Family court fees (EX50)
Updated 19 January 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50/family-court-fees-ex50
Overview
This guide sets out a selection of family court fees. See the full list of fees charged in the civil and family courts (EX50A).
The full lists of all court fees are contained in statutory instruments (SIs) known as fees orders and can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk
The court fees set out on this page apply to, and are the same in, both the High Court, county court and the family court, unless otherwise stated. Your local court will be able to help you identify any fee not covered here.
Find out how to pay a civil or family court fee, get help with fees or get a refund.
Marriage and civil partnership proceedings
| Type of filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Filing an application for a divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution (fees order 1.2) | £593 |
| Filing an application for judicial separation (fees order 1.3) | £365 |
| Filing an application for a second or subsequent matrimonial or civil partnership order with permission granted (fees order 1.5) | £95 |
| Filing an answer to an application for a matrimonial or civil partnership order (fees order 1.6) | £245 |
| Filing an amended application for a matrimonial or civil partnership order (fees order 1.5) | £95 |
| Filing an application to start proceedings where no other fee is specified (fee order 1.1) | £245 |
| Filing a declaration as to marital status, parentage, legitimacy or adoptions effected overseas (fees order 1.3) | £365 |
Financial orders
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a financial order, other than by consent (fees order 5.4) | £275 |
| Application by consent for a financial order (fees order 5.1) | £53 |
Applications for injunctions – family homes and domestic violence
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a non-molestation order | No fee |
| Application for an occupation order | No fee |
Forced marriage and female genital mutilation protection order applications
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Apply to issue forced marriage or female genital mutilation protection order proceedings | No fee |
| Apply to amend, vary or extend a forced marriage or female genital mutilation protection order | No fee |
Children
The guidance on family court applications that involve children (CB1) provides more information on the types of Children Act applications and who can make them. A selection of the more common applications are set out in this section.
Applications under the Children Act 1989 (fees order 2.1)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Any new applications under the Children Act 1989 to request permission to issue proceedings or for an order or directions to be made concerning the child or children, for example child arrangements order, prohibited steps order, specific issue order or special guardianship order (with the exception of applications for care and supervision orders which are issued by local authorities) | £232 |
| An application for an enforcement order under the Children Act 1989 or an order for compensation for financial loss, due to the breakdown of a child arrangement order | £232 |
| Application to revoke, amend, extend or take action following the breach of an existing Children Act 1989 enforcement order | £102 |
There are 2 instances in the family fees order where £245 is due (proceedings under the Children Act 1989 is not one of them):
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Filing an application to start proceedings where no other fee is specified (fee 1.1 of the family fees order) | £245 |
| Filing an answer to an application for a matrimonial or civil partnership order (fee 1.6 of the family fees order) | £245 |
Applications to issue new proceedings under the Children Act 1989 are defined as any application for an order where there are no proceedings for the child or children currently being considered by the court.
If proceedings under the Children Act 1989 are already being considered for the child or children, the application fee for applications within proceedings will be charged.
An application for enforcement should be made first with a fee of £232 and only thereafter an application for a breach with a fee of £102 can be made.
For more information see Applications within proceedings.
Maintenance orders
For details of the fees to apply for an order to enforce an order for the payment of money, see Family enforcement proceedings.
If you wish to vary an existing maintenance order, see Applications within proceedings.
Adoption
(Fees order 3.1 to 3.3)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for permission, or an order | £183 |
One child or multiple siblings filed together is one fee of £183. If filed separately, and at different times, then there is a fee of £183 each time.
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a placement order (section 22) | £490 |
One child or multiple siblings filed together is one fee of £490. If filed separately, and at different times, then there is a fee of £490 each time.
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Revocation of placement | £183 |
If you are issuing applications for siblings at the same time, you only have to pay one fee.
Children Act and adoption applications
There is only one fee where an application is made or permission is sought under 2 or more provisions of the:
- Children Act 1989
- Adoption and Children Act 2002
- Children and Adoption Act 2006
If the fees are different, the highest fee is paid.
Applications within proceedings
‘On notice’ or ‘with notice’ means the other party has been notified of the application, regardless of whether there is a hearing or not.
‘Without notice’ means the other party has not been notified of the application, regardless of whether there is a hearing or not.
