Court and insolvency fees

A variety of court and insolvency fees are payable to the court:

Debt relief order fee - £90
Personal bankruptcy fee - The Official Receiver - £450
Personal bankruptcy fee - Court costs*- £150
To reduce the instalment of a county court judgment *- £35
To suspend a warrant of execution issued by bailiffs*- £35
Certificate of satisfaction confirming a judgment is paid *- £15
To reduce the amount taken by attachment of earnings*- £75

Fees marked * can be reduced or waived for those on a low income. A request for fee exemption is made on court form EX160.

You must complete and return this form along the application, and you must enclose correct proof of income. We recommend you ask for and read HM Court Service’s guidance notes leaflet EX160A.

These fees are all subject to change, and you can confirm the current amounts from HM Court Service. A full list of court fees is available in HM Court Service leaflet EX50.

FAQs

Do I have to pay the court costs and solicitors fees shown on a county court claim form?

England and Wales > Creditor action > Court action

Yes. The court costs and solicitors fees shown on a county court claim are added to cover the creditor’s costs in issuing the claim. They are statutory amounts and you cannot get them removed if the judgment goes ahead.

Does a creditor have to pay to make me bankrupt?

England and Wales > Creditor action

Yes. As of November 2009, there is court fee of £190 and a bankruptcy fee of £415 for a creditor to issue bankruptcy proceedings. There will also be costs to pay for serving the statutory demand in person.

What If I feel the charges added to my debt are unfair?

England and Wales > Creditor action > Charges and interest

Most agreements allow creditors to add charges and interest. If you feel that the charges are unfair or too high, you should first make a complaint to the creditor.

Creditors can add charges, but the Office of Fair Trading guidelines state these should be “based on actual and necessary costs” and should not be too high compared with the debt itself.

If you do not get a satisfactory response, you could contact the Financial Ombudsman Service who can investigate the matter further.