'Follow the Regulations'
Small Claims Court Fees 2018 in the UK
There is a cost to go to small claims court when you make a court claim for money. Even though the costs vary you must pay the court fee at the time you make the claim.
COUNTY COURT CLAIM FEES: There are two ways of making a claim - online or using the paper form.
As a rule, the amount you pay to go to court, and the method used, depends on whether you know the claim amount or not.
The cheapest court fees apply if you use the money claim online service. Making a claim online means the court fees get calculated for you.
When you know the 'specified' amount, the court bases the fee on the amount you claim (plus interest).
You will need to use the paper claim form if you are unsure of the exact amount you are claiming. Even so, you will still need to pay the current court fees when you send a paper claim form.
Thus, you must estimate the amount of your claim and then pay the paper form fee for that estimated amount.
You can calculate the approximation using the table of small claims court fees UK below. For example, estimating a claim between £1,000.01 and £1,500 means you would need to pay £80 in court fees (paper form fee).
Note: Leaving the section marked 'amount claimed' blank results in a court fee of £10,000.
Table of Current Small Claims Fees
| Amount of Money Claimed at the Court | Fee for Paper Form | Fee for Online Claim |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 | £25 |
| £300.01 to £500 | £50 | £35 |
| £500.01 to ٟ1,000 | £70 | £60 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 | £70 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 | £105 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000 | £205 | £185 |
| £5,000 to £10,000 | £455 | £410 |
| £10,000.01 to £100,000 | 5% of the claim | 4.5% of the claim |
| £100,000.01 to £200,000 | 5% of the claim | Paper claim only |
| More than £200,000 | £10,000 | Paper claim only |
Multiply the claim amount by 0.05 to calculate 5% of the claim value. Round the figure down to the nearest one pence (1p) where necessary.
How to Pay Small Claims Court Fee
You will need to pay the court fees for an online claim either by credit card or by a debit card. Using the paper claim form means you need to pay with a postal order or a cheque. Either way, make it payable to 'HM Courts and Tribunals Service'.
Note: There may be extra fees to pay later in the process. There would be a charge for a court hearing and further costs will apply if you need to get a judgment enforced. But, in most cases you can get these fees back after making a claim - assuming you win your case.
Court and Tribunal Fees: England and Wales
There is usually a fee to pay if you go to a court or a tribunal in England or Wales. Those who are receiving a low income, or on certain benefits may be able to get money off court or tribunal fees.
Court and tribunal fees are not the same as legal costs (e.g. charged by a barrister or a solicitor). The amount you pay at a court or a tribunal depends on the actual claim or type of case. There may be multiple small claims fees applied to certain situations (e.g. an application fee and a hearing fee).
- The court fee to get a divorce or dissolve a civil partnership is £550.
- The court-handling fee for getting a legal separation is £365.
- The court fee to claim money owed to you starts from £25.
- The cost of applying for a financial order is £255.
- There is no charge to appeal a benefits decision.
- The cost to apply for bankruptcy is £680.
- There is a fee of £215 to apply for probate.
- Searching the register of judgments costs between £4 and £10.
Note: You cannot pay most of the court and tribunal fees online. An exception is the Money Claim Online service. You will need to pay in person by cash, cheque, or using a debit or credit card. If you pay by postal methods using a cheque you should make it payable to 'HM Courts and Tribunals Service'.
Small Claims Court Interest on Money Owed
The claimant can claim interest on the money owed to you by the defendant. Claiming an 'unspecified' amount means the interest gets calculated for you. But, claiming for a 'specified' or fixed amount of money means you will need to work out the interest yourself.
How to Work Out the Interest Amount
Being owed money by another business means you can charge interest on late commercial payments. But, for the majority of other debts the rate of interest is 8%. There are 3 easy steps to calculate the daily rate of interest for small claims court:
- Determine the yearly interest: Multiply the amount you are claiming 0.08 (for an interest rate of 8%).
- Determine the daily interest: Divide the yearly interest by 365 (or the number of days in a calendar year).
- Calculate the total interest amount: Multiply the daily interest by the number of days the debt is overdue.
An Example: Assume the amount owed is £2,000.
The annual interest would be £160 (2000 x 0.08 = 160).
Divide £160 by 365 to get the daily interest of 43p a day (160 / 365 = 0.438).
Thus, the interest on 60 days of debt would be £25.80 (60 x 0.43 = 25.80).
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Court Claims: Find out how to take someone to small claims court in the United Kingdom.
After the Claim: What happens after you make a court claim for money in the United Kingdom?
At a Hearing: Check the procedures of a hearing taking place in a courtroom or a county court.
Enforcing a Court Order: How to ask the court to collect payment from a defendant or a business.
How to Use Money Claim Online: MCOL is a secure internet based service for claimants and defendants.
Court Fees Small Claim: Calculating Small Claims Court Interest in the United Kingdom
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