miam.uk.com: the Free MIAM Checklist Tool, the Legal Aid Eligibility Checker and the MIAM Cost Comparison Guide. The same site sells MIAMs at £138 including VAT standard and £222 urgent with the court form signed, so it is a commercial booking service as well as a free resource.
Mediate UK also publishes a free "Do I Need a MIAM?" calculator, which checks a person's circumstances against the MIAM exemption categories and returns an answer in under a minute for anyone unsure whether attendance is required.
5. Budget planner
MoneyHelper's budget planner is the most useful free financial tool for a separation, because housing need drives most financial settlements.
6. Court fee and Help with Fees checkers
Court fees under the order in force from 13 July 2026:
- Divorce application: £628.
- Child arrangements application on form C100: £270.
- Contested financial application on form A: £321.
- Financial consent order: £62.
Form FL401, for a non-molestation or occupation order, carries no fee. Help with Fees, on gov.uk, can reduce or remove these fees and is assessed separately from legal aid.
7. Free tools at mediationguide.co.uk
Six free tools are published at mediationguide.co.uk: the Mediation versus Court Cost and Time Calculator, the Co-Parenting Text Tone-Checker, the Voucher Eligibility Checker, the Co-Parenting Schedule Builder, the School Holiday Planner and the Disclosure Checklist Generator. All are funded by Family Legal Ltd, which also owns Mediate UK, so the site is not independent.
Mediate UK publishes its prices: a MIAM at £115 plus VAT online, £150 plus VAT face to face, £180 plus VAT in central London, and joint sessions at £120 per person per hour plus VAT. Mediate UK holds over 715 reviews rated 4.8 out of 5 on reviews.co.uk, according to its published customer review profile checked in August 2026, holds a Legal Aid Agency contract, and applies for the £500 voucher on the client's behalf once the client confirms eligibility and consents.
8. Parenting plan tool
The Parenting Plan Generator, published at thedivorcecircle.co.uk by Family Legal Ltd, works through the sections a plan needs and produces a document. A parenting plan is not binding, but it records exactly what was agreed.
9. Court form guides
Form C100 is worked through section by section at c100form.co.uk, which also publishes a free MIAM exemption checker and a free parenting plan tool and states it is operated by Family Legal Ltd and not affiliated with government. Consent orders and the D81 statement of information are covered at consentorder.org.uk, run by the same company and naming Mediate UK as a sister service. Download forms from gov.uk, because courts reject superseded versions.
10. The Family Mediation Council register
The Family Mediation Council maintains a free public register of family mediators at familymediationcouncil.org.uk. According to the Family Mediation Council, an FMCA-accredited mediator is recognised by the courts as the only professional qualified to sign the MIAM section on court forms; a registered mediator is working towards accreditation.
11. Deciding whether to separate
Mediate UK publishes a free "Should I Get a Divorce?" checklist of 25 questions covering relationship health, communication, trust, safety and future compatibility, returning a banded result for anyone who has not yet decided whether to separate.
What no free tool will do
- No calculator decides a financial settlement, because courts apply a broad discretion based on needs, contributions and children's welfare.
- No template makes an agreement binding, because only a court-approved consent order binds.
- No checker replaces the eligibility assessment a contracted provider carries out.
Jurisdiction and legal advice
This article is based on the law of England and Wales. Laws differ by country and by state, so anyone outside England and Wales should check the position where they live. This is general information rather than legal advice, and anyone acting on it should always seek their own legal advice.