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The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has announced that from 1 April 2025, 171 court and tribunal fees will increase, subject to parliamentary approval.
The increases — which will bring fees in-line with the change in Consumer Price Index of 3.2% between March 2023 and March 2024 — are intended to support the running of the notoriously underfunded His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), after remaining unchanged since 2021.
Here, family lawyer Debbie Heald explains which Family Court fees will be affected and how individuals with lower financial means can seek support to access justice.
Which Family Court fees will be affected?
It’s proposed that over 60 Family Court fees will be increasing from 1 April, with the most notable being:
- Applications to commence divorce proceedings, nullity proceedings or civil partnership dissolution proceedings — fee to increase from £593 to £612.
- Applications to commence financial remedy proceedings to determine the financial claims stemming from a marriage or civil partnership where agreement can’t be reached — fee to increase from £303 to £313.
- Applications for Financial Orders to formalise agreements — fee to increase from £58 to £60.
- Applications for Orders under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 (Child Arrangements Order, Prohibited Steps Orders & Specific Issue Orders) — fee to increase from £255 to £263.
- General applications within proceedings on notice to the other party (D11) — fee to increase from £184 to £190.
Why are Family Court fees rising?
It’s hoped that the proposed fee increases will produce much-needed additional funding required by HMCTS for service delivery improvements as well as to subsidise the cost of related court and tribunal services for which no fee is levied.
While the practical implications will of course not be seen for some time, the marginal increases proposed by the MOJ are unlikely to have a significant impact on user experience given the current backlogs and consequential delays.
It therefore remains the case that there’ll be a heavy focus on Non-Court (Alternative) Dispute Resolution (where appropriate) in family cases.
Help with Fees
The Help with Fees remission scheme will remain in place to support those with lower financial means to access justice. The scheme can provide a full or partial fee remission either before the application is made to the Court or for up to three months after the fee was paid.
Talk to us
Our award-winning family lawyers are here to support you and your family through life’s critical and unexpected moments. We’re happy to advise you on the options when it comes to funding legal proceedings.
Talk to us by giving us a call on 0333 004 4488, sending us an email at family@brabners.com or completing our contact form below.
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