Forms ES1 and ES2 — the financial remedy summary forms

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-30

Financial remedy cases (money and property disputes after divorce) moved decisively towards a "judge-led, information-first" model. Two short forms sit at the centre of that: ES1 (summary of case) and ES2 (summary of finances). Both were reissued in updated versions on 20 April 2026. This guide explains what they are and how to complete them well. It is general information, not legal advice.

What the forms do

Form ES1 — financial remedy summary of case. A one-to-two page snapshot of the case: the parties, the issues, each side's position, the key assets, and what order is sought. It lets a judge grasp the case quickly and helps the court decide whether the case genuinely needs a long final hearing
Form ES2 — financial remedy summary of finances. A tabular, side-by-side summary of both parties' assets, liabilities, incomes and pension positions — essentially a structured version of the key Form E numbers, so the judge (and you) can see the financial landscape without wading through full disclosure

Both forms were introduced as part of the Financial Remedies Court "Efficiency" programme, and are now standard expectations in most financial remedy courts, usually filed ahead of the FDR (financial dispute resolution) hearing.

Who completes them

In represented cases, the parties (through solicitors) each complete their sections of the ES2, and typically a joint ES1 is agreed between solicitors
In litigant-in-person cases, you complete your own side — keep it factual, brief and figures-based
The forms travel with the FM5 (statement of position on non-court dispute resolution) and the Form E in the financial bundle

Why the forms matter to outcomes

Courts have been openly critical of financial hearings where the judge spends the first hour reverse-engineering the finances from Form Es. ES1/ES2 filings directly support:

Meaningful FDRs — the neutral judge evaluating settlement needs a clean picture
Case triage — shorter cases can be listed shorter, saving costs and waiting time
Fairness for LiPs — a well-completed ES2 lets a self-representing party stand on equal informational footing with a represented opponent

Completing ES2 well

Take figures from Form E and its attachments — the two must match; any discrepancy needs a footnote explaining why
Use consistent valuation dates for assets (state the date of each valuation)
Present pensions properly — cash equivalent value, and where relevant the pension sharing options; do not lump pensions into "other assets"
Show liabilities clearly, distinguishing joint from sole debts
Flag issues in dispute — for example, whether a property is valued with or without an estate agent's opinion, or whether a business valuation is contested

Completing ES1 well

State the orders sought in one line each — for example "transfer of former matrimonial home to applicant, lump sum of £X to respondent, clean break"
List the issues the court must decide (housing needs? pensions? a company? hidden assets?)
Summarise each side's open position briefly and neutrally
Note any timetable issues — for example a pending sale, or a child reaching 18

Common mistakes

Leaving ES1/ES2 to the eve of the FDR — courts expect them with the bundle, late filing undermines the purpose
Copy-pasting argument from a position statement into ES1 — the forms are summaries, not submissions
Inconsistent figures between Form E, ES2 and oral evidence — the fastest way to lose credibility

Official links

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to HMCTS or gov.uk. This page is general information and is not legal advice.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.