With little fanfare, and scant if any advance notice, the Court fees payable in family cases have quietly been increased. These changes are cause for concern, both because of the short notice but also because some of the rises are considerable. For example, the fee payable when filing a divorce petition is set to rise on 1 July 2013 from £340 to £410. The fee on filing an application under the Children Act 1989, for example for contact or residence, is set to rise by a much more modest £15, from £200 to £215.
One of my concerns about the short time frame here is that it may lead to petitions or other applications being rejected by the Court due to incorrect fees, leading to delay and increased costs whilst the correct fee is paid.
So, in case it assists, here is the Schedule to the Family Proceedings Fees (Amendment) Order 2013. It will come into force on 1 July 2013, however until then the existing fees will apply.
Image by Imaes_of_Money under a Creative Commons Licence
