The Ministry of Justice has announced some controversial changes to Court fees to take effect from April 2015.
Despite these changes to court fees, which pay for the Court’s administration costs, luckily the costs of issuing a divorce petition are unchanged.
Initially, the proposal had been to increase the fee from the current £410 to a crippling £750. However, upon announcing the new fees, divorce will remain unchanged for the time being.
Nicola Whitley, Senior Associate Solicitor, says, “I already think that this fee is extortionate. The divorce court fee is more than the register office fee to get married in the first place. I am glad they are staying the same, but that’s not to say this will not be reviewed.”
Our top tip: Check if you are eligible for fee remission. You may not have to pay the court fee, depending on your disposable income, or you may only have to pay part. You can check this here: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/fees
You can save costs by completing the divorce petition yourself but you may wish to have this checked by a Solicitor first, which you can do using our Bronze Divorce package.
This avoids the delays that are unfortunately too common as the court will reject a petition based on the tiniest error.
If you would like to discuss your options and see which fee package suits you best, call our expert team today on 02392 492967 or complete the form here.
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