The divorce process has always been fraught with expense and stress as ex spouses are forced to contend with the financial and emotional burden of the end of their marriage. Unfortunately this expense is set to increase by around a third as the Ministry of Justice announce plans to increase the cost of divorce by £140. Likewise, those applying for a decree of nullity will also be required to pay the new court fee of £550.
Although it is doubtful any rise in the cost of divorce fees will be welcomed by separating couples, it is a far more palatable increase than the 880% increase outlined in proposals in 2013.
As always, a concern with any increase to court fees is how they will affect the most vulnerable and low wage households. Victims of domestic violence and lower income households will still be able to apply for a whole or part fee remission of the court fee.
It is not the just the family courts that will witness a rise in fees as the civil courts will also experience a similar increase. Those pursuing civil proceedings will see a 10 percent lift to a range of fees from general applications to issuing possession claims.
The Ministry of Justice have maintained in a statement that the rise in fees is necessary if the courts are to continue to effectively provide justice for all. It is anticipated that an increase in legal costs across the private sector will generate an extra £60,000,000 a year in funds.
Here at Farleys our expert family law solicitors are regarded as experts in what is considered a highly technical area of law. No matter what your reasons for divorce, no matter what the situation, the team at Farleys possess the necessary skills and expertise to ensure satisfactory divorce settlements are reached. For further information please don’t hesitate to call 0845 050 1958, or email us today.