Proposed changes to the court fee for divorce has been labelled a ‘tax on divorce’.
The Government have proposed changes to court fees in England and Wales. As part of the consultation the family law group, Resolution, has labelled this a ‘tax on divorce’.
To get divorced you need to issue proceedings in court. It is all dealt with by paperwork and most parties do not attend before a Judge at any point in the proceedings.
The fee is currently £410 but the proposal is for this to increase by 1/3 in July 2016 to £550. The actual cost to the court service is £270, meaning that the court would make a substantial profit on each divorce.
Nicola Whitley, head of family and mediation at Swain & Co says, “A lot of people don’t have £550 available to them. It costs less to get married in the first place. I would be concerned that people will then stay married when they don’t want to. It could put victims of abuse at risk, or even just make people very unhappy knowing they’re still married when they don’t want to be.”
It is possible to apply for fee remission, meaning that if your income is below a certain level you do not need to pay the court fee, or only pay a part of it. You also have 6 months to apply for a refund of a court fee so can do this even if you have already issued your proceedings.
If you are thinking of starting divorce proceedings, call our experienced and friendly team today for some advice: 023 92492967.
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