Guidance

HMCTS weekly update

A weekly summary of the latest HM Courts and Tribunals Service operational position for users. We aim to update this every Friday at 4pm.

We email our ‘HMCTS Update’ to our subscribers on Sunday evenings. Subscribe to receive our email alerts

Follow us on Twitter to check for daily or urgent updates.

HMCTS Update for week commencing Monday 4 December 2023

The next weekly operational summary will be issued on Friday 8 December 2023.

General

Improving accessibility and reasonable adjustments at court

Our latest blog explains how we’re improving accessibility at court and working to facilitate reasonable adjustments to support users’ needs.

This work aims to ensure that everyone has access to court and tribunal services and can participate easily and effectively.  

Read our blog

Civil

‘Help with Fees’ expansion

The ‘Help with Fees’ scheme has now expanded. We’ve updated our guidance accordingly, as well as online and paper applications to make them easier to complete, including by legal representatives and litigation friends.

Guidance is still available where an application relates to a fee paid before 27 November 2023. Applications submitted before then will be processed using the old scheme.  

Get help paying court fees

Online Civil Money Claim service updates

Legal professionals using the Online Civil Money Claims service can now issue a claim against a litigant in person and the claim will remain online. This will allow more cases to remain in the digital process.

Claims can now be issued up to £25,000, where the claimant is represented and the defendant is unrepresented.

Unrepresented defendants can also respond digitally to claims in Welsh for the first time in the service.

To use these new features, legal professionals must be registered on MyHMCTS.

Sign up to MyHMCTS

Family

The Justice Committee’s probate inquiry

The Justice Committee has launched a new inquiry into probate around timeliness of processing applications. The inquiry will examine people’s experiences of applying for probate including how effectively beneficiaries, executors and the bereaved are supported through the process and protected from rogue traders.

You can submit your evidence until 22 January 2024. 

Submit your evidence

Tribunals

Leeds Employment Tribunal relocation

Leeds Employment Tribunal will soon be moving to Westgate, Grace Street which will provide eight modern courtrooms over three floors.  Staff will move to the new site from City Exchange, which previously dealt with work. Cases will be listed from Tuesday 5 December. 

Find out more information

Previous editions

Published 21 May 2021
Last updated 1 December 2023 + show all updates
  1. New edition added for week commencing Monday 4 December 2023

