Family Law Court filing fees

From 1 July 2015, there will be an increase in the filing fees of a number of documents.

            – There will be a $350 increase to the full divorce fee (to $1,195) in the Federal Circuit Court to achieve parity with the Family Court, with no changes to the reduced divorce fee in the Federal Circuit Court or Family Court divorce fees

             – $80 increase to fees for consent orders (to $235), $65 increase to fees for issuing subpoenas (to $120), and a new fee category for amended applications ($120), and

            –  a 10% increase to all fee categories not subject to a targeted increase (except for the reduced Federal Circuit Court divorce fee and Family Court divorce fees).

The head of Law Council of Australia’s family law section, Rick O’Brien, told The Australian (newspaper) “Court fees even at their existing levels are a significant burden for families who are struggling through a crisis.” He also expressed the fear that high fees may also restrict the accessibility of courts for ordinary citizens. And, according to the Courier Mail (newspaper), a Federal Parliamentary inquiry revealed that a person had to put aside $5 a week to afford to lodge a divorce application form at the current rates.