The cost of an uncontested divorce set to rise
Ian Downing, a partner in our family department, outlines the upcoming change:
The Ministry of Justice is proposing to increase significantly the cost of applying for an uncontested divorce, from £410 to £550. No implementation date has yet been fixed, but it is expected to happen in the next few months.
You will be pleased to hear that existing divorces will not be affected, however anyone considering starting a divorce should bear in mind that the cost is likely to rise soon, and probably on very short notice.
The increase is being imposed despite the Ministry of Justice having acknowledged that the cost to the court of handling these divorce proceedings, which are dealt with entirely by correspondence with no court attendance required, is substantially less than the fee currently being charged. With this in mind it would appear somewhat that the court service is using the divorce petition fee to help subsidise other aspects of the court’s work.
The good news though is that the proposed fee of £550 is much less than the increase originally proposed, which was £750, and which was reviewed after substantial opposition from solicitors and consumer groups.
If you are considering a divorce, speak to our specialist team today by calling 01752 203500.
