How Much Are Family Court Fees in 2026? What Changed in July
Last updated: 5 November 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: Family court fees in England and Wales went up on 13 July 2026. A C100 application for a child arrangements order now costs £270, a divorce or annulment application £628, a Form A financial order application £321 and a consent order £62. Non-molestation and occupation orders are still free, and Help with Fees can cut or cover the cost.
Key facts | Detail |
|---|---|
What changed | Most family court fees rose, by roughly 2 to 3 per cent |
In force from | 13 July 2026 |
Where it applies | England and Wales (family court) |
The law | Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642), Schedule 3, amending the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008; start date set by SI 2026/665 |
Who it affects | Anyone applying to the family court, including parents, divorcing couples and grandparents |
Source checked | legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK, 5 November 2026 |
What was the law before?
Family court fees are set by the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008, and the Ministry of Justice changes the amounts from time to time by a new order. The last rise before this one came in on 8 April 2025, when the divorce fee went from £593 to £612 and the C100 fee from £255 to £263.
So if you looked up a fee last year, or a friend told you what they paid, the figure you've got in your head is probably out of date.
What changed with family court fees, and when?
The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642) was made on 11 June 2026. It was meant to start on 6 July, but a second order (SI 2026/665) moved the start date back a week, so the new family court fees have applied since 13 July 2026.
Most fees went up by small amounts, roughly 2 to 3 per cent. Here are the ones people ask us about most:
Application | Before 13 July 2026 | From 13 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Divorce, civil partnership dissolution or nullity (annulment) | £612 | £628 |
Judicial separation | £415 | £426 |
C100: child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue order | £263 | £270 |
C79: enforcing a child arrangements order | £263 | £270 |
Form A: financial order (not agreed) | £313 | £321 |
Consent order, or an application by consent or without notice | £60 | £62 |
Application on notice in an existing case (for example C2 or D11) | £190 | £195 |
Appeal from a district judge or magistrates | £142 | £146 |
Adoption application | £207 | £212 |
Non-molestation or occupation order (FL401) | No fee | No fee |
A few things are worth knowing straight away:
The new fees apply to applications made on or after 13 July 2026. If your C100 went in before then, you'd have paid the old £263.
Fees for enforcing a child arrangements order went up too. GOV.UK now gives £270 for a C79 enforcement application, which is the same as a C100. We explain how enforcement works in our guide to enforcement orders in family law.
Applications for protection from domestic abuse, a non-molestation order or an occupation order on form FL401, still have no court fee. If that's what you need, our step-by-step guide on how to apply for a non-molestation order walks you through it.
The fee is only the court's charge. It doesn't include a solicitor, a barrister, a mediator or any expert report, so don't treat it as the full cost of a case.
Step | What to do |
|---|---|
1. Check the fee | Look at the GOV.UK family court fees list (EX50) on the day you apply |
2. Check Help with Fees | Apply online first and put the reference number on your court form |
3. Mediation first | For a C100, go to a MIAM unless an exemption applies |
4. Already paid? | Apply for Help with Fees within 3 months of paying (online or on form EX160) if you were eligible |
How much is a C100 form now?
The C100 is the form for a child arrangements order (who a child lives with and spends time with), a prohibited steps order or a specific issue order. Since 13 July 2026 the court fee is £270.
Before you can apply, you'll usually need to go to a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, known as a MIAM. The MIAM is a separate cost, paid to the mediator, not the court. There are exemptions, for example if you have evidence of domestic abuse or the case is urgent. Our guide to family mediation and the MIAM explains what happens at the meeting and who doesn't need one.
GOV.UK says there's usually a mediation voucher of up to £500 available for cases about children. The scheme is time-limited and the vouchers are limited in number, so ask the mediator whether any are left. The voucher can't be used to pay for the MIAM itself.
If you're filling in the form yourself, take your time over it. A clear, complete C100 helps the court and Cafcass understand the issues from the start. Our guide on how to fill in the C100 form goes through it section by section.
How much does a divorce cost in court fees?
The fee to apply for a divorce, or to end a civil partnership, is £628. You pay it when you apply, and GOV.UK says it isn't refunded once you've been told your application has been issued. You and your spouse can apply jointly, as one application, and neither of you has to blame the other. Our article on no-fault divorce explains how the process works now.
If you're applying jointly and want help with the fee, you both have to apply for Help with Fees. If only one of you qualifies, the full fee still has to be paid.
Asking the court to declare a marriage void or voidable, which is called a nullity application, has the same £628 fee. People often ask us how much an annulment costs, so to be clear, £628 is just the court fee. Our guide to annulments in the UK explains when an annulment is possible at all.
What does it cost to sort out money after a divorce?
