His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is proposing to increase over 200 court and tribunal fees by 10% from May 2024 to generate between £34 million and £42 million additional funding a year. The government is planning to make inflation-based increases occur every two-years.
Courts affected include:
- Civil Courts (including the County Court and High Court)
- Magistrates’ Courts
- Family Courts
- Probate Registry
- Court of Protection
- Tribunals (including the General Regulatory Chamber in relation to gambling, the Lands Chamber, the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (Upper Tribunal only) and the Property Chamber)
Examples of the proposed increases include:
- application for a grant of probate for an estate worth over 5000 GBP rising from £273 to £300 (an increase of £27);
- recovery of land (County Court) rising from £355 to £391 (an increase of £36);
- a rights of light application will rising from £1,320 to £1,452 (an increase of £132).
The government had a change of heart on raising divorce fees after being told higher fees could force couples to remain in unhappy or abusive relationships, and has confirmed that divorce application fees will remain at £593.
The full list of the 202 proposed fee changes can be found here