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application on notice where no other fee is specified (fees order 5.3) | £167 |
| Application by consent or without notice where no other fee is specified, for example an application to vacate or adjourn a hearing (fees order 5.1) | £53 |
You do not have to pay a fee if you are applying to prevent the person:
- you have accused of abuse asking you questions at a hearing (EX740)
- who has accused you of abuse asking you questions at a hearing (EX741)
Appeals
| Type of appeal | Fee |
|---|---|
| On filing an appeal notice from a district judge, one or more lay justices (magistrates), a justice’s clerk or an assistant to a justice’s clerk, except appeal against decisions under the Children Act 1989 (fees order 6.1) | £125 |
| Of any provision of the Children Act 1989, except in relation to appeals for breach or revocation of an enforcement order (fees order 2.3 to 2.4) | £215 |
When filing an appeal notice for siblings at the same time, you only have to pay one fee.
Family request for service (fees order 15.1)
| Type of request | Fee |
|---|---|
| Request for service by a bailiff for any document | £45 |
| Request for bailiff service on an application for non-molestation, occupation, forced marriage or female genital mutilation orders made by the applicant or third-party applicant | No fee |
Other family fees including copy documents and costs
Copy documents (fees order 8.1 to 8.2)
If you ask the court to make copies of documents or provide a copy of a document already provided:
| Number or format | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 pages of any document | £11 |
| For every additional page after 10 | 50p |
| Documents provided on computer disk or other electronic format | £11 |
Family determination of costs (fees order 9.1 to 9.5)
| Type of request or appeal | Fee |
|---|---|
| Request for a detailed assessment where the party who files the request is legally aided or funded by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) | £94 |
| Appeal against a decision made in detailed assessment proceedings | £210 |
| Request to issue a default costs certificate | £65 |
| Request or application to set aside a default costs certificate | £110 |
Where the following applications are made, the fee depends on the amount of costs being claimed:
- Request for a detailed assessment where the party filing the request is not legally aided or funded by the LAA
- Request for a hearing date for the assessment of costs following an order under part 3 of the Solicitors Act 1974
| Value of the costs claimed | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | £335 |
| £15,000.01 to £50,000 | £675 |
| £50,000.01 to £100,000 | £1,005 |
| £100,000.01 to £150,000 | £1,345 |
| £150,000.01 to £200,000 | £1,680 |
| £200,000.01 to £300,000 | £2,520 |
| £300,000.01 to £500,000 | £4,200 |
| More than £500,000 | £5,600 |
Family enforcement proceedings
You can issue enforcement proceedings if the court has ordered someone to pay you a sum of money or to return your goods, property or land and they have not done so.
Method of enforcement as the court may consider appropriate (fees order 5.1)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application in the family court for an order for such method of enforcement as the court may consider appropriate | £53 |
Order to obtain information from a debtor (fees order 12.1)
| Type of application or request | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for an order for a debtor or other person to attend court to provide information | £54 |
| Request bailiff service of an order for a debtor to attend court for questioning | £100 |
Attachment of earnings (fees order 12.5)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for an attachment of earnings order | £34 |
There is a fee for each defendant against whom the order is requested.
Charging order (fees order 12.3)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a charging order | £38 |
There is a fee for each charging order applied for.
Judgment summons (fees order 12.4)
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a judgment summons | £73 |
Third-party debt order
| Type of application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for a third-party debt or garnishee order/appointment of receiver (fees order 12.2) | £77 |
| Application for enforcement of a judgement or order (fees order 13.1) | £100 |
For a third-party debt or garnishee order/appointment of receiver, there is a fee for each party against whom the order is requested.
Warrant of control fees
| Type of warrant | Fee |
|---|---|
| Request for enforcement of a warrant at a new address (fees order 13.2) | £30 |
| Issue for a warrant of possession or a warrant of delivery (fees order 13.3) | £119 |
| To issue a warrant of control to recovery of a sum of money (fees order 13.1) | £100 |
Enforcement in the High Court (fees order 14.1 to 14.2)
| Type of enforcement | Fee |
|---|---|
| Sealing a writ of control, possession or delivery | £60 |
| Request or apply to register a judgment or order | £60 |
Searches
(Fees order 7.1 to 7.3)
Index of decrees absolute or final orders
On a search of the index for any specified period of 10 calendar years or the 10 most recent years.
| Type of search | Fee |
|---|---|
| Search of the national central index of decrees absolute and final orders | £65 |
| Search of the national central index of parental responsibility agreements | £45 |
| Search of any specific family court or district registry index of decrees absolute and final orders | £45 |
The fee includes a copy of the agreement, if appropriate.