Court fees set to rise in April 2024

Court fees set to rise in April 2024

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is an executive agency which is responsible for the administration and delivery of court services within the tribunals and criminal, civil and family courts across England and Wales. HMCTS services are spread over several jurisdictions including the Family Court.  The Lord Chancellor has a statutory duty to ensure that HMCTS has the resources it needs to function efficiently and effectively. Court and tribunal fees play an important role in achieving this, accounting for £727 million of the total £2.3 billion it cost to run HMCTS in 2022/23, with the remaining costs deriving from general taxation.

In line with this thinking, from 1 April 2024 there is going to be an increase in up to 202 court fees, with most increasing by 10%. The last fee increase was in 2021 so three years on, this is of little surprise to family practitioners but could be of huge consequence to users of the family courts.

Amongst the family court fees set to increase are the following:

• Application for a divorce, or civil partnership dissolution will rise from £593 to £652
• Application for a child arrangements order will rise from £232 to £255
• Application for an order by consent will rise from £53 to £58
• Application for a financial order (other than consent order) will rise from £275 to £303

For those with lower incomes or those who are in receipt of state benefits, the ‘Help With Fees’ service remains available. It allows for an applicant to be considered for either a partial reduction of the fee or a full exemption depending upon which criteria the applicant can satisfy.

If you are experiencing a relationship breakdown and are considering which application to make to the Court and how to fund it, our experienced team of Family law solicitors can advise and guide you throughout the process. Contact our Family law team today to book an initial consultation at Kerseys Solicitors in Ipswich at [email protected] or telephone 01473 213311, Kerseys Solicitors in Felixstowe at [email protected] on 01394 834557 or Kerseys Solicitors in Colchester at [email protected] on 01206 584584.

Kerseys Solicitors are just a click away visit our website and click “Call Me Back” and a member of our family law team will be
happy to contact you at a time that is convenient to you.