Government court fees to increase in 2024

On January 26th, the UK government proposed increasing court fees by 10% in a bid to recoup an extra £42 million annually. Following a government consultation on April 2nd, it’s been announced that some court fees are set to rise while others aren't. These changes come into action on 1st May 2024.

What does this mean for divorce and separation?

On January 26th, it was announced that the cost of applying for a divorce was to increase from £593 to £652. However, this is no longer happening.

There are increases across many areas within HMCTS, including Family Court proceedings and some are more relevant to amicable customers than others.

What does this mean for amicable customers?

For amicable customers, the key changes include:

• Application for a consent order from £53 to £58 (an increase of £5)
• D11 Application from £53 to £58 (an increase of £5)

What does this mean for Family Court proceedings?

Here are some of the more relevant increases for Family Court proceedings relating to children and divorce:

• Application for parental order - the court fee will rise from £232 to £255 (an increase of £23)
• Application for a financial order (other than consent order) from £275 to £303 (an increase of £28)
• Application for matrimonial or civil partnership order - £365 to £402 (increase of £37)
• Application for maintenance order - £50 to £55 (increase of £5)
• Application for order for financial provision - £215 to £237 (increase of £22)
• Application for third-party debt order/appointment of a receiver - £77 to £85 (increase of £8)
• Application for charging order - £38 to £42 (increase of £4)
• Application for judgement summons - £73 to £80 (increase of £7)
• Application for attachment of earnings order - £34 to £37 (increase of £3)
• Application for enforcement of a judgement or order (warrant of control against goods) - £100 to £110 (increase of £10)
• On a request or application to register a judgement or order; or for permission to enforce an arbitration award; or for a certified copy of a judgement or order for use abroad - £60 to £66 (increase of £6)

You can find the rest of the increases here.

Why have they increased the court fees for Family Court proceedings?

The original increase of 10% increase in court fees aimed to collect an extra £42 million annually. The proposal aimed to address the funding challenges faced by HMCTS. In 2022/23, court fees contributed £727 million of the £2.3 billion required to operate HMCTS.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is also considering introducing inflation-based increases in court fees every two years, as opposed to unsystematic increases in the past.

The 10% increase was set to acknowledge the current cost of living and was therefore less than the 17.8% rise in the consumer price index (CPI) since the last fee adjustment in 2021.

When was the last increase in court fees?

• Court fee increase in 2016
• Court fee increase in 2021

Find out about these increases here.

If the inflation-based increases occur every two years, the next increase will be in 2026.

How do I get help with fees?

If you're on a low income, you may be entitled to money off the government court fees via the government's ‘Help with Court Fees’ scheme. You can check whether you’re likely to be entitled to a discount on your court fees using our free court fee calculator.

Need any help?

Book a free 15-minute advice consultation with one of our Divorce Specialists to help you understand your options and how the increase in Government court fees may impact your separation.