The Family Court fees are expected to rise soon, as a result of the Government’s proposal that court fees should increase by up to 10% in 2024. It is anticipated that these changes will happen in April 2024.
The Ministry of Justice has stated 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 aim is to ensure that the courts can be properly resourced, as the increases will generate between £34 million and £42 million a year.
Court fees have not increased since 2021, and the incoming change is to ensure that the courts can keep pace with increased costs, as well as improving service and reduce the taxpayer’s costs. The increased income will also support in subsidising the cost of the free services offered by the family courts.
Prospective changes will include changes to the cost of getting a divorce or civil partnership dissolution, as well as price increases for child arrangements orders, financial orders that are not by consent, and applications for parental orders.
Below we break down the changes.
When the changes come in, the cost of a divorce/civil partnership dissolution application is set to rise from £593 to £652.
Child arrangements orders will also see an increase in cost, rising from £232 to £255. Child arrangements orders are put in place by the court to set out responsibilities regarding children, including their living arrangements and their contact with both parents.
Other children issues will also see the same cost increase, including orders such as Specific Issue Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders and Special Guardianship Orders, as well as applications for parental orders.
The cost of an application for adoption, or permission to apply for adoption will rise from £183 to £201.
A financial order application, not by consent, will see a cost rise from £275 to £303.
In addition, financial consent orders are set to rise from £53 to £58.
The Government website has a full breakdown of all the fee changes.
