Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order replaces the Family Proceedings Fees Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/690) and specifies the fees payable for family proceedings in the High Court and in county courts. Some of the fees have increased.

The table below sets out the fee changes and indicates where the fee number has changed.

Number and summary of new fee (for full description see Schedule 1)Amount of new feeAmount of old feeNumber of old fee
Section 1. Fees to be taken in the High Court and in the county courts
1 Commencement
1.1 Filing originating proceedings£130£130No change
1.2 Presenting any petition£210£180No change
1.3 Applying for a non-molestation/occupation order£60£60No change
1.4 Amending a petition£50£50No change
1.5 Filing an answer to a petition or a cross-petition£150£100No change
1.6 Application for an order under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974£30£30No change
2 Proceedings under the Children Act 1989
On filing an application or requesting leave—
2.1 Parental responsibility, guardians, section 8 orders etc

(a)section 4(1)(c) or (3), 5(1), 10(1) or (2)

£120£90No change

(b)section 6(7) or 13(1)

£120£90No change
2.2 Financial provision for children

(a)paragraph 1(1), 2(1), 6(5) or 14(1) of Schedule 1

£120£90No change

(b)paragraph 1(4), 2(5), 5(6), 6(7), 6(8), 8(2), 10(2) or 11 of Schedule 1

£120£90No change
2.3 Secure accommodation

(a)section 25

£150£90No change
2.4 Care, supervision etc

(a)section 31

£150£90No change

(b)section 33(7), 38(8)(b), 39(1), (2), (3), or (4) or paragraph (6) of Schedule 3

£150£90No change

(c)paragraph 11(3) of Schedule 14 where the order subject to the application relates to—

2.4(b)

(i)fees 2.1 or 2.2

£120£90

(ii)fees 2.3 to 2.10

£150£90
2.5 Contact with child in care

(a)section 34(2), (3), (4) or (9)

£150£90No change
2.6 Placement abroad

(a)paragraph 19(1) of Schedule 2

£150£90No change
2.7 Education supervision

(a)section 36(1)

£150£90No change

(b)paragraph 15(2) or 17(1) of Schedule 3

£150£90No change
2.8 Child assessment order

(a)section 43(1)

£150£90No change
2.9 Emergency protection

(a)section 43(12)

£150£90No change

(b)section 44, 45, 46 or 48

£150£90No change
2.10 Recovery of children

(a)section 50

£150£90No change
2.11 Miscellaneous

(a)section 102

£150£90No change
2.12 Appeals

(a)on commencing an appeal under section 94 of the Children Act 1989 relating to provisions to which the following fees apply—

2.12

(i)fees 2.1 or 2.2

£120£90

(ii)fees 2.3 to 2.10

£150£90

(b)on commencing an appeal under paragraph 23(11) of Schedule 2 to the Children Act 1989

£150£902.12
2.13 Interim care/supervision orders

(a)applying for interim care/supervision orders

£30£30No change
3 Adoption and wardship applications
3.1 Commencing proceedings under the Adoption Act 1976£140£120No change
3.2 Commencing proceedings under section 21 of the Adoption Act 1976£140£120No change
3.3 Applying for the exercise of High Court jurisdiction to children£140£120No change
4 Applications in proceedings
4.1 Application for an order without notice or with consent£30£30No change
4.2 Request for directions for trial£30£30No change
4.3 Application on notice£80£60No change
4.4 Application for ancillary relief£210£120No change
5 Appeal from a district judge
5.1 Appeal from a district judge to a judge£80£80No change
6 Searches
6.1 Search in the central index of decrees absolute at Principal Registry£20£20No change
6.2 Search in the central index of parental responsibility agreements at Principal Registry£20£20No change
6.3 Search in the index of decrees absolute at any divorce county court£5£5No change
7 Copy documents
7.1 (a) Copy of first page of a document£1£1No change
7.1 (b) Copy per page for subsequent pages20p20pNo change
7.2 Copy per page of a document supplied by the party requesting the copy20p20pNo change
7.3 Copy document in electronic form£3£3No change
8 Determination of costs
8.1 Request for detailed assessment where party is legally aided or otherwise funded£100£100No change
8.2 Request for detailed assessment hearing where fee 8.1 does not apply or request for hearing date assessment under Part III Solicitors Act 1974£250£160No change
8.3 Request for default costs certificate to be issued£40£40No change
8.4 Appeal against decision made in detailed assessment proceedings£100£100No change
8.5 Application for court approval of certificate of costs£30£30No change
8.6 Application to set aside a default costs certificate£60£60No change
9 Registration of maintenance orders
9.1 Application to register maintenance order£30£30No change
9.2 Application to send maintenance order abroad for reciprocal enforcement£30£30No change
Section 2. Fees to be taken in the county courts only
10 Service
10.1 Request for service by bailiff£30£2011.1
11 Enforcement in the county courts
11.1(a) Enforcement by issue of warrant of execution up to £125£30£3012.1(a)
11.1(b) Enforcement by issue of warrant of execution over £125£50£5012.1(b)
11.2 Further attempt at execution of warrant£20£2012.2
11.3 Application for oral examination£40£4012.3
11.4 Application for garnishee order or charging order or appointment of receiver£50£5012.4
11.5 Application for a judgment summons£90£9012.5
11.6 Issue of warrant of possession or delivery£90£9012.6
11.7 Application for attachment of earnings order£60£6012.7
12 Sale
12.1 Removing or taking steps to remove goodsReasonable expensesReasonable expenses13.1
12.2 Advertising a sale by public auctionReasonable expensesReasonable expenses13.2
12.3 Appraisement of goods5p in the £1 or part of a £1 of the appraised value5p in the £1 or part of a £1 of the appraised value13.3
12.4 For the sale of goods15p in the £1 or part of a £1 on the amount realised by the sale or such sum as the district judge considers justified15p in the £1 or part of a £1 on the amount realised by the sale or such sum as the district judge considers justified13.4
12.5 Stop sale fee10p in the £1 or part of a £1 on appraised value or such other sum as the district judge considers justified plus any sum payable under fee 12.1, 12.2 or 12.310p in the £1 or part of a £1 on appraised value or such other sum as the district judge considers justified plus any sum payable under fee 13.1, 13.2 or 13.313.5
Section 3. Fees to be taken in the High Court only
13 Enforcement in the High Court
13.1 Sealing a writ of execution/possession/delivery£30£3014.1
13.2 Application for oral examination£40£4014.2
13.3 Application for garnishee order or charging order or appointment of a receiver£50£5014.3
13.4 Application for a judgment summons£90£9014.4
13.5 Application to register judgment or order, or for leave to enforce an arbitration award, or for certified copy of a judgment or order£30£3014.5
14 Affidavits
14.1 On taking an affidavit or affirmation/attestation£5£515.1
14.2 For each exhibit referred to in an affidavit£2£215.2

A Regulatory Impact Assessment of the costs and benefits of this Order (and other Orders relating to court fees) was placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament, and is available on the Court Service’s website at www.courtservice.gov.uk/cms/usingthecourts.htm.