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Court Fees Increase March 2024

Thursday March 28, 2024

The Ministry of Justice have proposed an increase in cost to application fees to the Courts of England and Wales, including the Family Courts. These changes will come into force on 1st April 2024.

Court fees play a large role in the overall funding of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The Ministry of Justice say that “implementing increases to court and tribunal fees is vital to our ongoing work to protect access to the courts for all those who seek justice.”*

The most common applications made within Family Law Proceedings are outlined in the table below, highlighting their current fee alongside the proposed increase:

Application	Current fee (March 2024)	Proposed fee (April 2024)
Divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution	£593	£652
Financial Order	£275	£303
Financial Order by Consent	£53	£58
Section 8 Orders e.g., Child Arrangement Order	£232	£255
Special Guardianship Orders	£232	£255
Contact with child in care	£232	£255
Variation/discharge of a Care or Supervision Order	£232	£255

For a full breakdown of the upcoming changes, please follow the below link to the gov.uk website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-increases-to-selected-court-and-tribunal-fees/implementing-increases-to-selected-court-and-tribunal-fees#:~:text=HMCTS%20fees%20were%20last%20updated,and%20services%20affecting%20typical%20households

If you are unable to pay the Court fee, you may be able to apply to the Court for an exemption.

If you wish to obtain further advice in respect of these changes or for advice on whether you may be eligible for Legal Aid, please contact our team of experienced family lawyers who will be able to assist you further.