Individuals and businesses engaging with the UK's justice system face higher costs from July 2026, as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) implements a series of fee increases across HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The planned adjustments will affect a broad spectrum of legal processes, from property disputes and insolvency proceedings to general applications and document requests.
Among the notable changes, the fee for recovering land in the High Court will see an increase from £545 to £559, while the County Court equivalent will rise from £404 to £415. For other remedies sought in the County Court, the charge will move from £377 to £387, and in the High Court, from £646 to £663. These changes reflect the government's ongoing efforts to ensure that the courts and tribunals system is adequately funded, partially through user contributions.
Applications for judicial review are also subject to increases. For instance, permission to proceed with a judicial review will cost £897, up from £874. Similarly, general applications, whether made on notice or by consent/without notice, will see modest increases. A general application on notice, for example, will rise from £313 to £321, while a 'without notice' application will increase from £123 to £126.
Insolvency proceedings will also incur higher fees. A petition for bankruptcy presented by a creditor will increase from £343 to £352, and the cost of other insolvency applications will rise from £318 to £326. Even minor administrative tasks, such as obtaining a copy of a certificate of discharge from bankruptcy, will see a jump from £11 to £14, as will copies of court documents.
Enforcement actions, crucial for ensuring judgments are upheld, will also be impacted. The fee for sealing a writ of control, possession, or delivery in the High Court will go from £80 to £82. Applications for charging orders or third-party debt orders will increase from £135 to £139. These incremental changes, while seemingly small individually, accumulate across the multiple stages of legal proceedings.
The Ministry of Justice regularly reviews court and tribunal fees to ensure they remain appropriate and contribute to the cost recovery of the services provided. These latest adjustments follow a pattern of periodic increases, aiming to balance access to justice with the financial sustainability of the court system.