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Small Claims Court Fee Calculator

Estimate the court fee to issue a small claim and the hearing fee if the case is heard. Built for England & Wales, with a field to enter the official fee for Scotland (simple procedure) or Northern Ireland.

Your details

Court fees differ by UK nation. The built-in fee scales cover England & Wales only. For Scotland or Northern Ireland, enter the official fee in the override field below.

The money you say you are owed, before interest, court fees and legal costs.

Contractual or statutory interest accrued up to the issue date. In England & Wales the issue fee is based on the claim plus this interest. Leave at 0 if you are not claiming interest.

In England & Wales, online claims (Money Claim Online) have lower fees than paper claims. Online filing is available for claims up to £100,000.

Leave empty for England & Wales to use the built-in scale. REQUIRED for Scotland and Northern Ireland: enter the fee from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service or the NI Courts and Tribunals Service. Also use it if the GOV.UK fee for your claim differs from the scale used here.

In England & Wales, a hearing fee is normally payable if your defended claim goes to a hearing. Switch on to see the worst-case total.

Leave empty to use the built-in England & Wales scale. Enter the official figure if you are in Scotland or Northern Ireland and a hearing fee applies, or if the current fee differs.

Result

Total court fees £275.00

Issue fee plus hearing fee. If you win, the court will usually order the other side to reimburse these fees.

How it is calculated

Total claimed (claim + interest) The value on which the England & Wales issue fee is based.
£2,520.00
Within the small claims limit? The limit is measured on the claim excluding interest and costs. Above it, the claim is normally allocated to the fast track or multi-track, where hearing fees and costs rules differ.
Yes
Court fee to issue the claim Paid when you start the claim. For Scotland and Northern Ireland this is the fee you entered.
£105.00
Hearing fee (if the case is heard) Zero if you chose not to include it, or if no built-in scale applies and you entered no figure.
£170.00
Fees as a share of the amount claimed Useful to judge whether a small claim is worth bringing.
10.9 %
Keep in mind
  • The built-in fee scales cover England & Wales only (county court money claims and small claims hearing fees). Scotland (simple procedure) and Northern Ireland have their own fees: enter the figure published by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service or the NI Courts and Tribunals Service in the override field. Without it the total cannot be calculated for those nations.
  • Court fees are revised by the government every few years. Before paying, check the current fee for your claim value on GOV.UK (leaflet EX50). If it differs from this result, enter the official figure in the override fields.
  • In England & Wales the issue fee is based on the amount claimed plus interest to the date of issue. Claims over £10,000 pay 5% of the claim, up to a maximum of £10,000 for claims above £200,000. Online filing is only available up to £100,000.
  • Hearing fees are only estimated for small claims track cases in England & Wales (claims up to £10,000). Fast track and multi-track hearing fees are not covered.
  • If you win, the court will usually order the defendant to repay your court fees, but in the small claims track you generally cannot recover legal fees. If you receive certain benefits or have a low income you may pay reduced fees or none through Help with Fees.
  • This calculator gives an estimate for information only and does not replace the official fee tables.

Indicative result, calculated from the details and the rules listed below. It does not replace an official calculation or advice from a professional.

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Letter Before Small Claim
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What are small claims court fees?

Bringing a money claim in the UK is not free. You pay a court fee when you start the claim (the issue fee) and, if the defendant disputes it and the case goes to a hearing, a second fee for the hearing. The fees depend on the nation where you sue and, in England and Wales, on how much you are claiming and whether you file online or on paper.

This calculator estimates both fees so you know the real cost of a claim before you send a letter before action or start proceedings. Court fees are only part of the picture, because the small claims track is designed so that most people can run their own case without a solicitor.

How the fee is calculated in England and Wales

The issue fee is a fixed amount for each band of claim value. The value is the sum you claim plus any interest accrued up to the date you issue. Claims of up to £300 pay the lowest fee and the amount rises with each band up to £10,000. Above £10,000, the fee is 5% of the claim, capped at £10,000 for claims over £200,000.

Filing online through Money Claim Online is cheaper than filing a paper claim form. Online filing is available for claims up to £100,000.

The small claims track normally covers claims of up to £10,000, measured without interest and costs. If the claim is defended and heard, you pay a hearing fee that also depends on the amount claimed. The fee is paid in the weeks before the hearing, and it is often possible to avoid it by settling beforehand.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Scotland, small claims are brought under the simple procedure, which is available for claims up to £5,000. Fees are set by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. In Northern Ireland the small claims court deals with claims up to £5,000 and its fees are published by the NI Courts and Tribunals Service. Because these scales differ from England and Wales, the calculator asks you to enter the official fee for those nations and then adds it to any hearing fee you include.

A worked example

Suppose you are owed £2,400 for unpaid work and you add £120 of interest. The total claimed is £2,520, which falls in the band from £1,500.01 to £3,000. Filed online, the issue fee is £105. A paper claim would cost £115. If the defendant fights the claim and a hearing is needed, the hearing fee for that band is £170. The maximum cost is therefore £275 online, or about 10.9% of the amount claimed. If you win, the court will usually order the defendant to pay the fees back on top of the debt.

Common situations

  • The defendant pays after your letter. You pay no court fee at all, which is why a clear letter before claim is worth sending first.
  • The claim is settled before the hearing. You will already have paid the issue fee, but you may avoid the hearing fee.
  • Low income. You may qualify for Help with Fees and pay reduced fees or none.
  • Claim above £10,000. The claim will not normally be a small claim. The issue fee is 5% of the amount, and hearing fees and costs rules are different.
  • Interest. Adding interest raises the value on which the fee is based, so a claim just under a band limit can cost more once interest is added.

What to prepare next

Before issuing, send the other side a Letter Before Small Claim (or, for a debt, a Letter before Claim for Unpaid Debt following the Debt Protocol). State the amount you claim, the interest, the deadline to pay and the evidence you hold. In Scotland, a Letter of Intention to Start Simple Procedure serves the same purpose. The same figures you used here can be copied into the letter, and having a clear paper trail makes your claim easier to run if it is defended.

Things to keep in mind

Fee scales change from time to time, so treat this result as an estimate and check GOV.UK, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service or NI Courts before you pay. Enforcement costs, such as bailiffs or attachment of earnings, are separate and are not included here.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee for small claims court?

Yes. You pay an issue fee when you start the claim and, if the case is heard, a hearing fee. In England and Wales the issue fee depends on the amount claimed and is lower if you file online. You may be exempt or pay less through Help with Fees.

Can I get my court fees back if I win?

Usually yes. The court normally orders the losing party to reimburse the fees you paid, in addition to the debt. Other legal costs are mostly not recoverable in the small claims track.

What is the small claims limit in the UK?

In England and Wales the small claims track generally covers claims up to £10,000. In Scotland the simple procedure covers claims up to £5,000, and the Northern Ireland small claims court also deals with claims up to £5,000. The limits exclude interest and costs.

Is it cheaper to file a small claim online?

In England and Wales, yes. Online claims through Money Claim Online carry lower issue fees than paper claims, up to the £100,000 online limit.

Do I pay a hearing fee in every case?

Only if a hearing is needed. If the defendant pays or you settle before the hearing, you may avoid it. The calculator lets you include or exclude it to see the best and worst case.

Does the fee include interest?

In England and Wales the issue fee is based on the claim plus interest up to the date of issue, so entering interest can move your claim into a higher fee band.

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