Court Fees for Claims set to increase from April 2015

In April 2014 court fees were increased across the board.  The Government are now expediting a proposal which will further increase the issue fees for monetary claims, as from April 2015.

The Government’s proposal will see court fees increased for claims of £10,000 and over to a figure which equates to 5% of the monetary claim but with a cap of £10,000.  To illustrate the effects of this:-

If the relief sought in the Claim extends beyond a claim for money (e.g. a claim for an injunction or a declaration) further fees (currently £480 in the High Court and £280 in the County Court) will still be payable in addition to the above figures.

The proposal also seeks to increase the fee for applications.  For a Without Notice or Consent Application the fee will increase from £50 to £100.  The fee for Contested Applications will increase from £155 to £255.  This increase in application fees will apply to all proceedings to include those commenced before the new fee structure comes into force.

There will be a 10% discount on fees if claims are issued on-line using the money claims on-line procedure.

If you wish to avoid being caught by the proposed new issuing fee increases then proceedings need to be issued by 31 March 2015 (it is not clear when in April the proposed new fees will come into effect)

For more information please contact Michael Shapiro, Partner and Head of Litigation at [email protected] or by phone on 020 7822 2222.