When a couple’s financial arrangements are settled by agreement rather than by the court making the decision for them, a draft financial consent order is drafted and agreed and sent to the court for approval.  The draft order has to be accompanied by a ‘statement of information for a consent order’ in which the parties’ respective financial positions and their remarriage or cohabitation plans are briefly explained.  The purpose of the statement is to help the district judge to decide whether the financial arrangements that he is being asked to approve are fair to both parties.

The district judge is required to give careful thought to the draft order.  The making of a financial consent order is not a rubber-stamping exercise.  The statement of information gives the district judge the information that he needs to do the job thoroughly.