  2. Update for week commencing Monday 27 November published.

  3. Update for week commencing Monday 20 November published.

  4. Update for week commencing Monday 13 November published.

  5. Update for week commencing Monday 6 November 2023 published.

  6. Update for w/c 30 Oct 2023 published.

  7. Update for week commencing Monday 23 October published.

  8. Update for week commencing Monday 16 October published.

  9. Update for week commencing Monday 9 October 2023 published.

  10. Weekly updated for w/c 2 October 2023 added.

  11. Update for week commencing Monday 25 September published.

  12. Update for week commencing Monday 18 September published.

  13. Updated for week commencing Monday 11 September.

  14. Update for week commencing Monday 4 September published.

  15. Update for week commencing Monday 28 August published,

  16. Updated for week commencing 21 August 2023

  17. Updated for week commencing Monday 14 August 2023

  18. Updated for week commencing 7 August 2023

  19. Updated for week commencing 31 July 2023

  20. Updated for week commencing 24 July 2023

  21. Update for week commencing Monday 17 July published.

  22. Update for week commencing Monday 10 July 2023 published.

  23. Updated for week commencing 3 July 2023

  24. Updated for week commencing 26 June 2023

  25. Updated for week commencing 19 June 2023

  26. Updated for week commencing Monday 12 June 2023

  27. Updated for Week Commencing 5 June 2023

  28. Updated for week beginning Monday 29 May 2023.

  29. Updated for week beginning Monday 22 May 2023.

  30. Updated for week beginning Monday 15 May 2023.

  31. Updated for week beginning Monday 1 May 2023.

  32. Updated for week commencing Monday 24 April 2023

  33. Updated for week beginning 17 April 2023.

  34. Updated for week commencing Monday 10 April 2023.

  35. Updated for week beginning Monday 3 April 2023.

  36. Updated for week commencing Monday 27 March 2023

  37. Updated for week beginning 20 March 2023.

  38. Updated for week beginning Monday 13 March 2023.

  39. Updated for week commencing Monday 6 March 2023.

  40. HMCTS Update week commencing 27 Feb 2023 added.

  41. Updated for week beginning 20 February 2023.

  42. Updated for week beginning Monday 13 February 2023.

  43. Updated for week beginning 6 February 2023.

  44. Update for week commencing Monday 30 January published.

  45. Update for week commencing Monday 23 January published.

  46. Update for week commencing Monday 16 January 2023 published.

  47. Update for week commencing Monday 9 January 2023 published.

  48. Update for week commencing Monday 2 January 2023 published.

  49. Added translation

  50. Update for week commencing Monday 19 December 2022 published.

  51. Updated for week beginning 12 December 2022.

  52. Update for week commencing Monday 5 December 2022 published.

  53. Update for week commencing Monday 28 November 2022 published.

  54. Added translation

  55. Update for week commencing Monday 21 November 2022 published.

  56. Update for week commencing Monday 14 November published.

  57. Update for week commencing Monday 7 November published.

  58. Added translation

  59. Update for week commencing Monday 31 October 2022 published.

  60. Added translation

  61. Added translation

  62. Update for week commencing Monday 24 October published.

  63. Updated for week commencing 17 October.

  64. Added translation

  65. Updated for week commencing Monday 10 October 2022.

  66. Updated for week commencing Monday 3 October 2022.

  67. Updated for week commencing Monday 26 September 2022.

  68. Added translation

  69. Update for week commencing Monday 5 September 2022 published.

  70. Update for week commencing Monday 29 August 2022 published.

  71. Update for week commencing Monday 22 August 2022 published.

  72. Update for week commencing Monday 15 August 2022 published.

  73. Added translation

  74. Update for week commencing Monday 8 August 2022 published.

  75. Update for week commencing Monday 1 August 2022 published.

  76. Update for week commencing Monday 25 July 2022 published.

  77. Update for week commencing Monday 18 July 2022 published.

  78. Added translation

  79. Update for week commencing Monday 11 July 2022 published.

  80. Updated for week commencing Monday 4 July.

  81. Update for week commencing Monday 27 June 2022 published.

  82. Operational update on bar action added.

  83. Update for week commencing Monday 20 June 2022 published.

  84. Update for week commencing Monday 13 June 2022.

  85. Update for week commencing Monday 6 June 2022 published.

  86. Update for week commencing Monday 30 May 2022 published.

  87. Update for week commencing Monday 23 May 2022 published.

  88. Added translation

  89. Update for week commencing Monday 16 May 2022 published.

  90. Update for week commencing Monday 9 May 2022 published.

  91. Update for week commencing Monday 2 May 2022.

  92. Added translation

  93. Update for week commencing Monday 25 April 2022 published.

  94. Added translation

  95. Update for week commencing Monday 18 April 2022 published.

  96. Update for week commencing Monday 11 April 2022 published.

  97. Added translation

  98. Update for week commencing Monday 4 April 2022 published.

  99. Added translation

  100. Update for week commencing Monday 28 March 2022 published.

  101. Added translation

  102. Update on Common Platform added.

  103. Update for week commencing Monday 21 March 2022 published.

  104. Added translation

  105. Update for week commencing Monday 14 March 2022 published.

  106. Added translation

  107. Added translation

  108. Update for week commencing Monday 7 March 2022 published.

  109. Added translation

  110. Update for week commencing Monday 28 February 2022 published.

  111. Added translation

  112. Update for week commencing Monday 21 February 2022 published.

  113. Added translation

  114. Update for week commencing Monday 14 February 2022 published.

  115. Added translation

  116. Update for week commencing Monday 7 February 2022 published.

  117. Update for week commencing Monday 31 January 2022 published.

  118. Added translation

  119. Update for week commencing Monday 24 January 2022 published.

  120. Added translation

  121. Update for week commencing Monday 17 January 2022 published.

  122. Update for week commencing Monday 10 January 2022 published.

  123. Added translation

  124. Update for week commencing Monday 3 January 2022 published.

  125. Update for week commencing Monday 20 December 2021 published.

  126. Added translation

  127. Update for week commencing Monday 13 December 2021 published.

  128. Update for week commencing Monday 6 December 2021 published.

  129. Added translation

  130. Update for week commencing Monday 29 November published.

  131. Added translation

  132. Update for week commencing Monday 22 November 2021 published.

  133. Added translation

  134. Update for week commencing Monday 15 November published.

  135. Page updated with changes to HMCTS operations for week commencing 8 Nov 2021.

  136. Update for week commencing Monday 1 November 2021 published.

  137. Added translation

  138. Update for week commencing Monday 25 October published.

  139. Update for week commencing Monday 18 October 2021 published.

  140. Added translation

  141. Update for week commencing Monday 11 October 2021 published.

  142. Update for week commencing Monday 4 October 2021 published.

  143. Added translation

  144. Update for week commencing Monday 27 September published.

  145. Added translation

  146. Update for week commencing Monday 20 September 2021 published.

  147. Added translation

  148. Update for week commencing Monday 13 September published.

  149. Update for week commencing Monday 6 September 2021 published.

  150. Added translation

  151. Update for week commencing Monday 30 August 2021 published.

  152. Added translation

  153. Updated for week commencing Monday 23 August 2021.

  154. Welsh translation added.

  155. Update for week commencing Monday 16 August 2021 published.

  156. Added translation

  157. Update for week commencing Monday 9 August 2021 published.

  158. Added translation

  159. Update for week commencing Monday 2 August 2021 published.

  160. Added translation

  161. Update for week commencing Monday 26 July 2021 published.

  162. Added translation

  163. Updated COVID guidance pages added.

  164. Update for week commencing Monday 19 July 2021 published.

  165. Added translation

  166. Update for week commencing Monday 12 July published.

  167. Added translation

  168. Update for week commencing Monday 5 July 2021.

  169. Added translation

  170. Update for week commencing Monday 28 June 2021 published.

  171. Added translation

  172. Update for week commencing Monday 21 June 2021 published.

  173. Added translation

  174. Update for week commencing Monday 14 June 2021 published.

  175. Added translation

  176. Update for week commencing Monday 7 June 2021 published.

  177. Update for week commencing Monday 31 May 2021 published.

  178. Added translation

  179. Added line on operational status of courts in areas where COVID19 variant is spreading.

  180. First published.