Ending the marriage and sorting out the money are two separate steps. If you can't agree, one of you applies for a financial order on Form A, and the court fee is now £321. Once the application has been issued, you'll both have to give full details of your finances, usually on a Form E, before the first hearing. Our guide to completing a Form E shows you what to expect.
If you do agree, you can ask the court to approve your agreement as a consent order, and the fee is £62. That's a big difference, and it's one of the reasons it's worth trying to agree if it's safe to do so. Our guide to consent orders explains what goes in one and how the court approves it.
What does this mean for you?
For most people the rise is a few pounds, not a reason to put off an application. What matters more is paying the right amount, or sending the right Help with Fees reference, so the court can deal with your application without coming back to you.
Here are the practical steps:
Check the current fee on GOV.UK, in the family court fees list (form EX50), on the day you apply.
Check whether you qualify for Help with Fees before you pay. You can apply online and get a reference number to put on your court form, so you don't pay up front.
If you've already paid in the last three months and you think you were eligible, you can apply for Help with Fees (online or on form EX160) to get money back.
If there's an existing case, ask the court office which fee applies to your next application, because applications inside a case have their own fees.
For example, if a father wants to agree new weekend arrangements and the mother agrees, they might be able to put that into a consent order rather than start a fresh dispute. If they can't agree, whichever parent wants the change would usually go to a MIAM, then apply on the C100 with the £270 fee or a Help with Fees reference number.
What mistakes do people make with court fees?
We see the same few slips again and again, and most of them are easy to avoid:
Using a fee from an old printout, an old blog post or a friend's case. Fees changed in April 2025 and again in July 2026, so always check GOV.UK on the day.
Paying first and only then finding out they'd have qualified for Help with Fees. You can still claim back within three months, but it's simpler to apply before you pay.
On a joint divorce, only one of you applying for Help with Fees. You both need to apply, or the full fee is due.
Forgetting that the MIAM is paid to the mediator, so it's on top of the £270 court fee for a C100.
Starting a contested financial application on Form A when you've already agreed everything. If the agreement is fair and you've both given full information, a consent order is usually the cheaper route.
Can I get help with family court fees?
Yes, if you're on certain benefits or have a low income and limited savings. Help with Fees is the government scheme that can reduce or cover a court fee, and it's worth checking before you pay anything. GOV.UK's current figures are:
Savings: under £4,250 if you're 65 or younger and the fee is £1,420 or less (which covers almost every family fee). If you're 66 or older, the limit is £16,000.
Income before tax: £1,420 a month or less if you're single, or £2,130 if you have a partner.
Children: add £425 a month for each child aged 0 to 13, and £710 for each child aged 14 or over.
Benefits: income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), and Universal Credit if you earn less than £6,000 a year.
If your income is a bit higher, you might still get part of the fee paid. You need a separate application for each fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a C100 form in 2026?
The court fee for a C100 application has been £270 since 13 July 2026. It was £263 before that. Help with Fees can reduce or cover it.
Is there a court fee for a non-molestation order?
No. There's no court fee to apply for a non-molestation order or an occupation order on form FL401.
How much does an annulment cost in the UK?
The court fee for a nullity (annulment) application is £628, the same as a divorce. Any legal help you get is extra.
How much does it cost to vary a court order about children?
If you both agree the change, GOV.UK suggests putting it in a consent order and asking the court to approve it. If you can't agree, you can ask the court to decide, and a new application under the Children Act 1989 generally carries the £270 fee. Check with the court which form and fee apply to your case.
Do family court fees go up every year?
Not on a fixed date, but the government reviews them regularly. They went up in April 2025 and again in July 2026, so check GOV.UK each time you apply.
Can I get my court fee back?
You can apply for Help with Fees up to three months after paying if you were eligible when you paid. GOV.UK says a divorce fee won't be refunded once you've been sent notice that your application has been issued.
How we can help
Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm in England and Wales. We're not solicitors and we don't represent clients in court, but we can help you work out which form you need, check your paperwork, and prepare you for each step. Email us at help@incourt.co.uk or use the contact form on our website. You can read what other parents have said about us in our Google reviews.
Related guides
Sources
The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2026 (SI 2026/642), legislation.gov.uk, checked 5 November 2026
The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Change of coming into force) Order 2026 (SI 2026/665), legislation.gov.uk, checked 5 November 2026
The Court and Tribunal Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025 (SI 2025/351), legislation.gov.uk, checked 5 November 2026
Family court fees (EX50), GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
Get help paying court and tribunal fees, GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
Apply for a court order about child arrangements, GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
Change or enforce a court order, GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
File for divorce, GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
Family mediation voucher scheme, GOV.UK, checked 5 November 2026
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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