Guidance

Pay a civil or family court fee, get help with fees or get a refund

Updated 12 November 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50/pay-a-civil-or-family-court-fee-get-help-with-fees-or-get-a-refund

Overview

You may need to pay a fee if you use a civil or family court service, such as making or responding to an application. The fee you pay depends on the type of service and the area of law in which the service operates.

Civil and family courts provide many services and fees. For the main fees, see:

To see the full list, visit Fees in the civil and family courts – full list.

Pay a court fee

You will usually need to pay your court fee upfront when you first start the process of using the service – such as when you submit your application. The guidance for the service or the form may tell you that you need to pay the fee at another time.

Ways to pay

Depending on the service, you can pay a court fee:

  • online
  • by phone with a debit or credit card
  • in person by cheque, cash, debit or credit card – you may need to book an appointment
  • by post with a cheque
  • with your HMCTS Payment by Account (PBA) number, if you are a legal professional

You must pay fees online when you use an online service, for example to make a court claim for money.

If paying with a cheque in person or by post, make it payable to ‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service’. If the cheque does not clear, the court will take steps to recover the money and your case may be delayed or dismissed.

How you can pay for a service should be clear in the guidance or the form. If you are unsure, ask the court how you can pay, where to send postal payment or the number to pay by phone. Find out about call charges.

Online services

You can use either of these simple, convenient and secure processes to pay a fee online by debit or credit card.

Get help to pay

You may not have to pay a fee, or you may get some money off, if you:

  • have little or no savings and investments
  • get certain benefits
  • have a low income

Find out if you are eligible and how to apply for help with fees

Get a fee refund

You may be entitled to a refund on a court fee if you need to cancel the application, claim or other undertaking and the court has not yet processed it.

For example, if you have made a court claim for money and the defendant has since settled, you can request a refund of the fee if the court has not yet issued the claim.

You may also be entitled to a refund if:

  • the court has mistakenly processed the claim or application after you have made the request to cancel it
  • you have paid for a service online and the payment has been taken more than once because of system error

Contact the court immediately if you want to cancel a court service.

To apply for a refund, write to or email the appropriate business or service centre. You must explain why you think you should have a refund. You must also apply for the refund as soon as possible after you have paid the fee.

If you have paid by cheque or with a credit card, do not cancel the payment as this may lead to the court pursuing the fee as a civil debt.

Business and service centres

Civil cases

Civil National Business Centre
St Katharine’s House
21 to 27 St Katharine’s Street
Northampton
NN1 2LH

Email: contactocmc@justice.gov.uk
Phone: 0300 123 1056

Family cases

Adoption or child arrangements

Contact your local or regional family centre – search by postcode.

Divorce or civil partnership

HMCTS Divorce and Dissolution Service
PO Box 13226
Harlow
CM20 9UG

Email: divorcecase@justice.gov.uk

Financial remedy

Contact your regional financial remedy centre.

Probate

HMCTS Probate
PO Box 12625
Harlow
CM20 9QF

Email: contactprobate@justice.gov.uk

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