Court Fees Increase
A further increase in Court fees took effect on Monday 25 July. Various fees have increased and the full details can be seen in the statutory instrument giving effect to the increase and in the updated Form EX50.
Of particular note are the increases in fees relating to the enforcement of orders. The fee for possession of warrant of possession has risen to £121 and in the High Court, the fee for sealing a writ of possession is now £66. There have also been sizeable increases in the fees in Judicial Review claims.
Most of the increases are above inflation rises, which will add to the financial strain on those who require the services of the courts.
In the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) an entirely new fee structure has been introduced which should be simpler and often cheaper.
As is now familiar to court users, these increases have taken effect with the little public announcement, although they have been expected for some time. Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that this will be the final increase in court fees for the time being as the Ministry of Justice continues to suffer funding issues and increased courts fees will continue to be an important source of revenue for the justice system.