Our Blogs

We believe we've created the quickest, simplest & best quality divorce solution available

Divorce Advice: Benefits you need to be Exempt from Court Fees

Edit: At time of edit, in 2018, court fees have risen again to £550

Under the court’s fee remission system, a person filing for a divorce will not be required to pay the court’s fees of £410 if they receive one of the following benefits:

Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance;
Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance;
Income Support;
Universal Credit (with gross annual earnings of less than £6,000); or
State Pension Guarantee Credit

It is important to note that any individual that requests that the court forego their fees as a result of them receiving Jobseekers or Employment and Support Allowance must ensure that they are in receipt of said benefits because of their current income levels (i.e. income-based) and not their prior tax contributions (contribution-based).

Furthermore, a letter of evidence (from either Job Centre Plus, the Department for Work and Pensions or the Pension Service), stating that the applicant is in receipt of the relevant benefit and no more than one month old at the time of submission, will need to be sent to the court along with the applicant’s Divorce Petition and a completed EX60 form.

Finally, individuals should also bear in mind that the courts will now no longer waive their fees if the applicant possesses disposable capital that is greater that £3,000. Disposable capital is defined as capital held in any resource that is not essential. So, savings, money held in other financial products, a second home etc. is deemed to be disposable capital. Capital held in your residential home, vehicles (if selling it would leave you or your partner without transport), businesses you may own etc. is not, however.