Court fees are rising again thanks to the Court Fees (Miscellaneous Amendment) Order 2021 ("CF021") which will come into force from 30 September 2021.
CFO21 will mostly be amending and updating the fees listed in Schedule 1 of The Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008. The justification for the increase is to account for historic inflation since the last significant round of fee increases in 2016.
In being linked to inflation, which has been low over the last five years, the scale of the fee increases is not substantial. Furthermore, as will be of some comfort to creditors, issue fees for debt/money claims are unchanged by CFO21.
Yet, the fee increases serve as a further warning as to the ever-increasing costs of litigation. They reinforce the Court's messaging for parties to look to forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution to settle their disputes and to see litigation through the Courts as a last resort.
With a focus on civil and insolvency proceedings, the key fee increases are set out below.
- Hearing fees on multitrack claims rise from £1090 to £1175.
- Small Claims Track hearing fees for claims over £3,000 rise from £335 to £346.
- There appears to be no change to Fast Track hearing fees which stay at £545.
- Fees to Applications On Notice rise from £255 to £275.
- Fees to Applications Without Notice rise or to seal Consent Orders rise from £100 to £108.
- Court fees to issue Bankruptcy or Winding up Petitions rise from £280 to £302.
- The fee for obtaining a High Court writ of control and possession to enforce judgment debts rise from £66 to £71.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
