Do I have to pay court fees if I cannot afford them?

No. UK court fees can be remitted (waived) in whole or in part under the Help with Fees scheme if your monthly income and savings fall below the published thresholds. Apply at gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees using form EX160 (or online). Approval is based on a means test similar to Legal Aid but separate from it. The decision is usually returned within 5 working days.

Are employment tribunal fees still abolished?

Yes. Employment tribunal claim fees were quashed by the Supreme Court in R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51, and no replacement claim fee has been introduced. As at 2026, there is no fee to lodge an unfair dismissal, discrimination, or other employment tribunal claim. The same ruling quashed the Employment Appeal Tribunal fees, which have not been reintroduced, so appeals to the EAT are also free.

Are court fees recoverable from the losing party?

In civil litigation, court fees are usually recoverable as part of the costs award if you win, subject to the court's discretion. In family law and employment tribunals, each party generally bears their own court fees regardless of outcome. In probate and divorce, the fee is paid by the applicant and not recovered.

Did UK court fees change in 2026?

Yes. On 13 July 2026, HMCTS uprated most court and tribunal fees. The probate application fee rose the most: from £300 to £526 for estates over £5,000. The divorce or dissolution application fee rose from £612 to £628, the Form A financial-order fee from £313 to £321, and the Children Act C100 application fee from £263 to £270. A separate reduced fee of £2 applies to copies of probate documents requested alongside the probate application (copies requested later cost £16 each). The figures on this page are the fees now in force.

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Court Fees

UK Court Fees 2026

Current UK court fees from the HMCTS Fees Order. Updated July 2026. These are statutory fees paid to the court, separate from your solicitor's charge.

Court fees rose on 13 July 2026

HMCTS uprated most court and tribunal fees on 13 July 2026. The probate application fee rose the most: from £300 to £526 for estates over £5,000, a 75% increase. The figures in the tables below are the fees now in force.

Probate (estate over £5,000): £300 → £526
Divorce / dissolution application: £612 → £628
Financial order (Form A): £313 → £321
Children Act application (C100): £263 → £270
Copy of a probate document requested with the application: £16 → £2

Headline UK court fees 2026

Service	Fee	Statutory source
Divorce application	£628	Family Proceedings Fees Order (13 Jul 2026 uplift)
Probate (estate over £5,000)	£526	Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2022 (13 Jul 2026 uplift)
Probate (estate £5,000 and under)	Free	Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2022
Copy of grant with application	£2 each	Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2022 (later copies £16 each)
Children Act application (private, C100)	£270	Family Proceedings Fees Order (13 Jul 2026 uplift)
Financial order application (Form A)	£321	Family Proceedings Fees Order (13 Jul 2026 uplift)
Civil claim issue fee	£35 to £10,000	Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008
Employment tribunal claim fee	£0 (abolished by Unison 2017)	R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51
Employment Appeal Tribunal	£0 (fees quashed by Unison 2017, not reintroduced)	R (Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51
Lasting Power of Attorney registration	£92 per LPA	OPG fee schedule

Civil money claim issue fees

Fees to issue a money claim in the County Court or High Court (Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008, as amended):

Claim value	Issue fee
Up to £300	£35
£300.01 to £500	£50
£500.01 to £1,000	£70
£1,000.01 to £1,500	£80
£1,500.01 to £3,000	£115
£3,000.01 to £5,000	£205
£5,000.01 to £10,000	£455
£10,000.01 to £200,000	5% of value
Over £200,000	£10,000

High-value claims attract a 5% ad-valorem fee capped at £10,000. Online money-claim service (MCOL) for sub-£100,000 claims uses the same schedule with a small discount.

Help with Fees: who qualifies for remission

UK court fees can be waived in whole or in part under the Help with Fees scheme. Eligibility is by means test (income + savings). The scheme is administered through the EX160 form or online application at gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees. As at 2026:

Monthly gross income limit (single, no children): £1,420. Add £710 per dependent child.
Savings limit: £4,250 if under 66, £16,000 if 66 or over. Higher for fees of £1,000+.
Universal Credit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support, and Guarantee Credit recipients automatically pass the income test.

The means test for Help with Fees is separate from the Legal Aid Agency means test. You can qualify for one without the other.

Employment tribunals: the Unison position

Employment tribunal claim fees were abolished by the Supreme Court in R (on the application of Unison) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51, which quashed the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 on grounds of access to justice. No replacement claim fee has been introduced. As at 2026, you can lodge an unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, or other employment tribunal claim without paying a fee.

The same Supreme Court ruling quashed the Employment Appeal Tribunal fees in the 2013 Order, and they have not been reintroduced. There is currently no fee to lodge an appeal in the Employment Appeal Tribunal against a first-tier Employment Tribunal decision.

Related guides

Primary source: gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are. See also Help with Fees.