Civil Court fees are set to increase from September or October 2021 as the Government seeks an increase of millions of pounds more to fund the £2b+ per year Courts service.
Consultation
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has just opened a consultation period on a proposal to increase court fees by circa 8% right across the board, which would include the Court of Protection.
The income threshold for receiving help with fees is also set to increase from £1,085 to £1,165 for a single person and from £1,245 to £1,335 for a couple.
The Government proposes to increase the fees in line with inflation, but will also seek to backdate any increases to 2016, hence the 8% suggestion.
It is estimated the change will generate up to £17m extra income each year for HM Courts & Tribunals Service, and will reduce the costs pressures on the Treasury for funding the system.
The consultation, issued last month, says that court and tribunal fees brought in a net income of £724m in 2019/20 against the £2bn running costs of HMCTS.
The consultation added:
‘Like other government departments, the Ministry of Justice has a responsibility to assess its costs and deliver savings to reduce the cost to the taxpayer”.
‘Fees are a major source of income for the MoJ and any increases to fees ultimately reduce taxpayer funding required.’
In total, 133 types of fees will increase, but with tribunal fees, probate application fees and fees for judicial reviews in civil courts excluded from this round of increases.
Fees for filing an application for a divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution will increase from £550 to £592, with an application for parental order going from £215 to £232.
In general civil proceedings, the hearing fee for a multi-track court case will increase to £1,174, and for a small claims case the fee will increase to £352.
Link to consultation and proposed fees.