Court fees set to increase in April for family cases
Court fees set to increase in April for family cases
In early April 2025, and subject to parliamentary approval, the Ministry of Justice is set to increase around 171 court and tribunal fees to account for changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The MOJ states that the income generated from these uplifts will help to support the efficient and effective running of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). The majority of the 171 fees in scope will be increased by 3.2% to reflect the change in CPI between March 2023 and March 2024, with a small number of fees increased by 13.5% to reflect backdated inflation to March 2022. These fee increases are all rounded to the nearest pound.
Some of the rising court fees relate to family law proceedings. The mains one to note are as follows:
| Description | Current | New |
| Application for a divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution | £593 | £612 |
| Application for a financial order (other than a consent order) | £303 | £313 |
| Application for a Consent Order | £58 | £60 |
| Application within existing proceedings where no other fee is specified | £184 | £190 |
| Section 8 orders Children Act 1989 – Child Arrangements, Specific Issue, Prohibited Steps | £255 | £263 |
| Care and supervision order (Section 31 of the Children Act 1989) | £2,437 | £2,515 |
The Help with Fees remissions scheme remains available for those with lower financial means who are unable to afford a court or tribunal fee. Based on various criteria it is possible to ask the court for either a full exemption to the fee or a reduction in the amount of fee needing to be paid. This application should be submitted to the court ideally before incurring the court fee.
As experienced family law solicitors we know the cost of dealing with the breakdown of a relationship or a dispute over the arrangements for a child can sometimes be overwhelming. There are many ways costs can be managed and getting legal advice at an early stage can produce great benefits in the long run.
If you need advice and support with any family law related issue, please contact our experienced family team today to see how we can help Kerseys Solicitors in Ipswich at [email protected] or telephone 01473 213311 or Kerseys Solicitors in Felixstowe at [email protected] on 01394 834557 or Kerseys Solicitors in Woodbridge at [email protected] on 01394 813732 or Kerseys Solicitors in Colchester at [email protected] on 01206 584584 and find out more about our initial consultation process.
